Top 11 Quick and Healthy Summer Snacks

You are as busy as a bee and hunger strikes again! We have all been there. The question is, do you run to the pantry, or your drawer at work, and grab whatever processed garbage you can find, or do you try to find something healthy? Perhaps if you had a list of delicious healthy ideas you would stop going for that Twinkie or Ding Dong. Wouldn't that be convenient? Oh wait! There is a list of healthy snacks right here at your finger tips! Now you can eat healthy snacks and get back to work instead of sinking into a food coma.

Quick Throw Together Snacks:

1. Yogurt and Granola. It doesn’t get much simpler than that. Pop the top off a yogurt and sprinkle on some granola. My favorite yogurt with granola is strawberry. If you have a little time, you can cut up a banana, and a few strawberries too, to make the yogurt even more filling and delicious. This also makes a yummy breakfast.
2. Crackers with Cottage Cheese. Spoon a teaspoon of cottage cheese over whole wheat crackers and sprinkle with Mrs. Dash .This spice mix packs a great punch of flavor, and doesn’t contain salt! Definitely a winner in my book. In case you have never heard of Mrs. Dash, you can find it here. I like the Original flavor. Growing up we used to eat this on Ritz Crackers, but now I use Triscuits as a healthier option.
3. Green Smoothie. The key to a good fruit smoothie is the right ingredients. Start with frozen tropical fruits including Strawberries, mangoes, peaches, pineapple, grapes etc. It is usually cheaper when you buy it in bulk.  Add a leaf or two of washed kale. Some people are deterred by the green color of the smoothie, but kale has such a rich green color, I think it is just beautiful.  Add a dollop of low fat plain or strawberry yogurt to make it nice and smooth. Pour in at least a cup (8 oz) of V8 juice. Just make sure you use the right type of V8. The V8 Splash flavors contain high fructose corn syrup so steer clear of them. I always use the V8 fusion flavors. I like the strawberry banana,  mango peach, and strawberry pineapple flavors best. My favorite thing about V8 is that each 8 oz serving contains 1 whole serving of fruits and vegetables! You can almost get your five daily fruits and veggies all in one cup! Can you tell I like V8? Blend it all until its nice and smooth. It’s like drinking pure energy!
4. Bagel with Tomato. Toast half of a whole wheat bagel and spread 1TBS low fat whipped cream cheese over the top. Top with a slice of lean lunch meat and sliced tomatoes.  Eat open faced. This snack is filling yet doesn’t weigh you down. Delicious!
5. Warm Peanut Butter Drizzled over Apple Slices. Since it’s a warm snack, it’s nice to eat this one at night when the munchies set in. Just plop some peanut butter in a mug and microwave for about 30 seconds. Drizzle it over sliced apples and eat with a fork. Sprinkle some mini dark chocolate chips or granola over it if you are feeling dangerous.
6. Cottage Cheese and Pineapple. I like to use low fat cottage cheese and Dole  pineapple in pineapple juice. This snack reminds me of my childhood summers. My mom and I used to eat this together. Just mix the pineapple and cottage cheese together and enjoy. Be sure to add the pineapple juice too! It is super refreshing and gives you a burst of energy. I hear that people like to have cottage cheese with peaches or mixed berries too, but I have never tried That. Maybe that will be my next adventure.
7. Chocolate Banana Shake. I love Breakfast Essentials! They are quick, filling and delicious. They taste even better as a shake. Just toss 1/2 a banana, one cup of ice, one cup low-fat milk, and a packet of rich milk chocolate breakfast essentials into a blender, and it creams up real smooth like a milkshake. Sometimes I even drink it as a recovery shake after a taxing workout. Can’t go wrong with this one. If you don’t have banana’s on hand, no biggie, throw in some strawberries, or mixed berries instead. My Bella Rocket Blender works great for this shake. Since it is a single serve blender, it is less mess to deal with when I am done.
8. Homemade Trail Mix. In a small bowl combine ¼ cup each of raw almonds, craisens, and unsalted cashews. I like to toss this mix in a small kids cup with lid, you know the ones you get from restaurants? Yeah, we are “those people” the ones that take the kids cups home. We wash and reuse them. Don’t judge, they are super convenient.  It fits conveniently in the cup holder in the car, or even in your stroller. If you aren’t taking this on the go, try adding a few dark chocolate chips for a little extra flavor.Prep Ahead of Time Snacks:
9. Hummus and Veggies. The hummus I purchase the most is probably Sabra brand. You can find it at some stores for around $4. I like the roasted pine nut flavor. You can eat this with all kinds of veggies. My favorites are baby carrots, sugar snap peas, red or yellow bell peppers (the green ones aren’t as good), celery, jicama, cherry tomatoes, broccoli etc. Here is where the prep comes in. Slice up a couple days worth of veggies and place them nicely on a plate so they look appetizing. Having it all prepped will help you to actually eat it. Remember, you are a busy person, and you don’t want the thought of meal prep to deter you from eating healthy when hunger comes creeping in. Believe me, it will be worth it!
10. Guacamole and Veggies. At first I thought this would be weird, because Guacamole was intended to be consumed on crunchy corn chips or a greasy taco right? But I went to a church activity where they served only veggies instead of chips, so I thought I would give it a try. Boy was I pleasantly surprised by the amazing flavor of the guacamole on the crisp veggies. Plus if you are already planning to chop up veggies for hummus, just make a little extra for the guacamole and you are good to go. I always make my own guacamole. Just mash an avocado with a fork and add some lime juice to help keep it fresh. Leaving a pit in the guacamole helps with this too. You can add some sea salt and pepper or even some diced tomatoes or onions if you are into that.
11. Hard Boiled Eggs. My son loves these, and I can let him snack on these guilt free! Just place some raw eggs in a pot and cover them with cold water until the water line is one inch above the eggs. Boil the water. Once you have reached a rolling boil turn off the burner and let the pot sit for 15 minutes. Remove the eggs carefully with tongs and allow them to cool before refrigerating. I also like to eat this as egg salad on wheat toast. To make the egg salad, dice the egg and mix in a little plain yogurt, mustard and lemon pepper.

You may have noticed that a lot of the ingredients repeat themselves. This cuts back on waste. I like to try and keep these items on hand so I can pull them out at a moment’s notice.  I hope this gives you some inspiration to eat healthy and feel good! You can do it! What are your favorite healthy snacks? I would love to hear from you.

For your convenience, I have added a link to purchase some of these snacks on Amazon Prime.

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Originally posted on June 28 2016