Healthy snacks?

[akrvbob]

I don't know about you, but when I'm driving I get the munchies and want to reach over for something sweet or salty to mindlessly munch on. Of course that's a sure way to obesity and bad health both of which I want to avoid.

So whether while you are driving or just looking for something to get you by between meals, what's a healthy snack you reach for? 

Huge bonus points if it's great tasting!!  I'm sure I'm the only one on this forum, but I've got  a rabid sweet tooth! Celery and peanut butter may be the best, but they won't work for me! 

I'll start with Kind bars. I tried two of them and one I loved and the other was very good but not as good. I've got an order of them coming from Amazon for pretty good prices so I'll report back after I've tried some more.

What's a great tasting but reasonably healthy snack you like?
Bob

 

[highdesertranger]

fresh fruits. pick up locally grown at local road side stands. or pick your own. there is a shopping center in Bend Or that has cherry trees planted in their island in the parking lot. btw I feel that this should be standard practice for cities to do, I mean if they are going to spend tax money to plant things I feel it should be fruit trees. many old abandon homesteads have fruit trees planted in their yards. most common are apple trees. another good munchies is nuts in kalifornia's central valley there are nut stands everywhere(uhm that sounds funny). also beef jerky is another great local pick up. highdesertranger

 

[Reducto]

Blueberries and cashews are my current favorites.

 

[highdesertranger]

Reducto you are making me hungry. I forgot the berries, when in season they are free for the picking in the wild. in eastern Oregon where I prospect huckleberries grow wild. highdesertranger

 

[cyndi]

Healthy and snack seems oxymoronic, too me.

Seriously, I make my own trail mix... unsalted, roasted and/or raw nuts and dried fruit. If the urge for chocolate is strong I throw in some
ghiradelli 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips.

Whenever I can I stock up on dried fruit and nuts at Trader Joes. Their prices can't be beat and the selection is awesome.

I also make a big batch and divide it up into individual servings so I have less of a chance of eating more than is good for me.

This also makes a pretty tasty and filling breakfast.

 

[BC Guy]

Peanuts.
If you do not regularly eat them, you should try different brands ahead of time. I find most bulk and plastic bagged varieties taste a bit stale to me. The barbeque flavored ones that I eat at home are too messy behind the wheel.
On the road, I take containers of dry roasted ones. I don't mix in other nuts or dried fruit because then it will taste too good and I will never stop nibbling. YMMV

 

[eapvan]

Roasted edamame for me. Very little sodium, fat, or carbs, and full of protein. Munch 'em like a bag of nuts without the guilt! I like whole grain Triscuits instead of chips too.

 

[karl]

I usually have one or more of these within reach when driving;
Banana chips, cherries, grapes, cashews, dried fruits- raisins, cranberries, apple or trail mix.
Jerky...beware of bacon jerky- an open bag is an empty bag!!

 

[my_vantasy]

I make my own "snack mix" with mini pretzels, small cheese crackers, Cheerios or Chex, peanuts, raisins or craisins, and M & Ms. I keep it in a zip lock bag with a plastic measuring cup. If I want to watch portion size, I measure out my serving. Most days, though, I just use the measuring cup as a scoop!

 

[Oberneldon]

One thing you may want to consider is that sometimes you may be thirsty and not hungry and sometimes just hungry.

Try to evaluate your craving and if you are just thirsty you can satisfy your desire with a drink of choice. If after drinking you are still feeling a bit hungry fruit as suggested is a great snack. I keep apples at arms reach when driving.

Brent

 

[Free Range Chicken]

Ok you said healthy so...

I'd recommend going easy on nuts , preferably unsalted. Cashews, walnuts, almonds, pecans. Easy on raisins also. I like dates, Wich are bigger than raisins and more filling but they get you lots of sugar calories so eat one or three per day

To be easy on sugars, get only one or two fruits. I'm sure you won't be limited in options here.

Then I recommend snacking on veggies. Yes there are lots of options and they can be eaten raw, are filing and u need no stove nor propane.
. carrots, they sell them peeled, pre washed and ready to eat. Celery also. Then, you can eat raw zucchini. Eat as many as you want. Then you can eat raw cucumber. Eat as many as you want. Then you can eat raw bell peppers, they are sweet !!! If u like radish, you can snack on them! !! They can be found pre washed and ready to eat.

Then if you get yourself a potatoe peeler like this http://www.walmart.com/ip/Bethany-Housewares-845-Potato-Peeler/25467253 then your choices increase dramatically for snaking on veggies:

Peel and eat raw beets

 

[Free Range Chicken]

Beets are sweet! !! Also u can get parsnips or turnips. On summer I love raw jicama as well! !!

