Snack Picks for Busy Days

Snacks can help to fuel the body on even the busiest of days! What you eat and do not eat, will make a difference in helping you power through the day. Here are some practical snack ideas to keep on hand.

Trail mix - a quick handful of trail mix can deliver a mix of healthy fats, some protein, and quality carbs. Opt for those that have mostly dried fruit and nuts.

Apple and Peanut Butter

Pair up apple slices with peanut butter or your favorite nut butter like almond butter for a perfect mix of energy.

On the go tip: Bring along single serve peanut butter cups (e.g. JIF Natural) or nut butter packs (e.g. RX Nut Butter or Justin’s Nut Butter) to go with apple slices.

Carrots and Hummus

Crunchy baby carrots and your favorite hummus is a delicious savory snack! There are so many great types of hummus now, mix up which one you choose to keep your taste buds interested.

On the go tip: Opt for single serving cups (e.g. Sabra) of hummus to go with the carrots!

Pistachios

Perhaps the best thing about pistachios is that 49 pistachios is a serving, which is more than compared to other nuts. Plus cracking pistachios takes a bit of time, which helps to make a serving of this snack last a little longer.

On the go tip: Buy single serving packs of pistachios (e.g. Wonderful Pistachios) that are already portioned out for you! Even switch it up with flavored pistachios like salt and pepper or sweet chili.

Popcorn

This whole grain snack is so tasty! Plus a serving of popcorn is adding in whole grains and fiber to your day. And for an added bonus, 3 cups of popcorn is a serving, which is much larger than a portion size of other crunchy snack foods (a serving of chips is only one handful). Opt for air popped popcorn at home or choose light versions of microwave popcorn or bags of popcorn.

On the go tip: Opt for individual serving bags of popcorn (e.g. Angie’s Boom ChickaPop or similar)!

Product Picks

I'm on a constant quest to try new foods, and products! Here are a couple of recent options that were a hit. 

Cotton Candy Grapes from the Grapery

UNIQUE + DELICIOUS CANDY GRAPES

These Cotton Candy grapes from the Grapery are full of flavor and delicious. They are super sweet and definitely have a cotton candy-like taste. 

In my opinion they are worth putting on your shopping list and can even double as a dessert. 

The Grapery website explains more about the way that these grapes get their unique flavor, its really interesting and worth a read, click here! And don't wait, they are only available for a short period of time, according to their website now through September 20. 

Pressed By KIND Bars

ON-THE-GO FRUIT

Sometimes schedules call for on-the-go options and Pressed by KIND bars are a perfect way to add in fruit on busy days or in lunch boxes! Plus the bars have a simple ingredient list and each has 2 servings of fruit per bar.

For example, the Cherry, Apple, Chia bar ingredient list is literally - cherry, apple, and chia. There is not any added sugar or sweeteners, which is great! Each bar has 130 calories and delivers 3 grams of fiber. 

They are also available in additional flavors including: Mango Apple Chia, Dark Chocolate Strawberry, Dark Chocolate Banana, Strawberry Apple Cherry Chia, and Pineapple Banana Kale Spinach. You can order Pressed by KIND bars direct from KIND Snacks website or look for them in grocery stores, Target, and more.  

Green Giant Riced Veggies 

INNOVATIVE VEGGIES

One of the newest ways to enjoy veggies is 'riced' veggies. The texture of veggies when they are chopped fine is so interesting and especially cauliflower, takes on the texture of almost being rice-like. 

You can make your own riced veggies but these frozen bags are super convenient! Plus they come in great flavor combinations like pictured here, Cauliflower with Lemon and Garlic. 

Once cup of riced veggies has only 30 calories and is a perfect side dish! Or try plain riced cauliflower as a stand-in for rice with stir-fry or even made into a fried 'rice' dish. Look for riced veggies in the freezer section of the grocery store. Click here for more information on Riced Veggies from Green Giant. 

Note: These product picks are not an advertisement, just products that Creative Nutrition Solutions owner and registered dietitian, Molly Morgan loves!