Are you tired of eating junk? Trade your pre-packaged foods for these dietitian approved healthy snacks for working moms
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Being a working mom is HARD and taking care of yourself in addition to the kids is even harder! Let me first say, way to go on taking the time to look up ways to stay healthy! Okay, I know you don’t have much time so I’ll get right to it.
1. Fresh Fruit
Fruit is one of the easiest whole foods you can eat. Most fruits travel well in lunch boxes and are easy to store at home. The most important part of snacking on fruit is prepping the fruit to be eaten. We’ve all had that lone apple or clementine orange travel back and forth with us a hundred times before we eventually throw it away. Peel, cut, or wash your fruit beforehand so it’s easy to grab and go! At my house we consistently keep apples, and bananas on hand throughout winter and then seasonal fruit in the summer. The only way I’m actually going to eat grapes in the summer, though, is if I take them off the stem, wash them, and put them in the fridge for later first!
Total Time: under 5 min
Total cost: $1-$5
2. Cut Veggies
Like fruit, fresh cut veggies are another great snack for working moms that travels well. Veggies like carrots, cut bell peppers, or celery are great stand alone snacks but can be even more filling and flavorful with hummus. Again, like the fruit the most important part of actually eating veggies is washing and cutting them before you want them!
Total Time: under 5 min
Total Cost: $1-$5
3. Cheese and Crackers
Cheese and crackers are such a classic combo. Pair your favorite cheese with your favorite cracker and you’ve got an easy snack to eat at your desk or on the couch after the kids go to bed! Usually the cheapest way to buy cheese is in a brick. I like to cut my brick of cheese up on the day I buy it and then keep it in an airtight container in the fridge to make eating as easy as possible for me later!
Total Time: under 2 min
Total Cost: $6-$10
4. Granola
Granola is a great grab and go snack. If you’re looking for healthy granola bars try to choose one without chocolate or other added treats inside. Something with plain and simple ingredients is best. Loose granola clusters is another great choice. There are tons of varieties to choose from in the cereal section of your local grocery store but you’d be surprised at how easy it is to make your own granola at home!
How to make homemade granola:
- Combine into a bowl:
- 2.5 cups rolled oats
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- your choice of customizable toppings (slivered almonds, walnuts, coconut flakes, etc.)
- Pour out mixture onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper
- Bake at 300 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, flipping over with a spatula halfway through the bake time. Make sure to watch closely toward the end of the bake time to avoid burning.
- Once removed from the oven wait for it to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. I like to keep mine in a quart sized canning jar.
Storage: If stored in an airtight container, your homemade granola can last for 2-3 weeks in the pantry or out on the counter
Total Time: 0 or under 30 minutes (if you make it from scratch)
Total Cost: under $15
5. Hard Boiled Eggs
Okay, this one may not be everyone’s cup of tea but they do sell hard boiled eggs prepared and shelled at the grocery story and gas stations so I’m guessing more people like them than are willing to admit! Hard boiled eggs are such a cheap and easy snack that you’re missing out if you don’t make them!
How to make a hard Boiled Egg:
- put as many eggs as you’d like to made that can fit in 1 layer at the bottom of your pot
- fill the pot with water until the eggs are just covered
- Bring the water to a boil
- Once the water is boiling, set your timer for 12-14 minutes
- When your timer goes off, take the eggs from the pot and put them into an ice bath or under cold running water until the eggs are cool
- Store the eggs in your fridge for up to a week
I like to write the date the eggs were boiled with a pencil on the egg shells or on a piece of tape I stick to the outside of the container so I remember!
Total Time: under 20 min
Total Cost: under $2
6. Popcorn
Popcorn as a health food? Hear me out. Popcorn on its own is a great source of whole grain and fiber. Air popped is the healthiest because it doesn’t have the extra oil but microwavable popcorn is often easier to bring to the office as a snack for a working mom like yourself!
Options:
- Electric Air Popper: Electric Air Poppers like this are great if you’re planning on eating a lot of popcorn at home. Popcorn kernels are relatively cheap for a big bag. Personally, I would only get go with this option if you have space in your kitchen to store another appliance.
- Pre-popped Popcorn: Pre-popped air popped popcorn comes in a large bag like chips. This would be a good option if you aren’t committed to popcorn yet but want to give it a try. Since it’s pre-popped it’s a quick snack on a busy day.
- Microwaveable Popcorn: This options is less healthy, but honestly not that bad and is the easiest to bring to work of all the options. Plus, wouldn’t a warm bag of popcorn just add a nice little pizzaz to the middle of your workday? When choosing a microwaveable popcorn, try to find one that has less added butter and flavoring.
Total Time: 0-20 minutes depending which option you choose
Total Cost: $4-$6 (per batch not including the price of the popper)
7. Chia Pudding
Chia pudding has quickly become one of my favorite go-to snacks this year. It takes minimal work to make but does take some planning ahead since it needs to sit for 12 or more hours before eating. There are tons of chia pudding recipes just a Google search away but I’ll give you the base recipe here.
How to make Chia Seed Pudding Base:
- Mix 1/2 a cup of milk with 2.5 Tbsps of whole chia seeds
- Let your mixture sit for 5 minutes
- After 5 minutes stir your mixture again to ensure there are no clumps
- Place your mixture in the fridge and let it set for 12 hours or more
Storage: Chia Seed pudding can last in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Of note, it’s important to use whole chia seeds and not ground chia seeds to get the right consistency.
What’s great about this recipe is that chia seed pudding like granola or yogurt parfaits is super customizable. Most recipes add a sweetener like sugar or honey and add toppings like coconut flakes, or fresh fruit. It’s also a pretty universal recipe meaning you can use whatever kind of milk you have on hand. Personally I think it tastes best with almond milk but because I have a toddler at home I usually have 2% cows milk on hand.
Total Time: 12 hours
Total Cost: $8-$10
8. Nuts
Nuts can be a more expensive snack depending on what variety you like but they’re a fantastic source of protein and so easy to eat. You’re likely going to get the best deal per ounce if you buy a larger container and portion it out yourself but they do make smaller containers to keep in your purse, gym bag, or desk drawer for quick snacking! Like granola, look for simple ingredients to find the healthiest option and avoid highly salted flavored nuts.
Total Time: none
Total Cost: $3-15
9. Yogurt
Another great snack for working moms is yogurt. There are SO many types of yogurt to choose from but the best yogurt is the yogurt you’re actually going to eat. Greek yogurt has more protein than regular yogurt but if you don’t like the texture of greek yogurt, don’t waste your money! If you’re looking for the healthiest yogurt, choose one that has limited added sugars like Chobani Zero Sugar.
Typically it’s cheaper to buy a large container of yogurt than it is to buy individually packaged containers. If you’re planning on bringing yogurt to work consider packaging your yogurt in your own home container to bring with. If you’re only going to eat it at home then go ahead and spoon it straight into your bowl and save the hassle!
Fresh fruits, nuts, and granola are great additions to yogurt and can add more flavor if you’ve chosen to buy a low sugar variety.
Total Time: none
Total Cost: $2-$4
10. Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese is so much like yogurt it’s almost cheating to add but most people don’t think about this as a snack. You can add fresh fruit, granola, and other flavorings to cottage cheese to give it more flavor or just eat it plain! You’ll get the best deal per ounce if you buy a larger tub of plain cottage cheese than you would to buy pre-flavored or individually packaged cups of cottage cheese. Remember, though, if you end up not eating the whole tub then you’re losing money by throwing it away so choose the option you think will be most realistic for you to eat.
Total Time: none
Total Cost: $2-$4