It's been a hot minute since I've done any sort of nutrition post, so let's get to it! Am I right? It's been very tough to do any sort of recipe testing or creating, because I am living out of a hotel room with a very tiny kitchen at the moment. I have no access to an oven or most of the cooking supplies I'm used to working with. Most of the cooking we do is either on the grill or very simple things on the stove.
My typical dinners during the week are kept super easy! We grill almost all of our meat, so think chicken breasts, chicken thighs, steaks, burgers, and pork chops. We usually steam or sautée some sort of veggie to go with the meat, and we make rice or potatoes as our carbs. Nothing crazy or overly complicated happening over here! To mix it up now and then, I will brown some meat on the stove and make a spaghetti meat sauce and serve over zucchini or butternut squash noodles with a side salad or other veggie. I also like to buy rotisserie chickens when I don't feel like cooking. That's the routine! Hopefully when we get to Wyoming in a couple weeks and have a full kitchen, I will be able to get some Fall recipes going!
Since my meals have been pretty boring, I like to add some flavor to my life with fun snack options! We have a Sprouts Farmer's Market right down the road from our hotel, so I stock up almost weekly on delicious snacks for the hotel room. This is also a great place to pick up travel snacks before leaving town. I love Sprouts, because they have tons of fresh, affordable produce- think way better prices than your local grocery store, and they also have tons of healthy, organic, non-GMO snack options. If you don't have a Sprouts in your area, you can find many of these items on Amazon, Thrive Market, or even your local grocery store. Here is my current list of snack favorites from Sprouts:
Plantain Chips: I love these particularly from the bulk section, but they also sell them in pre-packaged brands, like Terra, that I love as well!
Zing bars: My favorite flavor is the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip! They are gluten free, dairy free, and contain zero artificial sweeteners!
Bulletproof Bars: These bars have a pretty high fat content, so I usually only eat half a bar at a time, but if my meals for the day are lower in fat, I can fit a whole bar in. They are super delicious and full of high-quality ingredients that won't leave you feeling like crap after eating them.
Country Archer Beef Jerky: This is my FAVORITE jerky to take with me on road trips. It's a great, easy way to add some protein to your life on the road. I personally love the teriyaki flavor.
Epic Bars: Also a great road trip or travel snack to add in some protein! I particularly love this company, because of their strong belief in high quality ingredients and sustainably raised meats. These bars are Paleo friendly!
Apple chips: I started using these as some quick carbs on long hikes. Other dried fruits would work similarly during longer workouts. Just make sure you check the labels for added ingredients such as sugar. You want to stay away from brands that use anything other than the fruit itself!
Siete Brand tortilla chips with Frontera Salsa: Siete brand everything just rules. If you are going grain-free, these are the chips for you. Made from cassava and coconut flours, avocado oil, and sea salt, these are the perfect better-for-you alternative to your typical tortilla chip. You can't go wrong with a Frontera salsa. All the flavors are great!
Beet chips: Obviously, these are a much better alternative to potato chips, because there are zero additives: the ingredients are literally beets and sea salt. Plus, you're getting all the vitamins and minerals from the beets!
Cucumbers with Bolthouse Farms Ranch dressing: This is a super easy way to get in some extra veggies, as long as you're not over-doing the ranch. I make sure to measure out a serving size of dressing whenever I use it, and I put the rest away so I'm not tempted to use more. If you're not into ranch, cucumbers or other raw veggies like peppers or carrots are also delicious on their own! Side note, Sprouts has the largest variety of Bolthouse Farms dressings I have ever seen. I swear they had 12 different flavors, many of which I plan to try in the future.
Fresh fruit: Ok, obviously this is a no-brainer, but there is nothing like some in-season fruit. Right now, peaches and watermelon are ON POINT. I am also a big fan of blueberries. All of these make fantastic post-workout snacks, and bonus that they are refreshing on a hot day, as well!
Perfect Bars: I will always hold a special place in my heart for these bars. I don't typically eat a whole one, because they are pretty high in calories, but I will grab half of one for a mid-morning snack to tide me over until lunch. All the flavors are delicious and taste like dessert. Bonus: they have a pumpkin pie flavor in the fall. The. Best.
Pickles: I am a huge fan of pickles. I am always buying different flavors and brands, but it's important to look at the label before you put them in your basket. Aim to buy a jar that has the fewest ingredients.
Terra Brand everything: I mean, honestly, you can't go wrong here. I like the sweet potato chips with sea salt, the plantain chips, and sweets and beets. Truthfully, though, every time I buy something new from this brand, I am highly satisfied.
Dark Chocolate: It's no secret that I have a serious sweet tooth. Dessert is my favorite. I keep the sweet tooth at bay with a couple squares of chocolate off a high quality, organic bar from brands like Theo, Hu, or Alter Eco. I recently stumbled across these Alter Eco brand truffles and they are to DIE for. I also love the dark chocolate caramel ones. Warning: if you have difficulties with self control around chocolate, I recommend staying away from these, because it is TOUGH to keep your hands out of the bag on these guys.
I promise I am not trying to turn you guys into snack monsters. I only buy a few of these items at a time. Definitely do NOT go out and buy all of these things at once, but save them for ideas for the future. There are tons of healthy options here that are great for overcoming your case of the munchies without feeling like junk when you finish eating them.
What are your favorite go-to healthy snacks? Which ones from my list are you excited to try? I hope you guys are having a fabulous weekend! Enjoy your Sunday!
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