Hello friends! Β A whole lot of organizing has been going on this week. Β Which means my house is a mess! Β But it’s a happy mess that’s about to be a very clean, organized, not mess. :) Β Since I’m still chipping away and don’t have anything quite ready to show you yet I thought I’d share 5 healthy snacks that I often have on repeat. Β I know.. I’m totally switching gears. Β But also not, because it’s January. Β And in January we all try to organize our homes and eat healthy, right? Β See how I tied those two things together? Β I’m tricky like that.
So healthy snacks! Β I use the word “healthy” loosely. Β I’m not sharing anything too fancy.. no organic tofu surprise. Β Just simple things I like to eat that are on the “healthyish” side. Β We all know I’m not a food expert by any means. Β And I have so many things I’m trying to work on when it comes to eating healthy and exercise.
Like how I need to eat healthy and exercise. Β Ha.
But all joking aside, one thing (maybe the only thing) I have figured out is how to maintain my weight. Β I’ve weighed the same weight (within 5 pounds) for the last 20 years (aside from pregnancies). Β Like a lot of people I struggle to lose weight! Β But I’ve got the “maintain” part down. Β I’ve managed to do that a few ways and one of them is by finding things I like to snack on during the day that taste good to me and don’t pack on the pounds. Β I thought I’d share a few of my favorite snacks to give you some ideas if you are also trying to eat healthy in 2019!
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One of my favorite breakfasts/snacks has always been blueberries and strawberries with Vanilla Greek Yogurt. Β (Light & Fit is my favorite brand).
If I’m getting really crazy I’ll add granola. Β I’m sure there are healthier granola options out there, but this Quaker Simply Granola is quick, easy and delicious and since I’m just sprinkling some over the top I’m not too worried about the extra sugar.
So good and really filling!
A friend of mine introduced me to these Balanced Break snacks about a year ago and I’m obsessed with them! Β I’ve seen them in the grocery store, but I always get these larger packs at Costco for a lot less.
It’s just cheese and nuts and cranberries.. something I’d fix for myself but I love that they are portioned so that I don’t over eat.
Each one is 180 calories and they always seem like they are just filling enough to get me by until the next meal.
If you’ve read this blog for longer than a hot minute you know that I’m a popcorn lover. Β I have been my whole life! Β Most blog posts you read have been written while I munch on popcorn. Β Fun fact you probably didn’t care about. :)
We always have these Skinny Pop bags of popcorn on hand. Β This isn’t the most filling snack, but they are so tasty and perfect for those times that you just want to eat something to eat something. Β I seem to have a lot of times like that. ;) Β For a mere 100 calories you can snack away hungry or not!
My kids love them too and take them to school a lot! Β (You can see my organized pantry here.)
I know that it’s winter and most of you are more in hot chocolate mode than popsicle mode, but as soon as it’s warm enough in your neck of the woods you have to try Yasso bars if you haven’t yet! Β SO delicious! Β My girls and I are obsessed with them and couldn’t get enough last summer. Β They have so many yummy flavors (the mint chocolate chip is my personal favorite!). Β They taste way too good to only be 100 calories.
Ok.. this is something else I often do since I am trying to be more adult like and eat my vegetables. Β I know myself well and if healthy snacks are prepared and in my fridge ready to go, I’ll eat them. Β If not, I won’t take the time to wash and chop and dice. Β So once a week I try to prepare these little snacks that I can keep in the fridge and then I have no excuse not to eat some vegetables each day.
I like to useΒ these Ziploc containers, but you can use anything that has compartments. Β They don’t always look the same – I just toss in whatever vegetables/fruit I have on hand. Β I do always add turkey (because I love turkey) and I always put a hard boiled egg in a few of them. Β (Addison is allergic to eggs and my girls eat these too so I leave some eggless.) Β I haven’t been putting cheese and pretzels in them as much lately because I’ve found that they only stay fresh for a couple of days in the fridge and then the pretzels get soft and don’t taste as good.
These have been perfect for busy afternoons when I’m driving my kids around to activities. Β I can grab one and take it in the car with me to eat on the go! Β They are nice for when the kids are rushing too.
So those are 5 healthy snacks ideas for you! Β Things you can usually find to eat at our house. :)
Another thing I started doing about 6 months ago that has helped me and my girls drink more water is keeping these glass water bottles in the fridge.
They come in a pack of six and you can order them here.
I labeled them and gave each of us two bottles. Β The girls know these don’t leave the house. Β They are just to have at home and we are each in charge of re-filling our own two bottles when they are empty and putting them back in the fridge.
They keep the water nice and cold and so many times I go to my fridge for a Coke Zero and then open it and see these bottles and say “ok.. ok.. water instead.” Β Of course sometimes I open my fridge and say “no.. not today” and drink the Coke Zero, but life wouldn’t be fun if we did what we’re supposed to do ALL the time right?
What goals would Β we have to set each January?