 

[WriterMs]

Okay, Free Range Chicken, I had to go look up about eating raw beets. But then a site mentioned putting jullienned raw beets on a salad and I realized I had eaten them raw before like that. But, wow what a mess that would make on hands (and anyplace it was dropped) while driving. LOL


Here is my suggestion: cereal. Just plain boxed or bagged cold cereal that you like. Of course, there are a few good tasting cereals that are low in sodium and sugar yet high in fiber and taste. Plain Cheerios comes to mind. Crunchy texture can be satisfying, but without the salt and grease of chips. Not tasty enough? Use the healthier cereal as a base to add things like a little trail mix or M&Ms. That way, you stretch the not so healthy stuff while filling up more on the healthy "filler."

 

[ggwoman]

I like sunflower seeds, peanuts in the shell with a raisen chaser, and apples. To help kill a sweet tooth that's gotten out of control, eat a dill pickle. I don't know why this satisfies a sweet tooth, but it does. Or course, a good old chocolate bar is considered genuine survival food. I second the opinion to drink water, as many times the urge to eat is really thirst. Pork rinds are pretty guilt free - no carbs, decent protein, crunchy and are super fun to share with my dogs...crunch crunch crunch!

 

[Queen]

We do the same thing Cyndi does, homemade trail mix with raw nuts a few pretzels, some raisins or dried cranberries, and once in a blue moon some 70% dark chocolate chips.

 

[highdesertranger]

WriterMs, Cheerios are great for snacking, so are the Chex cereals. thanks for the reminder. highdesertranger

 

[Numpty]

When I have the urge to snack I reach for a bottle of water, sometimes thirst can feel like hunger.

 

[Hoolie's mom]

This probably is awful to most, but I love, love, love radishes, and eat them like candy. I'm odd like that.

 

[eDJ_]

Here's a Munchie that I make for travel or cookouts.  Easy to do and you can add other things to eat with this
but they are pretty good stand alone.

Kentucky Fire Crackers

You'll need a few condiments and a large mouth plastic jug of 1 gallon capacity or Zip Lock bag of the same.

Empty 4 sleeves of salted salteen crackers into the container.

Mix in a small mixing bowl

1/2 Cup Canola Oil

1 Pkg of Ranch Dressing mix

1 tsp granulated garlic powder  

1 tsp garlic salt

2 TB Red Pepper flakes (more or less to your taste) 

Stir thoroughly with a small wire wisk or fork and let sit for 15 minutes and stir again.

Next pour half of stirred up mixture in over the crackers and turn and shake to begin
to coat all the crackers.  If using a plastic bag it  is best to trap lots of air in it so the bag
can be turned and rotated to allow the crackers to be coated.  Do this for a few minutes.

Open the container a second time and add the rest of the stirred mixture and reseal
the container and turn and rotate the container a few more minuted to continue coating
the crackers.

The crackers will not become soggy and limp.  They will stay crisp.  Allow this to sit over
night before trying as they will be best if allowed to sit over night.  These will keep for days
if you can let them sit that long. 

I often purchase at the Dollar Store those 2 oz packages of Pepperoni that are kept in the
refrigerated area.  They usually come resealable bags.  I often get sliced cheese too. 

I suggest having something cold to drink, and using a plastic plate to lay out some
crackers with pieces of cheese on them topped with a slice of pepperoni.  

It has crunch, munch, and chew....with some heat. 

A cold drink or some chilled seedless grapes seems to go good with this.   I'd suggest
starting with 6 or 8 of these cracker snacks.  But beware, you can overdose on these.

I re use a thin plastic container that holds a little over a gallon of "party mix" that I got at
WalMart to mix my crackers in.

 

[WriterMs]

Here's a Munchie that I make for travel or cookouts.  Easy to do and you can add other things to eat with this
but they are pretty good stand alone.

Kentucky Fire Crackers

Empty 4 sleeves of salted salteen crackers into the container.

Mix in a small mixing bowl

1/2 Cup Canola Oil

1 Pkg of Ranch Dressing mix

1 tsp granulated garlic powder  

1 tsp garlic salt

2 TB Red Pepper flakes (more or less to your taste) 

Stir thoroughly with a small wire wisk or fork and let sit for 15 minutes and stir again.

A good friend used to make up this sort of recipe except she used "oyster crackers" (thick round soup crackers) as they are more bite sized and less crumbly. I think she also spread the coated crackers on a large baking sheet and heated in a low temp oven for a bit -- to make them extra crisp before putting in a plastic bag to store them. Sounds like that oven step is not really necessary.