Snacks on the Go

Snacking healthy on the go takes a little planning and preparation, but it can be done. Taking the time to prepare certainly beats getting stuck at work or on the road with nothing healthy to eat. You know how hard it is to find low calorie, nutritious foods in vending machines or convenience stores.

You know, too, when you’re hungry and have to stop to get something to eat, it’s much harder to make a good choice. So instead of giving in to the Twinkies and the cheese crackers, take along your own healthy snacks.

· Almonds – take a container of raw almonds and measure 1/4 cup portions into baggies for the week. Store them in your cupboard for easy grabbing.
· Yogurt – buy a large container of plain, fat free yogurt. Open the container and flavor the whole container with Splenda and vanilla. The night before, take out your portion for the next day and put it in a plastic container with lid. You can throw in some fruit, like frozen blueberries. You can also buy prepackaged light yogurt, but there are a lot of additives. (Don’t forget to take a spoon.)
· Carrots – put a handful of baby carrots into baggies for the week. Store in your refrigerator drawer for easy access.
· Apples – wash and dry your apples for the week and set them in a bowl on the counter. You can quickly grab one on your way out the door. Bananas work well too as long as they don’t get squashed.
· Protein bars – choose bars that have at least 15 grams of protein and no more than 200 calories. Limit these to one snack per day and stick to whole foods for the rest.
· Popcorn – if you have access to a microwave, take along a 100-calorie pack of popcorn. This is a lot of grain so skip your grain at lunch (have a salad with grilled chicken) and have popcorn for your afternoon snack.
· Celery and PB – this takes a little more work, but can be done the night before. Spread natural peanut butter on washed celery sticks. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator overnight.
· Cheese – cheese sticks are fast and easy to carry along. Look for ones that have 60 calories per stick.

Prepare ahead and eat well.