Quick ideas for nutritious snacking

We love our food. Especially snacks.

Everyone on campus has some sort of treat or power-booster throughout the day, from a bag of chips to grabbing a sweet treat from one of the campus coffee shops.

I love a good snack food, but it can be hard to find something healthy and affordable to throw in your bag before running out the door. It can change depending on what was available at the grocery store or if I felt like cooking.

If you’re looking for something to eat throughout the day that has some health benefits thrown in, I’ve compiled a list of my favorites that I keep going back to.

Protein Bars

These are an essential part of my diet on days that I am strength training. Even though they are labeled as a “healthy” food, oftentimes, they can be full of added sugars.

If added sugars are something you are looking to avoid in a snack, read the nutrition facts. Compare and contrast to find what works for you. 

These are also my favorites because they are so easy to toss into my backpack for a quick treat when I get hungry during the day.

In the same vein as protein bars, granola bars are also a great way to go, but again, they can often be full of added sugars.

I always go for the Kind bar brand. They have minimal added sugars and provide a variety of options. Plenty of flavors to choose from, mini sizes, high protein varieties, and all of them are gluten free, if that’s something you’re looking for.

However, they can be a bit on the expensive side. My tips is to watch for sales and stock up when they are more reasonable. Check for deals online, or (my personal favorite) ask for them as a birthday or Christmas present.

Popcorn

Did you know popcorn can be considered healthy? It all depends on the brand and type you buy, but if they are low-fat, and they aren’t full of sodium or sugars (read nutrition labels), then this is a great, whole-grain option that is available in a variety of flavors!

You can get pre-popped, microwaveable, or pop your own kernels and add the toppings you want. 

Nuts

These are full of healthy fats, vitamins and minerals. My personal favorite are almonds, but all nuts have plenty of health benefits and can be seasoned with an assortment of flavors.

Whole Grain Cereal

This one is a little trickier, since most cereals have plenty of sugar. Look for cereals that have “whole grain” as the first ingredient on the nutrition label. This means that the main ingredient is whole grains, which have more vitamins and minerals than other forms of grains (such as enriched or bleached flours). 

My personal go-tos are Cheerios and Mini Wheats. While both have sugars, their main ingredients are whole grain oats, and both are easy to snack on without needed milk. They are also really filling!

Fruit

Fruits that don’t need to be refrigerated make for a fast, easy and healthy food option. Apples, oranges and bananas come immediately to mind, and they are all simple to take along with you. Yes, fruit can be a bit more expensive, but bananas are one of the cheapest items to purchase for more bang for your buck.

Sun Chips

If you love your chips, but may be looking for a healthier option, I recommend the Sunchips brand. They use a whole-grain base and bake their chips, which cuts out the oil that potato chips are fried in and gives you the health benefits of whole grains.

They have lots of flavors, and you can buy them in bulk at your favorite box store. These also store for a long time.

Protein Balls

This one is one of my favorites for cooking, because they don’t actually require baking. You can find recipes online, but I am currently using the Kodiak brand mix. I add the nut butter, water, and honey and they supply the protein mix.

After rolling the mix into little spheres, they go in the fridge and keep for weeks. No baking, relatively short prep time and they are a great way to add more protein into your diet.

Homemade Granola

This is the only option on my list that requires an oven. You can find hundreds of granola recipes online, every flavor you can imagine, tailored to your preferences. I personally dislike little chunks of dried fruit in my granola, so I steer away from those recipes. I love peanut butter, so it’s more likely for me to veer towards that flavor, but you can find anything you want.

I am currently using a recipe I made up for myself, with my own favorite flavors. I use oatmeal, sliced almonds (I slice them myself, since buying pre-sliced is crazy expensive), cinnamon, vanilla and melted butter poured into the mix. I also add a scoop of vanilla protein powder, but that’s my personal preference.

You bake it for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. It’s bland, but that’s how I prefer it. After reading through a few recipes, I found out that granola is really similar to trail mix; you can make it almost however you want.

There are hundreds of snack options available if you’re looking for healthier foods to add to your daily intake, and this is by no means an exhaustive list. These are merely a few foods that I’ve tried and enjoyed. There’s nothing wrong with having a sweet treat, and even healthy foods can be problematic if consumed excessively or obsessively. Everything in moderation!