Healthy Snack Ideas to Grab on the Go
10+ Healthy Grab and Go Snacks
Have you ever been hungry and in a rush? We all have! More frequently than not, I find myself rushing through the door and needing a quick and healthy option at hand to snack on throughout the day.
To be honest, I’ve always struggled with the idea of healthy snacking until recently. I didn’t grow up eating many snacks as part of my diet. It wasn’t until I moved to NYC and I started working in an office setting that I found myself grabbing some unhealthy bites throughout the day and snacking on a lot of candy and chips between meals.
Even after embracing a healthier lifestyle, I kept seeing snacks as more of a tiny cheat meal and kept convincing myself that some candy bars or sugary granola bars in the middle of the afternoon couldn’t hurt that much.
It wasn’t until recently that I decided to proactively change that and look for some food options that would not only help with those terrible afternoon cravings but also would add some nutritious value to my body. The perfect win-win situation!
Today, I’m sharing a list of my favorite and most nutritious healthy treats, so everyone can find easy, healthy snacks that they love. Here, you'll learn how to make almond-butter energy balls, yogurt parfaits, and chia puddings, as well as some more simple treats.
We have a little bit of everything for everyone: sweet and healthy bites, savoury and crispy snacks, and many filling and energy-packed options.
And since one of the big issues with healthy snacking is time, we are also sharing some tips on how you can meal prep these treats in advance so they are the perfect grab and go snacks for adults!
What are the Best Easy & Healthy On-The-Go Snack Ideas?
We’ve all heard of some of the classic healthy snack ideas that are perfect to grab and go. They take almost no time to put together and not only increase your energy levels but also boost your metabolism and help you have a healthy body and mind. There’s a definite connection between the things that we eat and our levels of anxiety, depression, and insomnia, so the food we consume is super important for overall well being!
Among the most popular healthy snack options always worth mentioning are:
Veggies (raw veggies tend to have more nutritional value than their cooked counterpart)
Fruits (fresh, dried or mixed in other recipes: watch for the sugar level as some can have added sugar, especially canned fruits)
Edamame
Nuts or Nut Butters: roasted, spicy, salty, caramelized... You can add some kick and flavor to it!
Hummus Deviled Eggs (pretty much boiled eggs with some spicy sauce and humus on top)
Canned fish :Tuna, sardines, Salmon…
Avocado slices with olive oil, salt, pepper, and lime.
With that being said, lets go beyond the basics! The below recipes incorporate many of the above ingredients in an elevated way, bringing you not only easy and healthy snack options but also introducing new and delicious flavors to fill every craving without spending a lot of time in the kitchen.
Fruit slices with coconut peanut butter
Apples and peanut butter is a very classic and delicious snack combination. We choose to switch the traditional apple and peanut butter for some yummy pineapples and a healthy DIY coconut peanut butter (pre-made at home of course). This way, you'll end up having not only a snack filled with health benefits but you'll also discover some new healthy and sweet flavors to add to your diet and keep you full, healthy, and satisfied!
Health Note: Peanut butter (or any nut butter) has many health benefits for your body. They are full of fats, but these are the good kind of fats you want in your body. The good fats in the peanut butter can actually help decrease triglycerides and LDL in your body, while the fruits are high in fiber and can reduce the risk of heart disease.
Green Juice
Juices and smoothies are always one of my go-to healthy snacks in the summer. They are perfect to keep you fresh and hydrated, and I find that they work wonders when I’m not really hungry but just bored or anxious and I want to snack.
The best part is that it’s a great way to add veggies into your diet without really noticing them. It’s actually how I started adding kale into my diet a few years back.
This green juice recipe is one of my favorites. It’s prepared with spinach, oranges, lemon, and ginger root, among other ingredients. It's great to detox and boost your immune system.
Healthy Smoothie
This healthy smoothie recipe is more colorful, more fruit oriented, and more filling than the above juice. One of my all time favorites!
Healthy Smoothie Recipe: banana, pineapples, mangos, straweberry and coconut water
Greek Yogurt with honey/agave and berries
We all know that Greek yogurt is filled with the protein your body needs after exercising, but did you know It’s super yummy when mixed with berries and honey? My only hesitation is that when buying store made or prepacked greek yogurt, it's important to double check the labels to make sure there’s not too much added sugar.
To avoid that, and because I love the idea of preparing most of my meals from scratch, I recommend making a batch of homemade greek yogurt on Sunday to use the whole week. My mom has been making yogurt at home since I was 5 years old and it's super easy to make, very healthy, and will save you a few bucks at the store.
Health Note: Greek yogurt is high in protein, calcium and potassium, and it’s known to help gut health!
