You know the feeling— the emptiness in the pit of your stomach right around mid-morning or mid-afternoon. If you don’t grab a snack, you know that your stomach will start growling loudly during your next class or your upcoming meeting.
Instead of making a trip to the vending machine to fix your cravings for a snack full of of sugar, chemicals, and preservatives (ew!), why not plan ahead? Check out my top 7 healthy and easy snacks list that are quick to make and easy to take along to work or to classes.
Fix a bunch of hard-boiled eggs on the weekend, and then bring one with you to work or to school each day. Eggs are fairly low in calories, and they pack enough protein to keep you going for a while.
To keep your precious egg fresh, you’ll need an insulated bag with an ice pack, or access to a break room refrigerator. Take your egg to the next level with a little salt and pepper or a smidge of paprika.
Bring along an apple and a little container of nut butter with granola mixed in. When you start feeling hungry, cut that apple crossways and make little sandwiches with granola nut butter smeared between two apple slices.
Anything can be fattening if you eat too much of it; but hummus is healthy in moderation, thanks to its fiber, protein, and antioxidants.
It’s easy to pack a little container of hummus (either store-bought or homemade) and grab a whole wheat pita to go with it. You can also dip carrots, celery sticks, or crisp bell peppers in hummus for a tasty, healthy snack.
Berries are full of benefits, including vitamins and antioxidants. Bring along a bag or container of fresh or frozen blueberries, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, or blackberries.
You don’t need to refrigerate them, and they taste great on their own! If you have access to a refrigerator or insulated bag, you could also bring some low-fat yogurt or low-fat cottage cheese to eat with your berries.
Have you ever tried caramelized pumpkin seeds? If you haven’t, write them on your grocery list right now and look for them in a local whole foods store! Pumpkin seeds are also called pepita in Spanish, so be sure to check under that name as well.
Sunflower seeds are another tasty power food, high in fatty acids, vitamin E, and protein, along with hard-to-get minerals that your body needs (think copper, magnesium, manganese, and selenium). Plus, sunflower seeds have vitamin B, which is great for your energy levels. You can buy them raw or roasted, but try to avoid the over-salted varieties.
You’ve probably heard of the chia seed craze— these nutritious little guys are showing up in everything! Sprinkle them on yogurt or salad, or mix them into a smoothie. Just be careful, because a single tablespoon contains an extra 70 calories.
Whether you eat it fresh, crispy, roasted, or spicy, edamame is a tasty, easy treat! You can spend as little or as much time prepping it as you like, and enjoy it chilled, hot, or at room temperature.
Find some recipes for snacking on edamame at its best and take advantage of the protein, amino acids, minerals, and fiber it offers.
Bananas, tangerines, clementines, oranges, apples, and grapes are all self-contained, tasty snacks with plenty of water and vitamins. They come in their own “wrappers,” and you don’t have to refrigerate them or do much prep work to enjoy them.
Plus, you’ll get daily servings of dietary fiber, vitamin C, and folate. Enjoy whole fresh fruits, or pack a selection of easy-to-eat dried fruits like prunes, apricots, apples, and peaches. BONUS
Here’s a few other healthy snack ideas!
Even though most of these are packaged foods, they are nutritious and will give you ample energy for your day.
When it comes to snacking, there are plenty of tasty, healthy options. Try a few new snacks this week, and don’t forget to tell me what you thought of my top 7 healthy and easy snacks!xx
Hi Rach!, i want to thank you for every advice you give in your blogs, you helped me a lot!. I have a question about cankles, i can’t get rid of them, i eat healthy and do exercise 3/4 times per week and i still have em :( it kills my self esteem, sometimes they look thinner but today and the last 3 days they are chunky and with no definition. Do you know how to get rid of em?
Hi lovely, you’re very welcome :) Cankles is a very tough one. The calf area is really hard to slim down – not impossible, but does take a lot of time. Cankles would probably be even harder and a lot would be genetic. I would probably avoid any HIIT exercises or balance type workouts as this will work your ankle area. I would stick to walking for cardio and lighter style circuits (have a look at the free workouts on my blog). Good luck babe! xx
Hi Rac,
I get excited seeing all the transformations from following your programme. I am bottom heavy with pancake behind. I would love to try out your programme, but I would like to know if I need to follow the diet recommendations that come with the programme.
Hi lovely! You’ll get better results if you’re eating well, but you can definitely still get results following your own meal plan (provided it’s healthy and has roughly the right amount of calories). I think my plan will definitely help with your legs and butt though! :) xx