Is your snack situation a snooze? Reaching for a mid-morning healthy treat or an afternoon pick-me-up shouldn’t be a bore. If you're feeling at a loss, let us share some snack-hacks that are delicious and good for you!
Source Your Snacks Together
Stock up on snacks the fun way! Spend time with family and friends by shopping together for fruits and vegetables at your local farmers’ market. You’ll get the produce you need while spending quality time with loved ones and supporting your community.
**Hint** One way to make your errands exciting is by having a farmers’ market scavenger hunt or eye spy game: kids can engage in some friendly competition by finding items on the shopping list. Whoever gets all their items first is the winner!
Play a game of farmers’ market eye-spy with the littler ones. Take turns uttering the phrase, “I spy with my little eye something…[insert descriptive phrase].” The first to guess the item being “spied” gets to be the next spy!
Join a CSA
Community Supported Agriculture, or CSAs, are great ways to support your local farmer while alleviating the sometimes stressful aspects of grocery shopping. CSAs provide you with affordable, locally grown produce. Usually on a weekly cycle, CSAs provide a variety of seasonal fruit and vegetables conveniently collected for a one-stop-shop. Subscribing to a CSA often comes with features to simplify healthy eating including delivery service, recipe suggestions, and personalized produce choices.
For example, Farm Link Hawaii has a home delivery service. Get more information about by visiting farmlinkhawaii.com. Other CSAs we love are MAʻO Organic Farms 8-week CSA program and Friends with Farms online order form and door-to-door delivery service.
Plan Ahead
Before you go to put your produce in the fridge... Stop! Wash! Chop! Prepare food so it’s ready to eat when you are. Taking the time to wash, slice, peel, and prep will make eating healthy a no-brainer. Fruits with peels or skins, like oranges, tangerines, and apples, are ideal packable snackables (and generate only compost!).
Nutritious Grab-n-Go
When you’ve gotta jet but your body needs some fuel, choose an on-the-go snack that provides protein for sustained energy and wholesome ingredients containing fiber to leave you with that happy full feeling longer.
ʻĀINA In Schools Suggests...
Peanut Butter Banana Wrap
Ingredients:
- Whole grain tortilla (Alternative: rice cake, whole grain bagel)
- Nut butter (macadamia, almond, peanut, cashew, etc.)
- Local banana - sliced
- Optional toppings: raisins, honey, cinnamon, coconut shreds, sliced almonds
Directions: Spread peanut butter on a wholewheat tortilla. Layer on banana slices. Option to drizzle on honey, sprinkle some cinnamon, or add a handful of raisins, sliced almonds, or coconut shreds. Wrap tortilla burrito-style (fold right and left sides of the tortilla towards the center, then roll from the bottom of the tortilla to the top).
DIY (Kind of) Trail Mix
Ingredients:
- Store-bought mixed nuts
- Add-ins of your choice: dried fruit of your choice (mango, banana, coconut, papaya, raisins, cranberries, etc.); seeds (pumpkin, sunflower); carob, chocolate, or peanut butter chips; granola; you can even add more of your favorite nuts!
Directions: Pour mixed nuts into a large bowl. Add in your extras. (Try a different combination each time you make it!) Mix well. Pour into bulk storage container or portion out for an easy out-the-door snack.
**Hint** This is also a great beach, picnic, or party treat!
Looking for a delicious dessert? Check out our Healthy Snacks resource for an elaborate (and easy!) no-bake Watermelon Cake, Easy Banana Sorbet, Healthy S’More, and other yummy treats!