Healthy Snacks

     

      I went downstairs this morning and my husband showed me a new app he put on his phone.  It counts your calories for you and does some other things.  I didn't pay too much attention to the app, just to his motivation behind it.  The first shocking thing was that his breakfast this morning, Captain Crunch, took up half of what his calories were suppose to be for the entire day.  That's when I realized we needed to change the food in our house.  We have healthy cereals because that's all that I give my son, Rylan.  But, we have quite a few unhealthy yummy cereals.  Fruit loops are my weakness.  They are so good.  We have decided to change the way we eat and focus on healthy foods.
   I went shopping today and bought some more snacks that I could put in our fridge and cupboard that are easy, healthy, and on the go snacks.  Some items I bought were raisins, eggs to boils, sunflower seeds, string cheese, and yogurt.  I put them in serving size plastic containers and baggies.  I got an empty bucket and filled it with all the healthy snacks and put it in my cupboard.  I emptied out one of my produce drawers in my refrigerator and filled it with snacks too.  I am excited to have healthier food options in my kitchen.  Truthfully, I love most healthy foods, it just isn't always as convenient.  By putting forth a little extra effort after coming home from the grocery store healthy snacks will be just as convenient as easy to grab junk foods.

Here is a list of healthy snacks that are easy to grab and eat.  I wish I had a better knowledge of nutrition and what foods are healthiest for us. But, I don't... and I am not going to let that stop me from trying to be healthy.  I am going to put forth an extra effort to learn what foods are best for us.  I know some foods can be deceiving, such as some types of yogurts aren't as healthy as other types of yogurts.  However, I am clueless on that matter.  Feel free to share your knowledge with me.

I put together a list of healthy snacks to help my family keep our kitchen stocked up with quick and easy healthy foods:

1. String cheese
2. Cubed cheese
3. Carrot sticks
4. Celery sticks
5. Cucumber slices
6. Cherry tomatoes
7. Snap peas
8. Broccoli
9. Green/Red pepper slices
10. Sliced apples
11. Grapes
12. Pineapple chunks
13. Strawberries
14. Kiwis
15. Peaches
16. Grapefruit
17. Bananas
18. Pears
19. Cherries
20. Cubed watermelon
21. Cubed cantaloupe
22. Orange slices
23. Mandarin oranges
24. Bags of berries (blueberries, raspberries)
25. Hard boiled eggs
26. Applesauce
27. Cottage cheese
28. Wraps
29. Trail mix
30. Walnuts
31. Raisins
32. Craisins
33. Peanuts
34. Almonds
35. Cashews
36. Sunflower seeds
37. Dried fruit (apples, strawberries)
38.  Healthy popcorn
39. Granola Bars
40. Pretzels
41. Fruit leathers
42. Whole grain crackers
43. Rice cakes
44. Edamame
45. Frozen yogurt dots
46. Fruit dipped in yogurt and then frozen
47. Frozen grapes (Grapesicles)
48. Frozen go-gurts
49. Black beans
50. Pickles
51. Humus
52. Peanut butter
53. Laughing cow cheese

  

Combinations of snacks:

1. Crackers with laughing cow cheese
2. Apples and peanut butter
3. Yogurt parfait (yogurt, granola, fruit)
4. Whole grain tortilla, cheese, and black beans to make a quesadilla
5. Smoothies
6. Tuna + crackers
7. Pita bread + humus
8. Rice cake + humus
9. Cucumbers + humus
10. Rice cakes + peanut butter
11. Sliced banana + peanut butter
12. Apple slices + yogurt
13. Cottage cheese + fruit
14. Toast + peanut butter
15. Ants on a log (celery, peanut butter, and raisins)
16. Fruit Kabobs

What would be in your healthy snack container or drawer?