By Christine Luken
Busy lifestyles cause many of us to skip meals or eat on the go. If we’re not careful, that can lead to a negative impact on both our wallets and waistlines.
I’m a big fan of meal planning, and that extends to having healthy snacks available when hunger strikes. Snacking between meals helps to keep your blood sugar steady and prevents you from getting overly hungry. When we’re on the go, it’s tempting to hit the convenience store, vending machine or fast-food drive-thru, but, with just a small amount of advanced planning, you can have delicious and healthy snacks on hand to tide you over until your next meal.
To save money, I frequently purchase my snack foods — like nuts and trail mix — in bulk, then portion them into single serving bags or containers. Sure, you can buy those 100-calorie snack packs, but you’re frequently paying two to three times as much per ounce for the convenience. You can find resealable snack baggies with the measurements printed right on them, so you don’t even need to break out the measuring cups.
I keep an assortment of healthy snacks on a shelf by the door that leads out to my garage. I check my purse before I head out to the car, and toss in a snack or two. It’s easy to create my own “snack basket,” and leave it where it’s convenient for my family to stock their briefcases or backpacks with a healthy morsel before heading out the door.
I highly suggest keeping a snack bag in the car for your kids. When they start to get fussy because they’re hungry, but you still have a few errands left to run, let them pick a snack from the bag. It’s definitely healthier for them and less stressful for you.
Here are some healthy and portable snacks I like to keep on hand:
Buy a big bag or organic popcorn and portion it into quart sized bags for a delicious and filling snack.
Sweet potato chips
Bananas, grapes, pears, or apples
Nuts, dried fruit, trail mix
Granola bars (see below for my homemade version)
Protein/ power bars
Whole grain pretzels
Now, when you’re ambushed by a “snack attack,” you can just reach into your glove box, purse or briefcase, and satisfy your hunger without negatively impacting your wallet or your waistline.
Christine’s Awesome Granola Bars
Ingredients
3 cups quick-cooking oats
2 scoops of vanilla protein powder
1 cup flaked coconut
½ cup dark chocolate chips
¼ cup chopped walnuts
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (or use recipe below for the Lower Sugar Version.)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Directions
Preheat oven to 340 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 inch pan.
In a large bowl, mix together the oats and protein powder until thoroughly combined. Next add the coconut, dark chocolate chips, and walnuts and combine. Then add the sweetened condensed milk and butter and stir until the mixture is thoroughly moistened. Press flat into the prepared pan. (Tip – put the can of sweetened condensed milk in a pan of hot water for a few minutes before adding. It will help it to mix easier).
Bake for 20 – 25 minutes in the preheated oven, depending on how crunchy you want them. Lightly browned just around the edges will give you moist, chewy bars. Let cool for 5 minutes, cut into squares then let cool completely before serving. I coat my pizza cutter with butter spray and use it to cut the bars. Makes 16 bars.
Low Sugar Sweetened Condensed Milk
½ cup Domino Light Sugar (which is half sugar, half stevia)
1 cup dry powdered milk
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp. butter
Put Domino Light Sugar & powdered milk in a blender.
Put water & butter in a microwaveable dish and let it come to a boil in your microwave; about 45-60 seconds. Keep an eye on it.
Add water/butter mixture to mixer & blend until combined. Scrape sides if you need to & blend again.
Christine Luken is the Financial Lifeguard and a veteran Meal Planner. She helps individuals, families, and entrepreneurs design a financial road map to help them arrive at their Preferred Financial Destination. You can find Christine’s blogs, podcasts, and videos on her Financial Lifeguard website .