School Snack Obsessions

College schedules can be pretty hectic and inconsistent. Some days I'll have plenty of time to prepare and eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but other days I feel like I'm out of my apartment from 7am to 9pm. On busier days, I try to pack some healthy snacks to munch on so I'm not absolutely starving by the time I sit down to eat a meal (and more prone to binge-eating everything in sight). Here are some of the foods I've been obsessed with lately:

As far as bars go, I LOVE the Cliff Nut Butter Filled Energy Bars (specifically the Coconut Almond Butter flavor). They're organic, filled with great ingredients like oats, cashews, and almonds, and only contain 10g of sugar. Plus, I find them to be really filling, making them a great to-go breakfast if I'm in a rush.

Another one of my favorites is the RXBAR. As you can tell by the packaging, it contains wholesome ingredients- no hidden sugars, sweeteners, or artificial flavors. The protein from the egg whites also makes it a filling and satisfying option for a meal on the go.

Lastly, Larabars have to be one of my all time favorites. I have such a sweet tooth, and these satisfy my after-dinner cravings without leaving me feeling guilty. My favorite flavor, Peanut Butter Cookie, only contains 2 ingredients (peanuts and dates). Yay for date paste!

Speaking of date paste, you can easily make a batch yourself with a blender or food processor and use it for a quick 5-minute recipe like these Coconut Date Energy Bites. Date paste is a great base for any "energy bite" recipe really- just combine it with whatever your heart desires, from nuts to fruit to chocolate. There are also some great store-bought options (like these bites from Larabar), but making the paste yourself definitely saves cash in the long-run.

For salty snacks, I can't get enough of these Sweet Potato Chips. I get mine from Aldi's, but you can find them at basically any grocery store- just check the label and make sure there aren't lots of added ingredients. They taste amazing on their own, but also go great with hummus or salsa.

I also like to have a batch of Raw Mixed Nuts on hand (either from Target or Trader Joe's). Typically, I'll buy them unseasoned so I can control the amount of sea salt I'd like to add. I like to fill a small Ziplock with a serving of these and keep it in my backpack for when I start to get the munchies in class- a good tactic for avoiding the vending machine.

Lastly, for beverages I've been obsessed with Kombucha. I basically just buy whatever is on sale and try to drink a small glass each day to ensure I'm getting my probiotics. Since I'm trying to cut out most dairy from my diet, I've stopped buying Greek yogurt, and I find that this drink is a great way to make sure I'm still getting some good bacteria in my system to help with digestion.

Another one of my favorite concoctions I've been making is a Chai 'Latte', where I basically just heat up some almond milk on the stove and add it to a mug with a chai tea bag. It's a satisfying and delicious "comfort drink" that I can quickly whip up when I get home after a long day.

If I'm craving something on the colder side, I LOVE using this Chocolate PB2 Powder in a blender with a frozen banana and some almond milk. It's a delicious chocolate peanut butter banana milkshake, except way healthier than something you'd buy at an ice cream shop :)

I hope you'll add some of these items to your grocery list next time you go shopping. Thanks for reading!

Lizzie