I'm the first to admit, trying to be healthy while being busy is not an easy task to add to the never-ending to-do list. It's way easier (in the short-term world, of course) to just grab a bag of chips or the closest thing in sight at the Cafeteria on campus instead of actually planning out some healthy choices to make it through a long day of classes, working, and extra-curricular activities. But in the long run those cheap and quick-fix snacks don't exactly last more than ten minutes and it's only a matter of time before you are searching for the next high calorie junk to shove into your mouth (speaking from experience, of course). Here are some simple, inexpensive, and delicious ways to make it through your treacherous schedule.
Cheese, Crackers & Grapes
This might sound silly but trust me, this flavor combination tastes incredibly fancy while the actual ingredients are insanely wallet-friendly. A few string cheeses, crackers, and a handful of grapes will definitely do the trick to keep you full and focused for your day. If you are bringing this snack with you during your busy day, be sure to package the cheese and crackers separately in different containers, otherwise the crackers will get soft which is basically the worst.
Lettuce Wraps
These are not only healthy but so easy to create! All you need is a head of iceberg lettuce, salad dressing, and your favorite luncheon meat (if you want to go vegan with this, you can always just add hummus or veggies!) All this "recipe" consists of is breaking off a piece of the lettuce, drizzling on some dressing, adding your fillers and rolling it up! If you are bringing these on the go I suggest using a toothpick to keep them wrapped throughout the day. If you want to make this a bit more substantial to serve as a full meal, try chicken breast instead of luncheon meat and make 5-7 rolls vs. only 2-4 for a snack, these work really well as a light lunch.
Frozen Grapes
Before you think this is a weird suggestion, hear me out because these legit taste like candy. They are sweet, yummy, and freezing the grapes actually changes the texture of the fruit into a new dessert-y flavor. You can also pour in some unprepared fat free jello mix into the bag before you freeze them which coats the grapes in a candy-like taste...so good! Just pop however many grapes you'd like into a plastic bag and freeze them for about 5-24 hours.
Homemade Granola
This is probably one of the most time-consuming recipes on this post but if you really enjoy cooking, this may be fun! Also, this can be something you make on a Sunday night in a large batch and eat it throughout the week. There are millions of variations of granola that you can make so I'm not going to actually post a specific recipe here but I do highly suggest searching for some cool recipes on Pinterest. Homemade granola can be eaten by itself or it can also be a great addition to parfaits (the headline picture!) which is basically berries, yogurt, and granola = super yummy, healthy, and fulfilling snack.
Do you have any snacks you love to make to keep you on track? Comment below with your own favorite treats!
