After the long (… but truly short) summer, it’s time to get back into routine! But before that first day of school (or work), make sure to stock your pantry, fridge, and lunch boxes with healthy and nutritious snacks for you and your family to eat throughout the day or to make as quick after-school or after-work snacks. Read below for some ideas to get you started.
Produce, produce, produce – Fresh, frozen or canned… the more the merrier!
- Wash & chop up any and all fruit and vegetables and place into single serving bags or plastic containers in the fridge – BEST SNACKS AROUND!!
- Single-serving containers of unsweetened applesauce
- Frozen grapes (try them!)
- Make your own fruit kebabs – strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, grapes, and watermelon, etc. – super fun for kids to help with!
Small Prep Before… Grab ‘n Go Later – snacks that can be pre-made, packed, and portioned!
- 1 serving of whole-grain crackers and/or sliced peppers, carrots, and cucumbers with healthy hummus, guacamole, or fat-free Greek yogurt for dipping
- String cheese with snack-sized applesauce, fresh fruit, or dried fruit on the side
- Ants on a log – fill celery with peanut butter and top with raisins or dried fruit
- Trail mix – dried fruit, nuts/seeds, whole-grain cereal, and dark chocolate chips and portion into ½ cup servings in plastic bags
- Cottage cheese with chopped fruit and ground cinnamon
- 3 cups of fat-free popcorn, air-popped
- 1 serving of whole-wheat crackers topped with guacamole and sunflower seeds
- Plain rice cake topped with salsa or topped with peanut butter and banana
- 1 laughing cow cheese wedge and 1 serving of whole-grain crackers
- 1 Nuts & Spices KIND Bar, RXBAR, Lara Bar, or Oatmega Bar
Sweet Tooth Cravings – don’t grab that candy bar… try these items instead!
- Baked (or microwaved) apple, banana, or peach (chopped into pieces); sprinkled with ground cinnamon and walnuts or slivered almonds
- Quick pumpkin pie – ½ cup canned pure pumpkin, ¼ cup egg whites, 1 tsp sweetener, and ground cinnamon – mix and microwave for 2 minutes; top with nuts
- Whole grain waffle toasted and topped with low-fat yogurt or applesauce
- Small sweet potato with a dollop of fat-free Greek yogurt and ground cinnamon
- 1 VitaTop muffin top (chocolate or bran flavors)
- Halo Top or Arctic Zero ice cream
Hearty Snacks – to eat when dinner is still 3+ hours away!
- Turkey sandwich on whole-wheat or sprouted grain bread with low-fat cheese and vegetables
- Peanut butter sandwich on whole-wheat or sprouted grain bread with dried cranberries and banana
- Turkey, low-fat cheese, avocado, and lettuce roll-ups with spicy mustard
- Yogurt parfait with low-fat or fat-free yogurt, honey, whole-grain cereal, and fruit
- Brown rice bowl with black beans and cooked vegetables
- Baked potato with salsa and cottage cheese
- Black bean quesadilla with whole-grain tortilla, low-fat cheese, and plain fat-free Greek yogurt for dipping
- Tuna on whole-grain tortilla or whole-wheat English muffin with drizzled lemon, mustards, and/or herbs and spices
Want more?! This time of year brings back ROUTINE! So whether you are gearing up for the back to school season or just getting back to work, it is time to focus on smart meal prepping tips, tools, & timesavers.
Click HERE to enroll in the FREE webinar Back to School Meal Prep on Wednesday, August 28that 12 pm CST. Can’t make the LIVE version? No worries! Register & a recorded video of the session will be sent to your inbox!
