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When we switched from highly processed to “real” food, I had a hard time figuring out what to eat when we were away from home. No more O cereal, no more packaged granola bars, no more quick stops for fast food.
Room-temp Snacks
These are my top go-to snacks that I can quickly throw in a little jar and take anywhere!
- Nuts: We buy organic, raw nuts and roast them ourselves either dry (in a skillet) or with some olive oil and Celtic sea salt in the oven. They have lots of good protein and fat, so there’s some good staying power to them. The dry-roasted nuts get bonus points for not being messy!
- Dried Fruit: Until recently, we always bought dried fruit at the store, but we’ve been dabbling in dehydrating our own. So far, we’ve had great success with apples and pineapple, as well as some fruit leather! The apples, especially, are also a good mess-free snack for toddlers.
- Crackers: I haven’t yet tried to make my own, so I buy the healthiest option I can find. It’s a rare treat, but it’s good for a quick snack.
- Fruit: Bananas, apples and pears don’t need to be kept cold, although they are messier than the other snacks.
- Bread: Bring slices of bread or rolls and a small jar of butter or peanut butter (or other nut butter). If you want to make it extra special, mix honey into the butter or nut butter before you leave!
- Beef Jerky: Homemade, or at least organic, would be a good source of protein.
Cold-pack Snacks
When you want a more substantial snack, or even an on-the-go lunch, try our method! Dig out one of those thermal lunch bags that you’ve been planning to use for years (it’s not just me, right??). Stick a couple of small blue ice blocks in it. (If you have no idea what I’m talking about, here’s an example of the lunch bag and here’s some blue ice- both can usually be found in the camping section). Use 1/2 or 1 pint mason jars and fill them up with…
- Fresh Fruit: Wash and chop up melons, berries, grapes, mangoes, bananas, kiwis, peaches or whatever is in season. Make it into a fruit salad with my favorite fruit-salad dressing!
- Veggies: Cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks, broccoli, cauliflower, sugar snap peas, etc. in a larger jar with homemade ranch dip or hummus in another jar.
- Chicken or Tuna Salad: Eat it with a fork, put it on crackers or bring along some rolls and make sandwiches.
- Hard-boiled Eggs: Peel them before you go and they’ll make an easy and filling source of protein. Try this method, for even easier cooking!
- Cheese: Cut cheese into squares and give the kiddos toothpicks. For whatever reason, things are more fun to eat if you can stab them with a toothpick!
- Yogurt: Don’t forget the spoons! You can add berries or even make it into a smoothie!
- Dessert: Bring something sweet, but with lots of protein and healthy fats, like Chewy Chocolate Coconut Balls!
Using the thermal bags and blue ice will keep your food cold all day, even in the heat. When we go to the zoo or another all-day outdoor activity, this is what we do. We save a ton of money and have the added bonus of not having to stand in long lines. 
What’s your favorite unprocessed on-the-go food?
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Fruit for sure….and granola bars.
I made some homemade granola bars that looked awesome, but they tasted for all the world like a mouthful of uncooked oats! And they cooked *forever*, too. I guess I’ll have to try again with another recipe.
Cheese and apples are some of my favorite snacks. I try to eat homemade trail mix, but I get bored with it after a while. I just learned how to make some fantabulous energy balls and I am looking for a good homemade granola bar recipes! I love this list
Thank for sharing at LAMS Living Green Tuesdays!
We love cheese and apples, too. Especially blue cheese- yum! Is the energy ball recipe on your blog, or did you find it somewhere else? I know I can always use more energy!
Thanks for hosting the link-up- I am really enjoying it!
These are great!!! I need to try my hand at dehydrating. I want to give fruit leathers a try.
Thanks, Leigh Ann! We have had a lot of fun with our dehydrator, especially with pineapple. The fruit leather was a lot of fun to make, but the dried pineapple disappeared in record time!
I love coconut manna/butter/creamed coconut (it has a few names) as a quick little protein and oil hit in the afternoon …. I just grab a few teaspoons straight from the jar!
If we’re going out, I tend to stick to the ones you mentioned, although I do love to whiz up a green smoothie on my way out in the morning and take it with me in the car. I find carrying our waterbottles with us also prevents me from hunger and ‘needing’ to buy something when we are out.
I just saw a post about how to make coconut butter, so I’m excited to try it!
Thanks for the reminder about taking water. I can’t believe I forgot to mention it, but we each take a thermally insulated stainless steal water bottle everywhere we go! I love having ice-cold water on hand- keeps me from temptation to buy other less-than-healthy drinks, like you mentioned.
Where do you buy your nuts from? I have been considering buying some online, but want them to be really fresh. For that reason, I am thinking of waiting till the weather turns cooler (for shipping purposes!)
We have a wonderful local health food store that keeps all the nuts (mostly organic) in a refrigerated room, so that’s where we get ours. Waiting for cooler weather might be a good idea, if you’re going to order on-line. That’s what I’d probably end up doing, if we didn’t have our local source. Thanks for the comment, Kristie!