Keeping the snackers at bay-the healthy way!

Hello! As summer is readily approaching (it is in the high 90s here!), it is a time for picnics, and beaches, and fun outdoor activities. But food can be expensive! If your family is anything like my husband, and is always saying how darn hungry he is, and how there is nothing to snack on-this post is for you. You see, we always have PLENTY of food in the house. Plenty of things to make great snacks out of, plenty of great nuts, dried fruits, cheeses, granola, veggies, etc. I think that he just wants to open the fridge or pantry and have instant gratification of there being snacks already made-all the time. And, you know, I thought to myself that it was not a half bad idea! So i bought a bunch of those little snack sized baggies, and filled them up with all sorts of good stuff...

For the fridge snacks I included:

Green pepper slices and ranch dressing
Green pepper slices and clean eating salad dressing (find the recipe here)
Peach slices
Carrot slices and hummus
Watermelon chunks
Red grapes and Mozzarella cheese
Cheese and crackers with pepperoni
Fruit Salad (with watermelon, honeydew, pineapple, grapes)
Grapefruit quarters
Pita Chips and chicken salad
and Protein energy bites

Now, these little energy bites are quickly becoming my husbands new favorite thing to eat on the go, and I love to pop one or two before a run. In fact, he told me to "make them by the truckload" ahaha! They require no baking, are ready in minutes, and use things you probably already have in your pantry! First things first-ingredients:


1 cup dried oatmeal (I actually used 2 packets of raisins and spice)
2/3 cup toasted coconut flakes
1/2 cup peanut butter (I prefer crunchy)
1/2 cup flaxseed meal
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)
1/3 cup honey
dash of coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla

Mix all of your ingredients in a bowl, chill for an hour, roll into balls, and put into snack sized baggies (6 per bag) and you are good to go! You can sub out anything you want though-add dried fruits, sunflower seeds, mixed nuts, etc. It's up to you-make it the way you will like it! :)

For the pantry snacks I included:

Fruit and nut mix-Includes soy nuts, sunflower seeds, peanuts, dried cranberries and raisins
Tropical Fruit Mix- Includes dried mango, coconut, dates, dried pineapple, and peanuts
Pita Chips-My pitas were getting stale so I brushed them with olive oil and baked them at 350 for 10 minutes until crispy. You can also make cinnamon ones to have with fruit salsa!
Toasted coconut flakes-  I could eat that stuff by the spoonful
Kashi cereal and chocolate chips - to eat with some Greek yogurt
Almond and chocolate granola- again, for yogurt
Roasted sunflower seeds
Dried fruits-dried cherries, strawberries and cranberries are my favorite

To make your own dried strawberries just bake at 200 for 3 hours-they will turn out like gummies!

The possibilities for these snack bags are ENDLESS-fill em up with stuff you know your family will eat, plus it is a great way for kids to decide what they want in their lunch. On family outings, have each person choose a few things (one fruit, one veggie, one with nuts or something for protein), and pack em up and you are good to go!

Happy Snacking! :-)

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