Healthy Snack Ideas. All Natural Foods For Energy and Fitness

Hungry for some healthy snack ideas? Read this article with all natural food choices that will give you energy and fitness.

healthy snack ideas

You need it quick. It has to be easy. It should be nutritious, and you’d like it to taste good, too. Is there any chance that the snack fairy godmother could make all four of these wishes come true? Does the perfect snack really exist?

Yes there are in-fact snacks that can help with sustainable energy and battling the afternoon slump. Some of the healthiest choices are included below and are plant-based, gluten-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free. In other words, they’re all-natural bites that don’t contain any of the anti-nutrients that rob your body of energy and decrease your ability to function at your best. So without further ado, here are some of the best things to eat to keep your mind and body fueled with all day energy. Come into my San Francisco kitchen and let me tell you what I’m packing!

Healthy Snack Ideas. All Natural Food Choices for Energy and Fitness

  • Green Juice. The ultimate energy booster. Green vegetable juices are loaded with antioxidants, phytonutrients, chlorophyll, magnesium, and potassium. Your cells instantly gobble up these nutrients making you feel energized and alive. Make sure the green juice is from vegetables and is not a fruit juice disguised as a green juice. Aim to keep the carbohydrate content below 20 grams. Above this and the juice is too sugary and may cause blood sugar fluctuations and energy drops. You can read all my tips on drinking your greens and get some of my favorite recipes in this post. 
  • Nuts or Natural Trail Mix. Nuts are an easy way to get a delicious dose of protein in a convenient, shelf-stable package. Try a mixed bunch for variety and a combo with dried fruit for some added sweetness. Nuts are calorically dense and full of nutrients, be sure to pre-portion out some serving sizes in ziplock baggies so you dont accidently overdo it. Not sure what a proper portion is? Thekitchn Blog put together an amazing visual guide to help you! Looking for the best bang for your protein buck? Almonds and pistachios. They’re higher in protein than their nutty peers.
  • Whole Fruit. Known as nature’s original pre-packaged snack, you can’t beat fruit for its portability, nutrients, and wonderful sweet taste. The following fruits are favorites for school and work snacks: Bananas, Apples (if sliced, dip in citrus to prevent browning), Peaches, Nectarines, Plums, Grapes, Blueberries, and Raspberries.
  • Chopped Fresh Fruit Salad. It will keep for a few hours in your lunch sack, but if you have refrigeration available, even better. Put any of the following in some portable containers: Diced Mango, Pineapple Chunks, Melon Balls (watermelon, honeydew, or cantaloupe), Berries, Grapes, and Kiwi.
  • All-Natural Bars. I wrote a whole post on the best, all natural protein bars – read it here! For shelf-stable convenience, stash a few of these bars for work or pre/post gym snacks: LarabarsKit’s Organic BarsQUEST bars, and Kind Bars. My top pick is KIND bars for the nutrition and flavor. Packed with heart healthy fats, fiber, a dose of protein AND Made from whole ingredients you can see and pronounce, KIND bars are one of my favorite products to satisfy an afternoon sweet tooth. With a variety of delicious flavors, these seemingly indulgent bars are great fuel for an on-the-go high energy lifestyle. I’m in love with the almond coconut flavor. Not sure what flavor to get? Get a variety pack and taste test, you can do so with: KIND Minis Variety.  All so delicious…. dont blame me when you get addicted 😉
  • Protein Powder. Keep a stash of packets or baggies to mix into water or juice when on-the-go. Brands like My Vega are dairy-free and come in a variety of flavors. I usually go with the Vega One All-in-One Nutritional Shake in French Vanilla they are easy to mix up and bring on the go. I also recently discovered ReNew Life – Skinny Gut Ultimate Shake Powder in Chocolate. Its delicious and I love the probiotic benefits.  I put protein powder in my magic bullet blender with almond milk and an apple for a quick smoothie, this is one of my favorite recipes.
  • Chopped vegetables. Bell peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, snap peas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber – the list goes on! Pack as many fresh veggies as you can into individual zip lock bags and have healthy fuel on hand.
