Cheap, Fast and Easy Snacks for Folks on the Go

 

Healthy snacks for folks on the go are often very easy to grab and cheap too!

FRUIT

Bananas are very healthy, filled with vitamins and minerals and are also filling. They are high in natural sugar, so to keep things in balance take a handful of peanuts to eat with your banana.

Apples, what more can one say about how delicious, cheap and easy an apple is for a snack!

Dried fruit is excellent. Keep a bag of dried apricots, cranberries, raisins, dates, figs, kiwi or banana chips in a container in your vehicle. Dried fruit has saved me from the lure of a fast-food choice many, many times!

YOGURT

There are dozens of choices for yogurt out there and this is a great fast and easy snack. Be careful, however, as many of them are loaded with sugar. One eight-ounce container can contain up to ten teaspoons full of sugar.

One way to avoid the sugar trap is to purchase the plain, natural, low-fat yogurt, which is usually only available in the larger containers.

Mix in a little honey, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, pineapple - just about any fruit works - even kiwi. Stir frozen berries into your yogurt and it makes a sort of frozen-custard as the frozen berries thicken the yogurt.

NUTS

I know nuts are not low-fat, but the fat they do contain is good fat and helps fight the effects of bad fats. Eaten in small amounts they are high in nutrients and very satisfying. They are high in calories, so only eat a handful, about a dozen. Almonds, Black Walnuts, Cashews, Pecans, Peanuts, Macadamia nuts are some of the more healthy choices. Mix several of your favorites together and make your personal blend. Store your mix in glass ramekins, small glass bowls, and they'll be ready to go when you need them. Pyrex and several other brands now sell a wide variety of glass containers with plastic lids that seal very well. This is better for you than storing food in plastic.

VEGGIES

A container of baby carrots, celery sticks, cucumber slices and cherry tomatoes is a wonderful snack and you can make it up a couple of days ahead. The cukes are the first to start to go bad, so add those the day you use your other veggies.

Other choices are broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, peppers and frozen peas. Frozen peas are already cooked and are quite sweet and will thaw quickly.

If you like a bit of salt, purchase good-for-you salt such as Himalayan, Hawaiian sea salt or other types that are high in natural minerals. Himalayan salt has eighty-four minerals in it, so unless you're on a salt restricted diet, give them a try. You can find them online.

TRAIL MIX

Make a blend of your own favorite dried fruits and nuts and store them in a glass jar or save small glass jars that other product come in (baby food, spices, etc.) and make up a large batch and divide it into the smaller containers to make them easy to grab or keep in your purse or vehicle.

Suggested Blends:

Dried pineapple, dried (unsweetened, organic) coconut and macadamia nuts.

Peanuts, raisins and banana chips.

Almonds, dates (or figs)

 

GRANOLA BARS

Check the ingredients on granola bars. Most of them are very hight in fat and sugar, but there are choices out there that are more healthy. Or make your own, there are many recipes on line. Make up a large batch and freeze some for later.

HEALTHY CHIPS

Believe it or not, there are some veggie chips (like potato chips) available now that are baked and very delicious. The key here is portion control, of course. Postachio or sesame chips are so tasty and much better for you than regular potato chips. Some come in small, individual serving size bags which helps to keep us from eating too many.

 

HEALTHY COOKIES

Cookies can be healthy. There are many recipes for cookies that replace sugar with mashed banana or applesauce and use mostly oatmeal and less flower. Replacing the butter or shortening with healthy oils can be a bit tricky, but the recipes are out there, just search for ‘low-fat cookies’ and you’ll be amazed at the choices out there.

CONVENIENCE:

An important part of eating healthy snacks is to make sure you have them on hand. If you have a stash of dried fruits, nuts, healthy chips, nuts, etc. in your purse, briefcase or glove compartment you’ve won half the battle and it will save you from that candy bar or fast-food drive-through moment.

Keep water with you too - as staying hydrated is very important. Find a stainless steel or glass container that you can refill.

Snack happy and healthy!