Healthy Snacks for the Tired Mom
Here’s the struggle, and I know it’s real. The struggle to do ALL THE THINGS and do them in the best possible way for your kids. You know what I’m talking about…
I have taught myself in this process that not only is moderation key, its essential. For my SANITY. I can find 1 million things to have mom guilt over by the time the sun sets everyday. One big one for me is food. No matter how much we try to eat whole organic foods and avoid all the processed junk there are times when easy became an excuse to cheat. I DO want my kids to have the best, I DO want my sanity too. I decided to go on a hunt for snacks for when I felt LAZY (or at capacity, tired, overwhelmed) I could grab and know I was still making a good choice for them and for me!
There are times when I get in a period of overwhelm and as much as I like making homemade quality ingredient snacks there just isn’t the space for it. So these are my favorite go to guilt free snacks that don’t require brain power or prep work!
- Chomps- Grass Fed Beef Snack Sticks
Ok. THESE. I first discovered these beef sticks when I was doing my first round of Whole30. They literally got me through! I would throw one in the diaper bag and have THE best little 9g of protein snack on the go. The flavors are awesome, they are super soft and the meat is excellent quality. Wyatt asks for these in his lunch everyday and I am happy to give them to him knowing he’s getting grass-fed and grass finished beef and venison! Do yourself a favor and stock up on these. They are the first brand of shelf-stable meat snack sticks to be non-GMO certified and the only preservative in them is celery juice! Ok, I could go on forever but you need to try these so do that HERE !
- Once Upon A Farm Pouches
Their motto is “we make homemade so you don’t have to”. You had me at hello, Once Upon A Farm. These pouches are different than the pouches you find at the store and I will tell you why, it will blow your mind. What sets these pouches apart is that they are COLD-PRESSED. Their High Pressure Processing allows the natural nutrients, flavors and textures to stay intact. They are all organic, Non-GMO Whole Foods from local farms picked in season. They have fun and innovative recipes too. They do need to stay cold which has never been a big deal to me, I just throw them in a bag with an ice pack and voila! Guilt free snack time! Check them out HERE or at Sprouts!
- Perfect Bars
They are the perfect snack! See what I did there?? Ha! First of all, they are a local company for me! They created their bars in sunny San Diego. Organic, non-gmo, Gluten Free and packed full of super foods these bars are SO good. They don’t contain preservatives or emulsifiers so they are refrigerated for optimal freshness, which to me is a good thing! Don’t let that run you off though, they can be thrown in a backpack or kept at room temp for up to a week! Our favorite flavors are Cranberry Crunch and Peanut Butter! SO GOOD! I can find these at Sprouts and Costco and I feel like they are coming more places soon! Or HERE !
- Lara Bars
I discovered the Lara Bar on my first run through Whole30. That paired with the Chomps Beef Stick saved my life daily. It was the perfect snack for me! These bars are full of only the good stuff. You can pronounce every ingredient and you know they are whole food when they are Whole30 approved. Wyatt also loves them and they are a good portion size! You can find these at most any grocery store, HERE and of course, at Costco.
- Wholly Guacamole
Wow, wholly guacamole is one of my favorite products especially since they started selling the one serving packs at Costco! I LOVE COSTCO. These are also whole30 compliant which is a nice cheat sheet for me to know that it is only full of the good stuff! We dip all kinds of veggies in this to dress them up! I also spread these on some turkey and lettuce for a yummy sandwich protein style! You can their story and recipes HERE!
- Pistachios/Nuts
We go nuts for some nuts! haha, too cheesy? Right now, pistachios are our jam! We pair some nuts with a Chomp Beef stick or a bar and its the perfect little snack. Great protien and so good for you. Trader Joes has some awesome nuts that have flavors like rosemary, yummm! This one is so simple and easy to just throw in a bag and go!
- Peanut Butter Coconut Apple Dip
This is the only one that requires a tiny bit of assembling but if I’m putting it on my lazy list it cant be that bad. Wyatt and I pound this snack! We cut up one green apple and put that in a bag (add a little lemon juice to keep from browning). Then in a container we put Trader Joe’s almond butter (salted because we love salt) and sprinkle shredded coconut on top! If we are feeling fancy *tosses hair over shoulder*, we also throw in some Cacao nibs. Woo! It is kind of like a healthy caramel apple. If we get tired of apples we sub that for bananas. Just as good!
Alright tired mamas, there is my little list of healthy snacks that are SO easy to throw together and are guilt free! Tell me your favorites in the comments below!
