Healthy snacks

[dividend]

I'm a big fan of small(ish) meals with healthy snacks in between. Since I've started consistantly packing a morning and an afternoon snack to take to work, I've noticed a huge jump in my energy levels, and my mood is a lot more even.

I try to healthy pack healthy snacks, according to my definition of healthy - minimally processed, few ingredients, etc. I try to balance whole grains, vegetables, and good fats. I also want packing snacks to be easy. Here are some of the products I buy that fit these criteria:

- Larabars - these are really good raw bars made mostly from dates and nuts. I love the minimal ingredient list, and the good fats. Any of the flavors with cinnamon or ginger taste great.

- Fruit Leather - combine one of these with 1 oz of nuts and you've got a great snack. I buy these and the Larabars at Costco.

- True North - I bought a bag of nut clusters from Sam's Club the other day, and they're delicious with some tart dried fruit.

- Babybel and Laughing Cow - perfectly portable cheese. With whole grain crackers, what could be better?

I figure there are plenty of like-minded snackers around here, so recommend me your favorite healthy, easy, tasty snack products.

Edited September 13, 2008 by dividend (log)

[markemorse]

Thanks for starting this, Dividend...my father-in-law just had a stroke last week, and while he's doing well physically, everyone is wondering what the hell he's going to eat when he returns home. He's one of these people who has always eaten whatever he wants (usually pretty typical, unhealthy stuff), but is somehow built like a (63-year-old) high-school wrestler.

So he's never had to think about eating healthily before, and he's a huge snacker. I'll pass on whatever ideas I come up with, but the major immediate issue is a pepperoni/antipasti substitute: his favorite late afternoon thing is some kind of hard salami, asiago or provolone, and ideally olives or marinated artichokes....all of which are off-limits due to sodium content. One easy answer is to make your own lower-sodium marinated vegetables, but I don't see this happening for him. So any delicious off-the-shelf lower-sodium options would be awesome.

For me, my snacking philosophy revolves around always having something available just in case...there's nowhere that I trust myself not to be hungry. For superportable needs I rely on fruit and nuts, like you. I don't know if they have this in the US (seems like they must), but here you can buy 100gr (3.5 oz?) plastic containers of, say, walnuts, prunes, apricots, almonds, pistachios, etc. And so I buy one of a fruit, one of a nut, combine them so i have two equal mixed portions and just keep one in my bag. But I love prunes and walnuts together, and I love almonds and dates together, pistachio and apricot, etc....I'm way less excited about any of these guys by themselves. Except toasted hazelnuts. But I imagine those are harder to find over there...

Edited September 13, 2008 by markemorse (log)

[petite tête de chou]

I enjoy unsalted sweet potato chips, raw almonds/walnuts/hazelnuts/sunflower seeds, all of the Mestemacher breads, soy nuts, wasabi peas, carrot juice, cherry tomatoes, baby corn, sugar snap peas, sprouted beans, 88% dark chocolate and fresh fruit, especially bananas, melons and any kind of berry.

[Tangelo]

I go through snack phases. Right now I am on a Blue Diamond Natural Almond Nut-Thins (organic aisle at the grocery) and Sabra roasted garlic hummus. Apple slices and old, old cheddar is good too. And sugar snap peas...by the bag

[maggiethecat]

When I was in my teens, a baggie of shelled walnuts and raisins was my favorite snack -- yea, better- tasting than a Coffee Crisp or a bag of Cheetos. It's been years: I think I'll go mix myself up a batch.

[isomer]

Bananas.

For 80-100 calories, I've never found anything as filling as a banana. Not even close. I eat one a day without fail.

Larabars are good too, and I also snack on cut up carrots, cauliflower etc...

[jgm]

Fresh fruit tops my list. I keep a loaf of Pepperidge Farm Raisin Cinnamon Swirl bread in my desk; it's 80 cal. per slice and just sweet enough to make my sweet tooth chill out for awhile. I also keep a jar of peanut butter to spread on the bread if I can't get out of the office for lunch. Additionally, I have two containers of Cheerios waiting for one of those days when I need lunch fast, so all I have to do is go to the convenience store and pick up a single-serving container of milk.

I also like a Planter's trail mix that has raisins, sunflower seeds, almonds, pepitas, etc.

For a fresh batch of endorphins, I also try to keep a Droste Barettini Bittersweet bar. Actually, it's not a bar, but contains 18 pieces of chocolate - already portion controlled.

[Sukie]

a slice of turkey wrapped around a string cheese

crudites, kalamata olives, flat breads and hummus

cheese and crackers

grapefruit snack packs

[JTravel]

For some reason BJ's Wholesale Club, which is usually considered less interesting than Costco and Sam's Club, has a large container of Marcona Almonds at a very good price. They are sort of flat, really crisp and wonderful for snacking. (They also make wonderful candy coated almonds, they are crisp without being as downright hard as the regular ones.)

A homemade mix of almonds, pumpkin seeds, pistachios, cashews and perhaps some raisins or dried bananas is the travelers mix of choice. High energy and high fiber, always important on a trip. Love the so called yogurt coated raisins , but don't think they count as healthy.