easy, quick snacks

     I love snacking so much sometimes I’ll just eat a bunch of snacks as my dinner. If you enjoy snacks as much as I do, having a variety that require no prep time is key!

     There are many brands of snack foods out there, and some are healthier than others. Just because it’s vegan doesn’t inherently mean it’s healthy! Begin familiarizing yourself with reading ingredients lists, finding brands that use mostly natural and minimal ingredients, and planning ahead when it comes to snacks.

     In this blog post, I’ll talk about ingredients, planning ahead, and my favorite snacks for home and travel.

coconut protein bars
Healthy Snack Options for On-The-Go

Ingredients

     The ingredients are listed in order of how much weight the ingredient makes up of the total mass, so pay attention to where/if added sugars, oils, and salt are on the list. A lot of brands that are seemingly healthy from their front-faced advertising will give away their real truth if you look a bit closer. 
     That being said, if you’re looking for something to satisfy a certain craving, it’s typically okay to purchase highly processed products occasionally! Just balance these with a stable diet of plant foods and try to work in healthy snacks more often than processed ones.

Planning Ahead

     Buy good quality snacks in bulk and keep a few in your car, purse, backpack, fanny pack, wherever! 

     Fruits that make good long(ish)-term snacks include oranges, apples, grapes, kumquats, gooseberries, bananas (buy them green to plan far ahead), mangos, and avocados. Dried and canned fruit are good options for very long-term. You can freeze berries for a delicious candy-like treat that lasts.

     Long shelf life items include dried fruits, nuts, whole grain crackers, and seeds, as well as nut and seed butters. Always check the ingredients, as there may be added oils or natural flavors (aka unknown, undefined chemicals).

     Vegetables that last are carrots, celery, and mostly anything uncut! Root vegetables last longer than tomatoes, but you know that already. If you’re finding your produce going bad quickly, look up how to properly store it. Some like the dark, some like the fridge, some like water, etc. You can always pickle or ferment your veggies to make the shelf life longer as well.

     I would suggest having a variety of snacks that offer different textures and flavors on hand. Familiarize yourself with the options available to you locally, and remember you can always purchase your favorite brands in bulk online. If you can get into it, prepping your snacks in advance can be a savior later! Pre-wash your fruits, pre-chop veggies, or make yourself some fun dips, crackers, or muffins to try. 

fruit bowl 1

My Favorite Quick Snacks

     If I’m home, I’ll grab a piece of fruit, lightly salted mixed nuts (be careful of some brands adding oil to these), a yogurt, peanut butter with banana, celery, or one of my homemade snacks such as hummus (with veggies), a muffin, a slice of baked bread, or a date bar.
     I like to switch up what I prep every week to keep things exciting and to increase the variety in my diet. You can prep in whatever way works for you! 

     If I’m out and about, nuts and seeds are my go-to at any gas station. Check the ingredients to be sure there’s no added oil or “natural flavors” (lightly salted is the healthiest choice). You can choose from pistachios to almonds to cashews! Brands like Larabar and Bare can be found in some gas station. Some gas stations even have veggies and hummus, and if you’re really lucky, they might have a plant-based sandwich in their prepared foods sections.
     A great option when you’re out of the house is to stop by a grocery store and purchase healthy snacks such as nuts, seeds, a veggie mix and hummus, an avocado and flavored whole grain crackers, ethically sourced dark chocolate, or any fruit variety your heart desires. Even better if you can find a natural food store in the area.

     I’m happy to be able to say plant-based life is becoming more and more popular as time goes on, so that means we’ll have more and more options as time goes on, too!

     Again, the cleaner the ingredients list, the healthier the product is for you, but live your life in balance of what you want and what your body needs!

     Prepping snacks allows your future self to grab a quick snack! So plan ahead. Bake muffins with beans and whole grain flours, or make a banana bread with walnuts and cinnamon. Try adding ingredients like applesauce, banana, berries, dates, or molasses for healthier sugar alternatives.
     Making your own hummus allows you to up the protein factor and eliminate the oil and the sugar. You can experiment with flavors like roasted red pepper, garlic, or black bean!

     Thank you so much for taking the time to read through this post, I’m so glad you’re interested in a whole food plant based diet!! Please consider supporting me by purchasing resources for yourself, or consider having a one-on-one consultation with me! If neither of those interest you and you still want to support me, you can see what homemade goods and plants I have to offer here. Thank you so much!

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