SNACKS. You know what I mean? I don’t just love eating snacks; I absolutely rely on them to get me through the day! As a busy college student and part-time worker, I am constantly on the go. Snacks keep me going, but it’s important that they’re tasty and healthy.
To me, a healthy snack is one that gives you the energy and nutrients you need to keep going. While I don’t want to eat an excessive amount of calories, I don’t think calories are something to be scared of; we need them to fuel our bodies!
If you’re worried about healthy snacks being too expensive, make sure you check out my post on how to save money while grocery shopping.
Plus, you know we’re VEGAN right. Plant-based foods all the way because they’re the healthiest, most delicious, and best for the earth and our animal friends!
Invest in re-usable containers.
There are so many options here. My favorites are old plastic containers from packaged food; just rinse them out and reuse them. But, there’s good products to buy, too!
I’m obsessed with reZIP bags. Super easy to use, clean, and reuse. You can use them just like plastic ziplocks to store any snack you want!
It’s so beneficial to have reusable containers for so many reasons! Reducing your plastic consumption is good for the environment, so just forget about disposable plastic bags that literally pollute our earth and stay here until long after we’re gone. Plus, you can save money over time by not having to buy new bags over and over again!
Plan ahead.
If you know your schedule, you know when you’ll be needing snacks! I always like to err on the side of caution and estimate on the high end. It’s better to have it and not need it then need it and not have it!
Also, make sure to know what needs to be refrigerated and how long your ice packs will last!
Make your own.
Making and preparing your own snacks does take a few more minutes of your time, but I think it’s totally worth it. It saves you money to not pre-packaged goods, and you tend to make healthier and less-processed goods, too!
Get free snacks!
If you live on campus or frequent the dining hall, make sure to grab a piece of fruit or other snack items when you leave. Plus, organizations frequently have booths on campus giving out snacks or other goodies. Grab these when you can and hold onto them for later!
Keep extras.
It’s easy to keep some shelf-stable snacks in your backpack, purse, and car always. Just keep a granola bar or trail mix in your bag in case you get hungry.
Snack with intention.
For me, it’s important that I don’t just snack because I’m bored or because I like the taste of whatever I’m eating. I snack because I need something to fuel my body! If you’re focused on something else, it can be easy to fall into the trap of mindless snacking. I try to focus on my snack so that I am conscious of how full I feel and how much I’m consuming. Remember, your body is a temple!!
However, enjoying my snacks is still super important to me, so…
Snack ideas
OKAY, now I want to share my top 3 favorite snack ideas. I’m literally getting hungry thinking about delicious snacks to eat. I’m going to share the snack, how to store it, and why it’s a good snack!
1. Fresh fruits
This is literally the easiest snack of all time. Delicious, nutritious, and provides quick energy. My favorites are bananas and apples because you need no packaging at all and they’re super easy to eat. While I loooove oranges, I tend to shy away from fruits that are messy to eat as on-the-go snacks. Other fruits need to be washed and stored, and sometimes put with an ice pack.
One banana: 105 calories, 1.3g of protein, 0.4g of fat, 27g of carbs
One apple: 95 calories, 0.5g of protein, 0.3g of fat, 25g of carbs
2. Overnight Oats
I’m obsessed with overnight oats. I’ll make them breakfast and for snacks too. I was never a big fan of oatmeal until I discovered how delicious you can make overnight oats. My go-to is 3/4 cups of oats, 1 tbsp of chia seeds, 3/4 cups of soy milk, maple syrup, and berries. You can do any type of fruit and sweetener, add some nut butter, switch up the plant milks, add protein powder… there’s a million variations for your palette. All the cute Pinterest examples of overnight oats are in mason jars, but I just use tupperware bowls to prep some for the week and grab them to go.
I’m adding some stock pictures of oats for ~inspiration~
390 calroies, 15g of protein, 10g of fat, 60g of carbs
3. Popcorn
I remember my elementary school teachers giving us popcorn and telling us it was a brain food. I have no idea if it really helps your brain, but I do know it’s salty and crunchy and delicious!
Plus, you can make it easy at home using just corn kernels and salt. Try this technique here, and then just throw your popcorn in a bag and enjoy it all day. You can literally eat SO MUCH and still be super low on calories.
I also eat SkinnyPop because hello! It’s delicious.
1 cup of pure popcorn: 30 calories, 1g of protein, 0g of protein, 6g of carbs
I totally rely on snacks throughout the day to stay full and energized. These were just a few of my favorites. What’s your favorite snack?!