Chia Puddings
Chia Puddings are one of the latest additions to my diet. I love how simple and easy they are to prepare. Just a few easy ingredients can make them so sweet and delicious!
My favorite to prepare in the summer is the mango, coconut and chia seeds. For a morning snack you can't beat the Matcha Power Chia Pudding Recipe!
5 Chia Pudding recipes here ( including a chocolate nutty one)
Sweet & Healthy Snack Ideas
No Bake Almond Butter Balls
From all the easy grab and go snacks on this list, this is definitely my favorite recipe to take on the go. These balls are ideal for when you feel like giving up on your healthy lifestyle and having some processed candy bars, or for when you need a pick me up snack after a long day. They taste really good and satisfy your sweet tooth.
They are super easy to prepare, don’t require baking, and need only a few ingredients.
Overnight Oats
Overnight oats are one of my go-to healthy grab-and-go- snacks. I eat them for a late breakfast/brunch and as a pre or post workout snack. Try different combinations to switch flavors, add variety, and get that dessert taste/sweet treat in the middle of the day with your healthy sweet snacks!
Chocolate Almond Butter Eggs
Who said that Almond Butter Eggs can only be prepared in the Spring and during Easter? I love to make them every few months. They are my special pick-me-up snack, made with only 4 ingredients and requiring no baking at all.
Snack Note: Chocolate Almond Butter Eggs can be stored frozen for up to 3 months, so even if you’re just preparing them as an Easter snack you can still enjoy them all the way to the beginning of the summer.
Yogurt Parfaits
Just like the Yogurt with berries, these yogurt parfaits are a delicious and healthy snack. The difference is that parfaits can be way more fun to make and eat while still maintaining the healthy properties. Add some flavor into your life, literally, with the Havana Oh Na na Yogurt Parfait or the Peanut/Almond Butter Cup Yogurt Parfait.
Savory Healthy Snacks
Sweet snacks are the way to my heart, but savory ones are often what I need if I had a light lunch/breakfast.
In this list of savory snacks, you’ll find some more filling options that will also have many health benefits.
Spinach Tacos
Spinach Tacos are a go-to for many people as a lunch, snack or dinner meal. It all depends on your meal schedule. If you are having lunch at 12pm and dinner at 9/9:30pm, Spinach tacos with cherry tomatoes or roast chickpeas as an afternoon snack is a great idea! They are filling and rich in protein and fiber.
Cup of Soup
I’m a firm believer that you can never have too many cups of soup, especially during the fall and the winter. During these colder months, I‘ll bring my soup and my hot tea almost everywhere. And if it's snowing outside, I’ll get cozy in my bed and make a bit of sunshine for myself with this Greek inspired Lemon and Chicken soup recipe.
Whole wheat salad toast
I love to have toast, toasties, and crostinis as an afternoon bite or a midday tapa. For a lighter but still filling snack, I’ll take a Spring or summer salad and eat it on top of a piece of whole wheat toast.
3 Light Spring Salad recipes that you can use as topping here
Chicken breast crostinis
For a more protein oriented bite, I’ll prepare some tasty chicken breast or shredded chicken and eat it on top of crostini. And if I’m feeling really adventurous or really hungry, I’ll add some goat cheese or low fat cream cheese, olive oil, and Italian herbs to it.
How to easily meal prep these healthy snack ideas to have them on the go?
So now, how do we make these yummy and healthy snacks easy to grab and go? Well, the answer is simple: all you need to do is to prepare a batch of it on Sunday (or any day that you have time to spare) and then keep them stored in separate small containers so it’s easier to grab them on the way out of the door.
All of the above options can be meal prepped, even a smoothie, juice, or salad. All you need to do is wash and chop the ingredients and keep them in airtight glass containers until the day off.
Another great tip is to keep a small premade bottle/mason jar of your favorite toppings or sauces. I use these to store my olive oil, nuts, seeds, etc.
Healthy snacking benefits and other tips
Not all energy bites, tacos, parfaits, pudding etc are healthy. The key to making sure these recipes are good for you and your body is to be careful with the ingredients. Start by avoiding ingredients like oils, butter, and refined sugar and substituting raw honey, maple syrup, agave and coconut oil.
Switching your current snacking habits into healthy ones means you’ll be giving your body the vitamins proteins, antioxidants, and electrolytes that it needs. You’ll also help to boost your immune system and your energy levels, as well as improve your mental and digestive health!
Did you like our healthy snack recommendations? Let us know in the comments below which ones are your favorite go-to grab-and-go-recipes!
To get more healthy recipes ideas for on the go, click here. For all other recipes, health tips, and general wellness advice, head to our Health, Wellness and Fitness sections.
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Besitos from the kitchen,
Laura
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