Healthy Go-To Snacks

I’m hoping to get a list of a few EASY snack ideas down before the baby gets here. Because I won’t be able to think straight at that point in my life and need to just have things to grab that are super easy. I don’t know why it was SO hard for me to find time to make myself snacks and meals throughout the day when Ryder was a baby. But this time around, I won’t have a choice because I’ll also need to remember to feed my toddler, too! LOL

I love making smoothies at home for a quick snack. Sometimes I’ll make them for breakfast, but I prefer to save this for snacks and have a heavier, bigger breakfast each morning to start the day. 

This is an easy go-to smoothie for me. I always look up other smoothie options on Pinterest, but I get so overwhelmed on there sometimes! So many options and things to try! So I just stick to the basics and make this smoothie. Super easy! 

**1 scoop of protein powder + 1 cup mixed frozen berries + ice + 1 cup orange juice**

(picture via google)

Here are a few more of my current go-to snacks:

-fruit and string cheese

-apple and peanut butter

-cheese wedges and crackers

-yogurt and granola

-healthy protein/granola bars

-Naked or Odwalla juices

-smoothie (recipe above)

But even though I have this list of my "go-to's", I still struggle staying on track. I survived mainly on graham crackers, Naked juices, Poptarts and anything else that required NO prep and I could eat with one hand while nursing Ryder in his younger months. I'm hoping I can plan a little better this time around and give myself some time to make healthy snacks and meals for myself and for my family. 

I’ve never had SUCH a hard time eating well in my life. Sometimes it’s due to the fact that your to-do list is always a mile long as a mom. You can’t stop. So I forget to eat. I seriously NEVER thought I’d say that. It used to drive me crazy when I heard moms say things like that!! Too busy to eat!? YEAH RIGHT, I thought. But, it’s true. Sometimes it’s because while I was at the grocery store with every intention of getting healthy meals/snacks, my toddler had a melt down and I had about 5.2 minutes to get everything I could grab before I was gonna pull my hair out. 

Sometimes I’m so tired, I literally can’t think straight. Sounds strange. But being overly sleep deprived does weird things to you. So instead of getting a parfait at the Starbucks drive-through (or a cup of fruit), I’d get a huge, 900 calorie pastry. It’s like I am unable to make normal/healthy decisions. Your brain just can’t function properly off of 2 hours of sleep! 

Sometimes it’s because I have a toddler. And he has yummy snacks just staring at me. LOL. Like pretzels and cereal and organic fruit snacks, etc. So I eat my horrible 900 calorie pastry AND some of Ryder’s Pirates Booty because he didn’t eat it all. And maybe sometimes I also eat ¾ of his peanut butter and jelly sandwich just because it’s sitting there… again, looking at me. And wow… mmm.. I forgot how good a pb &j is! LOL 

There are a lot of reasons why it’s so hard to stay on track as a mom. It sounds SOOO crazy until you’re in it. I’ve eaten more grilled cheese sandwiches off my own kitchen floor this past year than I have EVER IN LIFE (especially the “off the floor” part). 

It takes a LOT more energy now (as a parent) to find time, energy and brain power to feed yourself well. And then to find the time, energy and brain power to work out?! SO, SO hard. But it’s something I hope I can learn to balance better through the years. Taking care of yourself is so important! I hope to be a good example to my kids through my eating and life habits and that they, too will just naturally make good, healthy choices for themselves. 

What are some other EASY go-to snack options you like? I tend to gravitate to fruits. I love fruit and can’t get enough!