Whether you’re always on the go or just looking for some easy, healthy snack options, there is something for everyone. I like to buy in bulk since I have a big family, but these can easily be scaled down.
First, I like to purchase small, snack-sized baggies (the ones that seal are best) and about a dozen 4-6 ounce lidded containers. Both can be purchased at the dollar store. I like my snacks to be convenient, so I reserve the cheese drawer in my fridge for snacks and grab-and-go items, and I keep a shoebox-sized container in the pantry.
I purchase fresh fruits and veggies once a week, usually on my Saturday trip to the grocery store. When I get home, I wash and portion them into the baggies/containers. As for the nonperishable items, I try to buy in bulk and give myself plenty of variety in my pantry so that I don’t get bored and opt for an unhealthy snack when nothing sounds good. Most of these snacks have less than 100 calories.
Perishables:
- Hard-boiled egg (In the shell, these can be refrigerated up to one week)
- 2 celery stalks with one tablespoon of peanut butter
- One cup of carrot sticks with two tablespoons of hummus
- One small apple with one tablespoon of almond butter
- One cup edamame
- One tomato, one ounce mozzarella and fresh basil
- One cup cubed watermelon
- ½ cup fat-free cottage cheese and ¼ cup blueberries
- 24 cherries (bonus! Cherries reduce your chance of a heart attack!)
- One ounce smoked salmon and four Wheat Thin crackers
- Two Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb Wedges on cucumber slices
- 1 ounce fat-free Greek yogurt and raspberries
- One cup of frozen berries
- One ounce string cheese
- One cup cantaloupe and ½ cup strawberries with 1 tsp of almond slices on top
- 1 kiwi and 1 mandarin orange
- 16 carrot and cucumber slices
- ½ of a medium-sized cantaloupe
- One small pear
- ½ cup fat-free pudding
- One medium banana
Non-perishables:
- 25 pretzel sticks
- One brown rice cake with ½ tsp of spreadable honey
- A small box of raisins
- 25 pistachios
- One tablespoon of peanuts and two tablespoons of dried cranberries
- 13 walnuts
- One cup of oil-popped popcorn
- 10 baked tortilla chips and ¼ cup salsa
- Four tablespoons of semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 45 mini-marshmallows
- 2/3 ounce dark chocolate
- 40 Goldfish crackers
- ¾ cup dry cereal
If you’re already on the go and forgot to grab from your stash at home, the grocery store does have some handy portion-controlled options available. My favorites are:
- 1 container of Yoplait 100 Greek Yogurt
- Quaker Chewy Granola Bars
- Motts Applesauce
- Snyder’s Mini Pretzels 100 Calorie Pack
- Jack Links Beef Jerky 100 Calorie Pack
- 100 Calorie Pack Ritz Snack Mix
- Emerald’s Natural Almonds
- Jolly Time Healthy Pop Butter
- Jell-O
- Craisins Snack-pack
- SeaPoint Farms Dry-Roasted Edamame 100 Calorie Pack
- Brookside Dark Chocolate Pomegranate (.8 oz packs)
- Wholly Guacamole Mini Cups
Remember, portion control is key to keeping your snacks low in calories. If you have a nice kitchen scale that switches from ounces to grams, you can weigh out just about any of your favorite snack foods and create a 100-calorie portion.
Learning to read labels has become quite helpful for me, I try to choose high fiber for filling snacks and high protein to hold me over longer. Fresh fruits and higher sugar/carbohydrates tend to give me a quick boost in energy, but it’s not long lasting.