Staying on track with your nutrition can be difficult for anyone, but being prepared gets you that much closer each day. Typically kids and adults alike get through their morning and lunch routines without a hitch, but then the afternoon munchies kick in and you grab what is easy. That usually means reaching for things like chips, candy, crackers, junk protein bars, and other sugary filled snacks that can be found in any vending machine. One of the best ways to combat unhealthy snacking is ensuring you have some great options readily available in your home. It’s an added bonus if the snacks are lower in carbohydrates and made with whole foods.
Today I am sharing some fun snack ideas that can easily and quickly be made at the beginning of the week. They are great to throw in a lunch or bento box. These are all gluten-free and can easily be made both keto and paleo if that’s your jam (like me). These are great for on the go eating and will fuel your afternoon lulls. Let’s get started!
1. Crescent Rolls
When meal planning & prepping, it’s always a good idea to start with anything that needs to be cooked or baked. This way you won’t have much idle time and knock other things out while you wait. Since these cresent rolls do take a little more time to prepare, I thought this was a good place to start our snack prep for the week. These are SO fun and yummy. They really hit the spot when you need a savory bite.
Ingredients:
- 4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 oz cream cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup almond flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 1 tablespoon monk fruit or stevia
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions:
- Add mozzarella and cream cheese to a heat-proof bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals until fully melted.
- Whisk the egg into the cheese mixture.
- In a small bowl, add the almond flour, coconut flour, monk fruit, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix with a large spoon.
- Knead dough and form into a small ball. Place in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F and line a baking pan with parchment paper.
- Take the dough out of the refrigerator and remove plastic. With a rolling pin, press dough into a rectangle.
- Cut into triangles and roll each triangle (large end to small end) to form the classic “crescent roll”.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.
2. Peanut Butter Bars
An afternoon snack wouldn’t be an afternoon snack without a little touch of something sweet. These bars are rich, decadent, and oh so delicious. They will tame any sweet tooth and the best part is they are actually good for you! No refined sugar!
Ingredients:
Crust-
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 tablespoon coconut flour
- 2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup for paleo
- 1/8 tsp salt
Filling-
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons stevia/monk fruit (for keto) or 3 1/2 tbsp maple sytrup (for paleo)
Topping-
4 ounces keto or paleo friendly chocolate chips
1 teaspoon coconut oil
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line the bottom of a 4×8 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl combine the ingredients for the crust. Evenly press the dough into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.
Bake for 10-15 minutes until crust is slightly golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.
In a bowl, combine the peanut butter, coconut oil, sweetener of choice. Mix and reserve about ¼ of the mixture for the chocolate topping. Spread the peanut butter filling onto the cooled crust. Place the bars in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to firm up.
To make the chocolate topping, add chocolare and coconut oil to a small bowl Place in the microwave and cook in 20 second increments until melted.
Spread chocoalte over the top of peanut butter layer. Place in the fridge to firm until ready to eat.
3. Homemade Marshmallows
I know, I know. This one sounds super intimidating, but fear not friend… these are actually SO easy to make and aren’t just pure sugar like the ones you buy in the store. The recipe is basically fool proof and you will find yourself wanting to make these regularly. Instead of just doing plain ones though, I decided to kick these up a few notches with some chocolate and toasted coconut. There are many flavor variations you can do with these!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup warm water
- 3 tablespoons Great Lakes Gelatin
- 1-1/2 cup powdered stevia
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2 ounces chocolate chips
- 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Add shredded coconut to a small sheet pan and lightly toast for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.
- Place 1/2 cup of warm water and gelatin in the bowl of a stand mixer. Gently stir and then let sit for 2-3 minutes to “bloom”.
- In a small saucepan set over low-medium heat add remaining water, powdered stevia, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Begin to stir gently. Heat for 3-5 minutes, not quite until boiling.
- Turn mixer to low, then increase speed on mixer. SLOWLY drizzle in remaining gelatin/water mixture. Continue mixing on high until mixture becomes fluffy. Adjust sweetness to desired taste if needed.
- Sprinkle on toasted coconut and press into marshmallows.
- For topping, melt chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave in 20 second increments until smooth. Drizzle over toasted coconut.
4. Yogurt Bark
This one is SO simple and a favorite amongst kids and adults alike. This is not a snack I would eat on the go because it needs to stay cold/frozen, but a great one to have on hand in the home. I love recipes that are very versatile and this one is no exception! Simply change up the fruit and other toppings and you can keep a variety of flavors for whatever craving you might be having. I added berries, almonds, and granola to my batch, but other options could incorporate chocolate, coconut, and things like chia seeds that will help boost their nutritional profile!
Ingredients:
- 1-1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or dairy free variety of your choice
- 2 tablespoons stevia or monk fruit (for keto) 2 tablespoons maple syrup (for paleo)
- 1/4 cup blackberries
- 1/4 cup strawberries (roughly chopped)
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- 1/3 cup granola
- 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
Instructions:
- Add yogurt, sweetener, and blackberries to a high speed blender. Mix on high until smooth.
- Pour mixture into a lined 4×8 baking pan.
- Sprinkle on strawberries, blueberries, granola, and almonds.
- Place in the freezer for 3-4 hours or until set.
- Store in the freezer until ready to serve.
5. Bento Boxes
These are pretty self-explanatory… no real recipe for this one! Since these bento boxes were going to be used as an afternoon snack for my daughter to eat before her practices, I did want them to be a bit more substantial. I added a hard-boiled egg, some fruit, salami, hard cheese, and some gluten free crackers. To keep these more keto/low carb, just replace the fruit with veggies (celery, red bell peppers, and some nuts (pecans, cashews, walnuts, almonds, etc.)!
Other items you could add:
- trail mix
- homemade hummus
- pretzels
- dried fruit
- energy balls
- homemade granola bars
I realize that most people focus on prepping full meals for the week, but for people like myself who love a good nibble of something here and there, it’s nice having some healthy snack options available. So the next time you go on the search for meal prepping ideas to make for the week, be sure to include a few simply snacks as well! Just be sure to focus on including as many whole food ingredients in your healthy meal plan so you can be set up for success each and every week!