What’s in Dr. Z’s Snack Drawer?
When you transition to a health-conscious diet, it’s easy to focus on the foods to avoid, making it hard to know what the heck is left to eat!
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If you’re ready to ditch the “health” bars that are actually loaded with sugar (and Cliff bars have gluten in them, by the way!), check out some of these tasty alternatives, all of which you can find at New Seasons or other larger health food store.
Here are some of the snacks that I’ve been enjoying lately in my office, car, and on the go. Everything on this list is gluten free, dairy free, nutritious, and shelf stable.
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Single Serving Almond Butter Packets
These come in a variety of flavors like plain, honey almond, maple almond, and even chocolate hazelnut. Use these to spice up veggie sticks, smear on an apple, or just eat straight out of the packet.
Instant Miso Soup
Unlike other instant soups that come in Styrofoam containers and contain MSG, miso soup packets are responsibly packaged and free of chemical ingredients. Miso is made from fermented soy, making it a naturally probiotic-rich food.
I like this one from SanJ. Just dump the powder into a cup, add hot water, and stir.
Pre-Packaged Trail Mix
Trader Joe’s has a variety of trail mixes that come in big bags of single-serving packets. My favorite is the Omega Trek Mix, as it isn’t too sugary and is a tastier alternative to the boring, peanut-heavy mixes you usually see elsewhere. I try to keep a few packets in every purse I own and in the glove compartment of my car, so I’m never caught without protein!
Wild Planet Sardines
Sardines are packed with omega 3 fatty acids, protein, and flavor. Wild Planet is a great brand that uses only BPA-free cans.
Sardines are also very low in mercury compared to other types of fish, making them a super food snack.
Epic Bars
It’s like a power bar, but meaty!
They come in an impressive variety of flavors too – turkey, chicken, chicken sriracha, pork, lamb, grass fed beef, and more!
Krave Jerky
It’s so hard to find gluten free jerky! Thankfully, the folks at Krave have heard our plea, offering a variety of options like black cherry pork jerky and lemon garlic turkey jerky, in addition to the expected beef varieties.
NibMor “Daily Dose” Chocolates
A tasty pick-me-up! If you like a little treat during your day but have a hard time stopping yourself from devouring an entire chocolate bar, check out these single-serving wrapped chocolates.
Throw one or two in your lunch bag and leave the bigger bars for people with self-control around chocolate – as if they even exist.
Almond Milk Single-Serving Tetra Packs
Drinks packaged in tetra-packs are shelf stable, and now companies are craftily making juice box sized almond milk for us grownups.
Just Tomatoes, Just Veggies, Just Berries, etc.
Dehydrated crunchy fruits and veggies, in a variety of flavors like Just Blueberries, Just Peas, and Just Strawberries. Yum!
Note the company Just Tomatoes, Inc. is now Karen’s Naturals.
Dried Seaweed
Salty, crunchy, packed with iodine, these are strangely addictive and thankfully guilt-free.
Great Lakes Collagen Powder
It’s full of nutrients to support gut integrity, connective tissue, and even make skin look younger. I particularly like the one by Great Lakes that comes in the Green bottle, as it easily dissolves in both hot and cold water and is virtually tasteless.
Kale Chips
Kale. Dehydrated. It tastes way better than it sounds. WAY better. Like oh-my-goodness-how-did-I-not-know-about-this good.
Did I miss anything? Leave a comment on my Facebook page with your favorite health-conscious, non perishable snacks!
Thanks to Serious Eats for the trail mix photo
Thanks to Carb Essentials for the beautiful images of Krave Jerky
Thanks to Prepared Foods for the almond breeze image
Thanks to Pumps & Iron for the seaweed pic
Thanks to UrbanPL8 for the kale chips pic
