Quick, Easy, Healthy Snacks

I'm always hungry, and because I'm always hungry, I'm always looking to get my hand on some snacks that are filling, healthy, and don't taste like cardboard. My criteria for "healthy" is usually low sugar, under 300 calories, and protein rich. So what have I found that meets all of these requirements?

Well, my first (and favorite) go-to snack is Quaker Oats oatmeal, preferably Maple Brown Sugar, with a tablespoon of peanut butter (put the peanut butter in AFTER you cook the oats). I'm undecided on which peanut butter I like best, but at the moment I've been on a Skippy kick. Also, I never use creamy peanut butter when I make this snack, because the crunchy peanuts give the oatmeal some much needed texture.

I think I pioneered the peanut-butter-in-oatmeal trend, and I'm always shocked that I seem to be the only one who appreciates how perfectly these two ingredients blend together. Try it. Now.






The second most-consumed snack in my kitchen is Greek yogurt. Preferably Chobani, because I love the consistency of their Greek yogurt and I appreciate the fact that they fruit is already in the same portion of the container as the yogurt. I don't like how Fage packaging forces you to combine the two yourself. Greek yogurt is a great snack between meals and even makes a great breakfast because of all the protein. Overall, I've liked all of Chobani's flavors and cannot wait to try more.

Moving on, a great on-the-go snack are Nature Valley bars. There are tons of flavors (oats and honey, peanut butter, salted caramel nut, fruit and nut, the list goes on and on), but my personal favorite is their dark chocolate and oats bar. Being the chocoholic that I am, I fell in love with this bar the first time I tried it.

The only problem with these "crunchy" bars is that they get crumbs everywhere when you eat them. It's not just one or two little crumbs--its an oats and dark chocolate crumb avalanche. You've been warned. Proceed with caution.

Another on-the-go snack I've been loving are small bags of pre-packaged Planters nuts.

I've been trying to cut down on my sugar intake (which mostly comes from snacking between meals), and these nut mixes are the perfect way to do that. Nuts are protein rich, but they also pack quite the calorie punch, so I like how the bags are already portioned out for me. This snack also involves zero preparation and zero crumbs, so I'm a fan.

The last snack on my list is a dessert snack. Sometimes I'm just craving something sweet and that's that. I'm a huge fan of the Nestle Skinny Cow brand, especially their ice cream sandwiches and their vanilla caramel cones. It's a great snack size and is pretty healthy for a "dessert" snack.

So, these are the snacks that I lean towards when I'm looking for something quick, easy, and healthy. Have any other suggestions or comments for me? Leave them below--I'd love to hear!