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Pantry door open, my eyes browsed the items on the shelf until I found the quick and easy solution- granola.  Sweet, crunchy and easy to pour into my hand. It was early morning and my early bird newborn was hungry, but so was I.  Granola was a quick and easily accessible solution, but after I had consumed my third handful, I wondered why I didn’t choose a different option.  There was a slight bit of regret. I knew there was nothing wrong with eating granola, but this energy dense snack is one that I have always had difficulty with portion control. And not only that, I find it doesn’t fill me up very well.

In that moment, I knew that in just a few short minutes, my body was going to signal hunger-again- and I felt disappointed that I had made the decision to open the sugar sweetened granola bag.  

We have all done it… grabbed the first tasty-looking, convenient snack in front of us.  Many of these times, we were really hungry and our body really needed some energy.

Hunger signals are real.  They deserve to be acknowledged.  Trying to ignore them is futile.  And, it’s okay to eat something.  But maybe like me, you have made some food choices to quickly realize you weren’t thrilled about them.  

Here is the thing, in those moments of true hunger, when stomachs are aching for some nourishment, we aren’t thinking about making the beautiful Pinterest snack recipe we printed out last week.  Nor are we considering the Instagram inspiration we saw as we were scrolling through yesterday.

My thought: I want something now.  It needs to be convenient, easy and most importantly- in my pantry or fridge.

Having lived through some frustrating moments and personal disappointment, I realized the answer wasn’t hard.  We fool ourselves to think that we need some impenetrable armor of self-discipline to resist grabbing the less-healthful ‘easy’ snack.  But really, we just need a list.

A snack list does the thinking for you.  No longer do you need to stand in the pantry looking for what is quick and easy- you already thought that through AND wrote it down.  You simply choose the snack that sounds best, grab it and eat.

For about a minute of your time, you can have an easy-grab snack list created each week that will save you from making decisions you don’t want to make and empower you with choices- but not too many.  It also works great for kids too!

Here is what you do:

1. Each week when you are creating your dinner meal plan, write down 3-5 grab-and-go snacks that you want to have available in your pantry and fridge during the week.  Make sure to plan snacks that you actually want to eat and not the ones you have labeled as ‘healthy’ but don’t really care for.
2. Add these foods to your grocery shopping list so that they are ready and available when you want them.
3. Post your list on the pantry door or refridgerator so that you can browse your list when you are hungry.

That’s it!  Easy as 1-2-3 and only takes a minute (maybe 2) or your time!

AN IMPORTANT NOTE: You MUST post your list so that it is within sight when you need it.  Don’t expect yourself to remember your good-for-you snack ideas when your stomach is growling and your thoughts are obsessed with food.

Grab-And-Go Snack Ideas

Apple with almond/peanut butter

Grapes and a cheese stick

Pea pods with hummus

Beet Chips or Kale Chips

Raisins (2 tbsp) + walnuts (7-14 halves)

Dry roasted chickpeas (¼ cup) + 1/2 cup berries

50 pistachios + 1-2 clementines

Container of greek yogurt with 1 tablespoon nuts stirred in

Protein bar (Oatmega or RX) and a handful of raw veggies

Cottage cheese (½ cup) with ½ cup frozen fruit

Edamame (1cup in pod or ½ cup shelled) sprinkled with sea salt

Pecans (10 halves) + dark chocolate square (85% cocoa)

Packet plain oatmeal microwaved with milk and a handful of blueberries

Corn tortilla with 1 slice cheese (or ¼ cup shredded) and leftover chicken- microwave if desired

Hard boiled/cooked egg, salt/pepper + 1 tbsp low fat yogurt + 10 Mary’s Gone Crackers

Goat cheese (1 oz) + 10 Mary’s Gone Crackers

Slice of sprouted grain toast with ¼ avocado and sprinkled with your favorite seasoning blend

Find even MORE snack ideas here.

 

TIPS to Make Your Snack List Work

• Each week you can change up your list or leave as is.  If you like your snack list, there is no need to change it up until you get bored.
• Limit your list to no more than 5-6 snacks.  If you have too many, it will be difficult to keep everything in stock.  The goal is that your snacks on your list are always available and ready-to-go.  Also, too many decisions may lead to decision fatigue.
• Refer kids or grandkids to the list when it’s snack time and they are hungry.  This gives them options that you already determined are smart while giving them a little bit of control over what they want to eat.
• Make sure to put snacks on your list that fill you up.  That means they need to have some protein and/or healthy fat to keep you full.  Otherwise, you will find yourself hungry soon after. This article shares MORE ideas and tips for healthy snacking.
• Sweet + Salty OR Sweet + Savory pairings tend to satisfy desires well.
• Your list can be a piece of paper OR chalk board OR dry erase board… whatever you have!

 

There are lots of easy prep snacks that can be made in bulk to add some variety to your snack list, BUT, remember that the main reason for your list is to see good-for-you snacks that are available right now with practically no prep.  Consider it your Emergency Snack List, when your time is ZERO, your stomach is growling and you are about to reach in and grab something… this list tells you what to grab that will actually fill you up or satisfy your desire.

Granola does make it onto our snack or breakfast list sometimes but not by the handful.  Instead, it gets paired with plain greek yogurt or cottage cheese. I don’t claim perfection but that’s not really the goal.  The aim is to feel good about what we are eating and how we are eating it. Create a smart snacking list for your emergency hunger moments- 1 or 2 minutes of planning can save you from residual regret.

TRUTH: Wisdom is sweet to your soul. If you find it, you will have a bright future, and your hopes will not be cut short.–Proverbs 24:14 (NLT)