20 Yummy Healthy Snacks to Keep you on Track
Let me paint a picture for you: I walk in the door from work, suddenly ravenously hungry. It’s still a couple hours from dinner and I need to walk the dog, and ideally workout before I start the evening meal. But I am SO HUNGRY. Starving, really, ready to eat my right arm or burst into a fit of hangry rage.
So what do I do? Grab a snack.
Quite often that means chips, or a cheesy tortilla, or anything else that I can get around quickly to satisfy my hunger.
This is where I struggle the most to stay on track with my healthy eating. I can go all day making great decisions but the moment that afternoon hunger strikes, it’s all out the window.
So I came up with this great list of quick and easy, yummy healthy snacks. All of these items are something that you can prep ahead or have on hand to help you make healthy choices in a pinch. The first dozen are Whole30 compliant too, in case you started the new year on the Whole30 (more on that below).
Related: Clean Eating Sheet Pan Fajitas and Mexican Potatoes
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20 Yummy Healthy Snack Options
- Almond butter on Apples Sprinkled with Cinnamon
- Salsa and Plantain Chips
- Hard boiled eggs and mustard
- Dried fruit: Look for brands without added sugar or preservatives. Our favorites are Made in Nature Dried Mangos (and our puppy loved them too!)
- Jerky (I created my own, but you can find low sugar/no sugar options out there like Epic Bars)
- DIY Trail Mix (think almonds, coconut, raisins, cranberries, and cashews)
- Seasoned Nuts
- Sweet Potato Chips: Try making your own by thinly slicing the potatoes, tossing in oil, and baking at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes.
- Kale chips
- Pickles: It’s pretty easy to find Whole30 compliant brands, we really liked these Vlasic Purely Pickles.
- Lara Bars (my favorite Whole30 complaint flavors are the Cherry Pie and Coconut Cream Pie)
- Frozen Berries or Peaches
- Whole30 Compliant Cinnamon Roll Latte
- Cottage Cheese (l love to sprinkle parmesan on top of mine)
- String Cheese
- Sliced Peppers and DIY Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip (just mix a teaspoon of ranch seasoning mix with one cup greek yogurt)
- Cucumber slices and hummus
- Sliced lunch meat and chunked cheese (kind of like a grown up lunchable sans crackers and dessert.
- Avocado Toast
- Baked Sweet Potato Fries (Make your own using my instructions from these loaded chorizo sweet potato fries).
Last January my husband and I participated in the January Whole30 and it was incredible. Seriously so much hard work and planning, but I have never felt better. My husband dropped 15 lbs and cut a minute from his running time. I lost 10 and felt like I could single handedly remodel the house, create a three course meal, and run circles around the dog (difficult because he’s a springer spaniel with boatloads of energy).
We actually kept up that style of eating for several weeks after because we were feeling so good. But slowly real life began to creep back in. As life got busier, meal planning became more sloppy, and slowly we regressed to our unhealthy eating habits.
This year we are doing another “mini” Whole30, starting next week. The goal is to “reset” our digestive systems after a rough month of eating. I only plan to stay on the strict Whole30 for two weeks. Once that’s done I’ll reintroduce groups like dairy, grains, and legumes in moderation. Part of the Whole30 is discovery how your body reacts to food groups, and if any of them are causing issues for you.
Related: Whole30 Compliant Spice Carmel Apple Cider
I can honestly say that the only food group that seemed to negatively impact me when I started eating it again was refined sugar. I seem to handle dairy and grains fine, although I think it’s important to practice moderation here.
Sugar on the other hand made me feel like I was in a fog. And I hated the way my body immediately started craving it again once I reintroduced it. So this year, after our “reset”, I plan to be more conscious of how much refined sugar I am consuming.
What about you? Do you have any food related goals for the year? To eat healthier, or maybe try more things? Maybe you’re giving up meat or trying to eat out less. It looks different for everyone, and that’s okay. I just think it’s important every now and then to examine our relationships with food.
Like I said, I created this list of yummy healthy snacks as a resource last year for when sudden hunger struck. Because I know myself, and my weaknesses, and I know how much I hate ruining my healthy eating by snack binging. The first dozen snacks are Whole30 approved but really make a great healthy snack option for anyone. I hope they help you to hit your goals for the 2019.
I also hope that smart snacking will mean you don’t feel guilt when you do decided to indulge in dessert or that glass of wine. Because being healthy is really all about balance.
Happy Snacking!
~ Chloe M.