;)
Aside from eating healthy snacks and exercise, one thing that has helped me maintain my weight is my 5 pound rule. Β I just don’t let myself gain more than 5 pounds. Β Sometimes I don’t worry about it and eat what I want, but then as soon as my jeans start to feel too tight I kick it in high gear and start eating better. Β If I know I’m going to dinner at night I always eat a really light breakfast and lunch that day because I like to enjoy myself when I eat out! Β I’m just constantly managing it and don’t let myself get too out of control.
When my jeans are tight and it’s time to kick it into high gear I snack on the things I shared above and then I eat a lot of fajitas. (I shared the recipe here.)
And chicken!
Now that I know how to cook PERFECT chicken it has definitely been on repeat around here.
I mean just look at that!
And don’t I look so confident!? Β Ha. Β This picture right here sums up my life long experience with cooking! Β But despite my insecurities, the chicken is good. Β Maybe not perfect.. but good. :) Β And it helps me keep my AG jeans fitting how I want them to.
Always a bonus. ;)
Enjoy your day everyone! Β May it be full of organizing and Skinny Pop.
:)
p.s. Β If you have a favorite healthy snack that’s always on repeat at your house I’d love to hear about it!
Great post, Erin. I like your snacky foods. I like popcorn, too, but my kind of popcorn doesn’t have the word skinny in it, so maybe I need to try your kind. :) I really like the compartment tray you use for your snacks on the go. Have to ask, what is your trick to make the perfect hard boiled egg? I got my husband that Perfect Egg contraption you shared before and when I try to make hard boiled eggs, so far they are soft and a bit runny in the middle. Not terrible, but not what I prefer. LOL Do you make a few at a time or a whole tray full? I enjoyed reading about how you maintain and your sense of humor, too. Good luck on your organizing efforts, too! :)
Thank you Jeanne! I like a lot of popcorn without the word skinny in it too.. ha! Those bags are just handy to easily grab. So we always make quite a few hard boiled eggs at the same time (usually one tray full). It sounds like yours aren’t getting cooked long enough for some reason! That’s strange. Do you usually just make one or two?
I have an instant pot and it makes the perfect hard boiled eggs every time. Put any number of eggs in it with 1 1/2cups water and set it to 7 minutes on manual. Let it release for 7 min after cooking and voila, perfect peelable eggs!
Yes! We have an egg cooker that does the same thing but so smart to use an instant pot! Perfect snack! :)
PS. Hope you are feeling better!
Love this, Erin! I always have the best intentions of portioning out fruits/veggies in the fridge to grab n go but keep failing at the follow through :) Need to copy your boxes with the turkey and eggs! I am similar to you in that I am a creature of habit with what I eat and finally found healthy items I love so I have been able to maintain my weight for the past few years. My breakfast every morning is a smoothie with vanilla greek yogurt, frozen bananas, almond milk, almond butter, spinach, cocoa powder and plain rolled oats! The almond butter/cocoa powder makes it taste like a milkshake and the oats keep me super full for about 6 hours!
Oh my word.. that sounds so delicious Kaitlin! I need to try that! I’m allergic to bananas (strange I know!).. do you think it would work without them? Thanks for sharing! :)
The bananas definitely make it nice and creamy but I have used frozen strawberries in the past and it was still delicious! I’m sure you could substitute with any frozen fruit :)
Awesome.. I’m going to try it! Thank you! :)
what a bunch of great ideas!
Thank you Caitlin! I’m so happy you like them! :)
I love this post I’m still in holiday eating too much mode and almost at the ‘Jean’s are too tight I have to pull back now’ stage, so perfect timing for me! ;) That first snack you shared is my go to snack too it’s the best!! Love the container idea and looove the cute, labelled water bottles what a great idea! The fajitas look great – when I got married the only thing I could cook was toast, so it was a steep learning curve and I always appreciate a simple recipe :)
Ha ha.. Abby I was the same way when I got married! All I could make was spaghetti and Kenny still jokes about how he hates it because I cooked it almost every night for the first two years we were married! :) So happy you like the snack ideas!
Hi Erin!
Thank you for sharing these nice ideas! Also like packing nice snacks for lunch at work every day and these was helpful!
Myself and my husband loves a fruit and something sweet :)
Have a lovely evening
x
Thank you so much Chanelle! You too! xo
Great post! I am currently battling my weight. I lost thirty pounds a few years ago and this past year we had a very stressful move. Stressful in the fact that we moved a 12 year old girl from her home. It was not easy and I found that I eat to comfort myself. I had splurged and bought some Hudson jeans while I was down and now they don’t fit at all! I am on a mission to wear them again! Thank you for the great tips!
I’m so happy this post was helpful Kat! And I’m sorry to hear about your stressful situation. I totally get stress eating.. I think we ALL do it at times! Fitting back into a cute pair of Hudson’s is perfect motivation. You’ve got this! :) Thank you! xo
Great ideas! Your fridge looks so organized too! I’d love to see some pics of inside your fridge and your system for organizing inside your fridge! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Mel! I’ll definitely try to do a fridge organization post at some point! :)
I have to get some of those containers! Our new go to are Oh Snap pickles. Zero calories and easy to munch on while getting dinner ready!
