Healthy Snacking

If my husband and I are going to eat healthy especially on busy days, we need easy, ready-made snacks. So I started the snack bowl in our house. This is a bowl in the fridge I keep filled with quick and healthy snacks. I know this seems like a simple idea, but it helps us grab healthy snacks quickly. I grab one item or combine two items for my snack, and for my husband, he grabs two or three items. So much easier than digging through the fridge – no thinking required.

We use the snack bowl for regular snack times, but we also use it when we get home from work late and dinner is going to be later. If I can grab a snack, I won’t opt for take-out because I am too hungry to cook dinner. I also use it on my splurge day. I’ll grab one or two snacks from the bowl, so I don’t eat too much junk. And it reassures me I am getting some nutrition on my splurge day. I try to keep both protein and carb options in the bowl.

I keep a bowl in the pantry as well for items that don’t need refrigerated.

I also leave out a bowl with fruit.

Now for the ideas:

• Yogurt (if I use a light version, I avoid versions with aspartame)
• Stick Cheese
• Squeeze Applesauce (in different flavors)
• Hummus & Carrots or Celery
• Laughing Cow Wedges & Carrots, Celery or Crackers
• Muscle Milk Light Protein Shakes
• Turkey Summer Sausage Mini Bites
• Lowfat Cottage Cheese (I pre-portion them in small storage containers)
• Grapefruit Cups from Costco
• Protein Bars (Pantry Bowl)
• Real Fruit Strips (Pantry Bowl)
• Cocoa Almonds (Pantry Bowl)

Share your quick & healthy snack ideas in the comments below!