"On-the-go" Snack Ideas

by Deborah A. Klein, MS, RD

1. Make your own trail-mix with roasted peanuts (check ingredients for peanuts, no oils added), and raw almonds/other nuts/seeds and raisins or dried blueberries/cranberries (check ingredients for no sugar or additives).

2. Make a shake with ¼ cup nonfat dry milk powder, fruit of your choice, ¼ cup plain yogurt and 2 cups 1% milk or Silk soy milk.

3. Spread 2 Tablespoons of all-natural peanut butter or soy nut butter on half a sprouted grain bagel/whole-wheat pita/whole-wheat crackers.

4. Blend ½ cup of plain or vanilla low-fat yogurt with strawberry or vanilla soymilk with ½ frozen banana and a handful of frozen strawberries.

5. Spread pizza sauce/marinara sauce over an English muffin and place a sliced tomato and 1 ounce of Jarlsberg Lite Swiss Cheese or French Yogurt Cheese on top, melt in a toaster oven.

6. Layer a whole-grain blueberry toaster waffle with ½ cup plain low-fat yogurt and ½ cup fresh berries/defrosted frozen berries.

7. Scoop ½ cup low-fat cottage cheese into a cantaloupe or honeydew melon half.

8. Top a half of a cinnamon-raisin sprouted grain bagel with low-fat ricotta cheese and cinnamon sprinkled on top.

9. Combine ¼ cup low-fat ricotta cheese or cottage cheese with ½ cup apple sauce and a dash of cinnamon. Sprinkle with Grape-Nuts or low-fat granola.

10. Roll a whole-wheat tortilla up with scrambled egg whites with 1 egg yolk and salsa.

11. Stuff half a whole-wheat pita with ½ cup low-fat cottage cheese and sliced canned (in its own juice or water) peaches, pears, or a fresh banana.

12. Stuff a pita pocket with sliced turkey breast or sliced part-skim milk cheese, tomato, and a squirt of mustard.

13. Use spreads such as chicken or tuna salad onto whole-wheat crackers.

14. Mix ½ cup low-fat cottage cheese with ¼ cup strawberry yogurt and sprinkle with Muesli cereal.

15. Add cereal (at least 5 grams dietary fiber) to plain low-fat yogurt.

16. Spread 1 Tablespoon of Soy butter (try "I'm Healthy Soy Nut Butter" from Whole Foods) on 2 apple halves.

17. Spread all-natural peanut butter and all-fruit jam on Ak-mak crackers or a mini-bagel.

18. Top a mini-bagel with turkey or chicken breast.

19. Put slivered almonds and roasted peanuts in 1 cup of vanilla yogurt.

20. Have a box of raisins with soy nuts (try Dr. Soy or Genisoy brand).

21. Have ½ cup of edamame (fresh soybeans) as a completely balanced snack.

22. Blend coffee flavored Soy-Um soymilk with ¼ cup nonfat dry milk powder and ice for a high protein ice mocha.

23. Have an ounce of yogurt cheese on "Woven wheat" (available at Whole Foods/Wild Oats/Trader Joe's) crackers.

24. Have low-fat string cheese (choose Organic part-skim milk, e.g., Horizon) with an apple or pear.

25. Melt part-skim mozzarella on a whole-wheat tortilla or toasted wheat pita, put some veggies on top (e.g., tomatoes, bell peppers, broccoli).

26. Spread all-natural peanut butter with sprinkled sunflower seeds in celery sticks and on apple slices.

27. Frozen banana: Peel bananas; dip into cocoa and a dash of honey or pure maple syrup; roll in ground nuts (ground peanuts and walnuts or soynuts), freeze individually in plastic wrap.

28. Have ½ cup fruit or 2-inch across piece of fruit with 20 soy crisps, flavor of choice.

NOTE: Incorporate these snacks as part of your meal plan. If you still feel hungry beyond your individualized snack/meal times, nosh on vegetables "free foods," e.g. bell peppers, celery, carrots, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, etc. Also, drink lots of water and unsweetened (or drizzle of agave) tea between snacks/meals.