A busy lifestyle is no excuse to make poor food choices. While some healthy snacks require a kitchen, many can be portable and satisfying. Treat snacks, even ones on the go, as ways to fill in nutritional gaps in your diet. With a little planning, you can always have good options on hand.
Protein
Two hard-boiled eggs with a serving of whole-grain crackers provides you with 12 g of protein, vitamin B-12 and fiber. Remove the shell at home to make them easier to eat on the go. You can also wrap a few oz. of deli turkey with light cream cheese and avocado slices in a whole-wheat tortilla for protein with heart-healthy fats, vitamin K and fiber. Package this snack in foil so you can peel down the wrapper as you eat, which creates less mess. Single-serving containers of non-fat Greek yogurt provide 16 g to 20 g of protein and do not take long to eat.
Crunchy
Crunchy peanut butter between woven wheat crackers offers heart-healthy fats, protein and fiber. Put the crackers in a plastic container to prevent crushing them in your bag. Any combination of nuts provides you with protein, vitamin E, magnesium and unsaturated fats. Buy them in bulk and divide 1/4-cup servings into sandwich bags for portability and to help keep calories low. You can pair a serving of baked tortilla chips with string cheese for easy consumption on the run. You can also put cut-up veggies, such as baby carrots, red pepper strips, celery stalks and jicama wedges into a plastic container for easy snacking.
Sweet Treats
If you crave sweet treats at snack time, reach for dried fruit. Dried fruit requires no refrigeration and provides you with a concentration of nutrition and fiber. Choose dried fruit with no added sugar whenever possible such as raisins, dates, figs and prunes. Other sweet, healthy and portable options include applesauce or fruit salad in light syrup. If you plan in advance, air popped popcorn and mini dark chocolate chips and peanuts offer a sweet and salty treat that provides whole grain and antioxidants.
Unplanned
If you find yourself out and about without a snack available, stop in a local grocery store, rather than the local fast-food restaurant. Grab fresh fruit and yogurt or a bag of trail mix, without added sugar. Invest in a box of whole-grain cereal, such as shredded wheat or oat bran squares, and package the rest in individual containers when you get home for future on-the-go snacking. Look for individual packages of cottage cheese, small packets of peanut butter, single-serving containers of low-fat milk or tubes of roasted almonds as other alternatives.
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