Oh my word.. I love pickles! I am so looking into those! I haven’t heard of them. Thanks Amy! :)
I get so excited when I have an email pop up from your blog! No matter what they are about! Fashion, organization, home decor, family life…I love it all! I find myself referring back to older posts by you as well, especially on organization! We are house hunting now in Raleigh, so I am super excited to get into a new house that we will stay in for awhile and get it organized for our growing family! Thank you so much for all you share with us! It truly is so fun to read and very inspirational! XOXO
Oh my word Lindsey! Your sweet comment just made my day! YEA! Makes me so happy you look forward to my posts. :) Thank you!! So sweet of you. And so fun you are house hunting! Good luck finding the perfect home for your family! :) xo
What helpful information Erin! The ziploc storage container filled with ready to eat snacks is perfect and the glass water bottles are just what I’ve been looking for!! We have a reverse-osmosis system (we live in the country and have a well) and I was trying to figure out a way to “replace” the store water bottles and utilize our RO system. These will be perfect to fill and put in our beverage fridge and I love that they are glass! I’m going to order a couple of sets. Thank you for the fabulous ideas!
Oh yea Lisa! I’m so happy to hear that this post was helpful for you! Thank you for such a sweet comment! We’ve loved the glass bottles.. I hope you do too! :)
Great snack ideas. Iβve been failing in that department. I canβt wait to try the cheese and nuts. My go to is sliced apples dipped in peanut butter. So good! Hope you are feeling better!
LOVE apples dipped in peanut butter! I need to get that back in our rotation again! For sure try the Balanced Breaks.. so good and I love that they are easy to take on the go. I bet your sweet grandkids would like them too! :) Thanks Cathy! xo
Oh! How is wish I was as organized as you! I’m sure you hear that a lot. Truth is, my brain just doesn’t know the difference. I “organize” and it’s back to chaos in 3 days. Oh well i suppose. All we can do is try! How about we trade homes for awhile? I’ll cook all the BHG recipes for your family and you come organize my house? Haha!!! One can only dream right?! Love your blog!! Xo
Ha ha.. your head would spin at how fast I’d take you up on that offer Chelsea! My dream is to have someone who cooks for us each night! I seriously can’t think of anything better. And I could keep your house organized for 6-7 days at least! ;) Thanks cutie! SO sweet of you! xo
Hi Erin! Your posts always make me laugh! And from following your blog from the past few years I find that we have a lot in common- one is I love popcorn too ;), and all things design and organization.m
Thank you for sharing these great snack ideas and tips! I just wanted to share that something that has helped me keep my weight down is focusing on fresh, real food. Less processed food, no preservatives, or odd artificial ingredients and of course less sugar and salt like you have included. I love snacking on apple slices with natural peanut butter or raw almonds, whole grain crackers, carrot and cucumber sticks with natural or organic hummus. I love bread but try to limit it to breakfast time only. Anyway, thought I’d share ;)
Love your blog!
Lana
Thank you so much Lana! I love that we have so much in common! And you are so smart to focus on fresh, real food. I remember someone telling me to shop the outside of the grocery store and stay away from the middle! So you’re hitting the deli and eggs and produce, etc. and avoiding the processed stuff. SMART! I love bread too and try to just save it for restaurants! Or wheat for my turkey sandwich at lunch. ;) Thanks again for sharing! Loved your sweet comment. :) xo
Hummus with crackers!
That’s my daughter Addison’s favorite snack! :)
Thanks for the tip on the ziploc containers. Just a heads up though, if you have to replace them… they are about $7 on Amazon and only $1.98 from Walmart. I just ordered mine with my pickup order and I love them.
Oh so good to know Robyn! Thank you!
Hi Erin!! I had never seen the little Ziploc containers with divided compartments, and I LOVE your ideas filling them up with the healthy veggies, turkey, hard-boiled egg, etc. for a quick pre-made meal!! I would like to know what kind/brand of turkey you buy. Do you have it sliced in the deli? Do you buy a certain kind that is prepackaged? I know you love turkey sandwiches also, and have often meant to ask you. All of your healthy food ideas are incredible!! Iβm excited to try the yogurt ideas also! I really need to cut back, especially after the holidays and recent football playoffs!! Oh my word – talk about heavy appetizers!! πππππ
Take care!! With love and best wishes,
Jane Carden
Hi Jane! I’m so happy you like the pre-made snack/meals! Thank you! I have been buying the same turkey from our grocery store deli for years! It’s Primo Taglio’s Peppered Turkey and I always get it sliced super thin. The people in our deli practically start slicing it when they see me walking towards them I get it so much.. ha. :) And oh my word.. I hear you about the holidays and football games! So hard to eat healthy with all of that going on! We can both start fresh next week. ;) xo
Did you try the Ritz chicken recipe I sent you? I mean you have this beautiful kitchen that is begging to be used Erin :) Sorry, I”m bossy
Julia remind me if you emailed me that or sent it as a DM! I’m trying to find it!