  • Veggie-Gos. I fell in love the moment I met Veggie-Go’s fruit and vegetables strips. Its the perfect on the go snack and an easy way of incorporating fruits and veggies into your diet. Veggie-Go’s fit easily in a purse, or pocket, diaper bag or gym pack.  They offer 1/2 serving of fruit AND 1/2 serving of veggies in every strip, less than 1/3 the sugar of the leading fruit strip (no added sugar), and are organic and Non-GMO. With many unique and DELICIOUS flavors your taste buds will love eating more vegetables. I cant stop thinking about the sweet potato pie flavor, which at only 20 calories a strip is a MUCH friendlier version than its 500 calorie sweet potato pie cousin. When you have healthy snacks on hand you are less likely to binge on un-healtheir alternatives. Veggie-Gos can be ordered online or picked up at your local Whole Foods Market.
  • Apple Butter on a Rice Cake. Since Apple Butter doesn’t actually contain butter, it is naturally gluten and casein free. Fat Free Vegan has a recipe for a healthy homemade Pumpkin Apple Butter. I use Lundberg Organic Rice Cakes which are gluten-free.
  • Peanut Butter & Pretzels. You can keep this snack allergen-free with Ener-G Wylde Pretzels Gluten and Wheat Free and easy for on the go days with Sunflower Seed Spread On-The-Go No-Stir.
  • Nut or Seed Butter with Sliced Apples. To up the flavor factor, stir a little cinnamon and/or vanilla into the nut butter. If you’re bored with peanut butter and almond butter, then make your own nut butter with your favorite nuts and/or seeds.
  • Hummus with Cut Veggies. Hummus is one snack food I can never get enough of. I pair it with baby carrots, celery, broccoli and sliced red bell peppers.
  • Hummus with Olives and Crackers or Pita Chips. If you are gluten-free, Mary’s Gone Crackers is my healthy dipping cracker of choice.
  • Smashed Avocado with Baby Carrots. To keep the avocado from browning, mash in some lemon or lime juice. You can even season to taste with salt and spices for a quick guacamole-to-go!
  • Canned Wild Salmon Salad with Crackers or Lettuce Wraps. Tuna works well, too, but salmon gives you the extra omega-3’s.
  • Hard-Boiled Eggs. Perfect protein on the go. Sprinkle with a little salt, pepper, and paprika for a tasty twist.
  • Grilled Chicken Breast . At only 110 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, and with 25 grams of protein, this is one low calorie, protein-packed snack!
  • Jerky. Seek out organic and all-natural options if possible. Im a huge fan of Krave Beef Jerky. Its the “athletes choice” and it’s delicious!
  • Trail Mix. It doesn’t get much easier than trail mix. Toss your favorite dried fruits, nuts, and other tasty items (dairy-free chocolate chips anyone?) into some Ziploc baggies and away you go. Just watch the portion size when you put your mix into baggies.
  • Dates Stuffed with Almonds. Tastes like the popular Larabar snack.
  • Edamame. The only thing more fun than how much protein you can get from a serving of edamame (one cup offers about 17 grams of protein!) is getting to eat these little beans out of their bright green pods. Buy them fresh and steam for about 6 minutes, or use the pre-cooked frozen variety and briefly microwave to defrost (about 2 minutes) before chowing down.
  • Bare Snacks Apple Chips, Gluten Free Baked Snacks. Made from slices of real, fresh apples, Bare snacks organic apple chips are currently my #1 favorite healthy snack crush. At 90-100 calories per serving, this delicious snack is free of preservatives, trans fats, cholesterol, and refined sugar. Its a great source of dietary fiber and gluten free, vegan, and kosher! I can’t get enough of the cinnamon flavor and am dying to try the sea salt caramel !

healthy snack ideas

Having healthy food on hand can help you maintain stable blood sugar levels, have energy to fuel your day with health, and prevent you from reaching for sugar when you want an energy boost. Plan ahead and prep some of the choices above to pack with you in your office fridge, gym bag, or shelves at home. Use amazon prime, google shopping express, or instacart to help you stay stocked when your schedule is too busy for a grocery store trip. A little planning goes a long way and can keep you healthy, happy, and energized!  

Whats your #1 favorite healthy snack to fuel your busy day with health? Leave your favorite as a comment below, Id love to hear from you! And as always, If you liked this post or know someone who could benefit, please share it on Facebooktwitter, or email. 

Now who’s hungry?? I’m off to eat some Bare chips!

Caroline

Want to build a balanced body? Check out my book, Balanced Body Breakthrough and get your mind, body, and spirit in great shape so you can love your life.

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