After two weeks of school, we are back into a solid routine.  Yes!  Part of it means that due to nightly sports practices, dinner are being eaten much later.  So, in addition to fixing the kids a snack after school each day, I’ve been fixing myself one also! 

If I’m going to eat a snack every day, I need to make sure it’s healthy, right?  I’ve found that by adding a filling and healthy snack to my later afternoon routine, I can avoid stuffing my face with everything in sight as I prepare dinner (not that that has ever happened!).

Since I’m hungry, tired and dealing with homework, carpooling, sports and cranky kids, I created a list of go to snacks.  This way it’s one less decision to make.  I can grab my snack (and often the kids eat the same thing), and feel confident I made a good choice.

What’s on my list?

There are three main categories I enjoy:  savory, salty and sweet.

Savory

• Tomatoes with balsamic vinegar, olive oil and basil (frequent right now while the tomatoes are ripe!)
• Hummus with sliced cucumber and celery
• Crackers and cheese

Salty

• peanuts
• popcorn
• edamame with sea salt

Sweet

• apples & peanut butter dip
• “healthy” fudge
• yogurt, frozen blueberries and granola

Having the snacks ready (or at least the ingredients prepped) makes life SO easy!  I just pull out what I feel like enjoying and I’m satisfied and able to wait for a later dinner.  All of these snacks can be prepped ahead of time (I cut up veggies on Sunday or Monday night to have on hand all week) or made in 2 to 3 minutes.  And yes, I timed it!  Most are also portable if I need to hit the road and enjoy them while watching soccer or swim.

How do you handle busy school nights?  Do you have go-to snacks for yourself and/or the kids?  What are they?

Looking for ways to eat healthier food on a daily basis?  I love sharing my tips and tricks (and recipes) for healthy eating with my coaching clients.  Give me a call and we can talk about your struggles and work together on solutions!

Shared on Crystal & Co.