Snacking. Such a loaded word in my household. One always thinks picking things here and there out of the pantry as the day (and night in our case) unfolds isn’t really that big of a deal. A little of this, a little of that. Unfortunately, it..all..adds..up. And if you keep any of it in the home, you’re bound to give in to the urge to peruse the kitchen and see what you can find. Unless you have discipline and stick to your meal plans, or your calorie budget for the day, or generally are not someone who has cravings. (And why we have cravings is a whole other story…)

Or unless you are strategic with your snacking. And since I have very little discipline about food in general, this is the route I take. And when I don’t, both my husband and I lose ourselves to over-snacking.

We are pretty routine about replacing 2 of our meals a day with healthy, plant protein smoothies. And I am used to preparing them for us at the beginning of each day so we both have breakfast and (usually as our lunch) ready and waiting in shaker cups in the fridge. Or to pack in a small cooler bag to take with us. He does most of the cooking for the 1 regular (and hopefully healthy) meal we eat together, which is usually dinner. (And often while watching “Jeopardy”.) It’s way more involved than just tossing fruits and veggies into the Vitamix blender so we agree it’s also my “job” to prepare the snacks.

I (re)started again this week making sure the snacks for the day ahead are balanced, ready to eat, and organized. We use a few different kinds of containers, these here are silicone ones that flatten/pop out so they store well in the cabinet. If I go into the day knowing I have these grab n’ go items to look forward to as soon as I feel that desire creep in, it helps keep me on track with my overall diet. What methods do you use when it comes to healthy snacking?

-Summer