Prepping Healthy Snacks
We all struggle with finding the time to pack our healthy snacks everyday especially when you are a busy mom or have a full time job. I understand that it can be one extra step that you have to make - but anything worth having is worth putting in an effort! You (and your kids) will be healthier, happier and you actually save a TON of money when you pack healthy food vs take the kids through the drive-thru.
It just takes a little planning.
I have outlined some healthy snacks for you so that you can see exactly how I prep my weeks. I spend a few hours each week baking chicken for wraps and salads, cutting up fruits and veggies and portioning it into baggies along with sunflower seeds (or nuts) and hummus to make a complete snack. The key to sustaining your energy and blood sugar all day long is to pair healthy complex carbs (fruits and veggies) with a protein (nuts, hummus, avocados, cottage cheese) at each meal. This prevents the crash in blood sugar which can lead to binging!
I always sit down with my little, pretty weekly calendar and plan out all my meals and snacks for my family and then hit up the grocery store. Afterwards I spend an hour or two preparing my snacks and getting organized for the week. Here's a secret: I do NOT prep my entire week all at once! I use Sundays to prep for the first few days and then plan another prepping hour or two for my Wedesday afternoons for the remaining days of the week. I find that the food lasts better that way and it takes the anxiety out of feeling like my entire Sunday will be filled with cooking - not fun!
Where do I find all of my recipes? Pinterest! We have ZERO excuses when it comes to finding healthy recipes because Pinterest is filled with so many healthy bloggers who share countless recipes. What you want to look for are REAL ingredients. Stay away from a recipe if it has "ranch dressing" or "cream of mushroom soup" or something like that in it's ingredient list. I quickly scan the ingredients of all the recipes I pick and then determine who in my family will eat it. OR a version of it! Feel free to change a recipe to make it fit with your family. No excuses!
I have included a list of some healthy snack ideas for you to use!
20 grapes and 1 string cheese.
2 cupped handfuls of strawberries and 15 raw unsalted cashews
handful of carrots and cucumbers and 1 tbsp hummus.
2 whole wheat rice cakes (no salt added) with 1 tbsp all natural pb (look at the label it should say dry roasted peanuts only) and 1 tbsp raisins on top
1 cup plain greek yogurt, 1orange cut up with 1 tbsp almonds. If its to tart for you add a tiny bit of honey or agave nectar.
1/2 cup cottage cheese and a handful of fresh berries.
1 banana with 1 tbsp all natural nut butter
1 apple with 1 tbsp nut butter or a handful of raw unsalted almonds.
Oh and of course my favorite meal of the day….SHAKEOLOGY! It’s either a meal or a snack each day! Quick and easy, no thought required! Just blend and Go!