Easy Snack Foods To Keep Handy

I believe that we tend to make better food choices when we have better options available to us. When making your grocery shopping list, don't just plan to buy foods that are intended for cooking meals. Think quick, easy snack options. Instead of having prepackaged snack foods on hand, have easily accessible whole food snack options. Spend a few minutes every week prepping some of these foods and you'll have plenty of options for the whole week!

Here are some of my favorites to keep on hand:

Bananas - you cannot go wrong here, especially if you have a jar of natural peanut butter on hand, super easy and delicious

Oranges - I like the little cutie oranges, easy to peel and very little mess

Apples - we like the Gala or Fuji apples for a little crisp and sweet snack

Grapes - I typically will rinse these and have one of my kids pick the grapes off the vine and leave them in a bowl in the fridge for a quick and accessible snack option

Strawberries - these just need rinsed, sliced up, and stored in the fridge for when you are craving something sweet

Celery sticks - dab some natural peanut butter on these and even the kids will eat them

Broccoli florets - dipped in some hummus, they taste half way decent

Cucumber slices - these are delicious dipped in an avocado lime ranch dip (see recipe Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing) 

Bell pepper slices - these are great dipped in guacamole (see recipe Guacamole)

Almonds - these are a power-packed snack food option that we unfortunately can't keep around because I am allergic to them. But, for those of you who are not, these are a great option.

Cashews - I read an article once that said that eating a handful of cashews a day is like taking an anti-depressant. True or not, these are one of my favorite snacks!

Peanuts - unless there is a peanut allergy in your household, these are a great (and cheap) snack option

Sunflower seeds - whether you buy them ready to eat or still in the shell, these are a great option that also taste great in a smoothie to add a little bit of a nutty flavor

These snacks require very little effort to prepare in advance and will stay fresh for most of the week so that you have a variety of options available. We all have some down time at some point in our week, take a little bit of time to plan in advance so that you have nutritious whole food snack options instead of prepackaged snacks that have very little nutritious value. 

May God Bless!

Ashley