#365: Your Grab & Go Snack List for the Busy Holiday Season

Hey there beautiful people, how are you, I hope you’re having a great day. Thank you so much for being here with me today. And if you’re getting your workout on, keep up the great work. I know a lot of you do exercise while you listen to this. And whatever else you’re doing, guys, if you’re driving in the car, going for a walk, folding laundry, I’m just excited that we get to chat together. Now, today’s episode, disclaimer, then you might want to be taking notes on. But you know what, I do have the list of this from my notes. So I would be more than happy to share this with you. If you are doing something where you cannot stop and jot anything down. Maybe you have a better memory than me. And you will remember this later. But like me, at the time of recording this. Hopefully by the time you’re hearing this, I have had baby number four. But if not, you know hopefully soon. But the I’m recording this in October. So I was going for a walk the other day listening to a pregnancy podcast where they were talking about birth bag packing lists, because again, although this is baby number four, you would think I know what to pack. Like, huh? Yeah, what should I put in my thing like some leggings, like I don’t know, a burp cloth, I don’t know. So anyway, I was listening to this packing list, but I’m out there walking like, Well, I’m not gonna, I don’t like to be on my phone actively when I’m walking. So I don’t want to keep pulling things up and putting it in my notes. And the host was, you know, good to think about that ahead of time and had a download to go with the episode. So I would be happy to send you this list. I actually think I have sent a similar list or the exact same list to my email list earlier this year. But in case you missed it, I’d be happy to send it to you if you want to shoot me an email Brittany, healthy Catholic moms.com. And I’ll forward it your way. So you will have these you don’t have to stop doing what you are doing. But it’s the holidays, it’s a busy time. And even when it’s not a busy time, I like to just have things on hand that you know are grab and go. A lot of these some of them you would want to keep in the fridge, but some of them you can stash in your car in your bag. This is something else I’ve been focusing on recently is trying to really just be prepared as best I can in different areas. Like it occurred to me that I don’t usually just keep water in the car. I know in the winter, this is gonna be dicey because it obviously will freeze. But you know, usually if I hop in the car to go somewhere I grab my own water bottle. And kids are with me I grabbed at least one water bottle for them to share. But things like okay, I should keep a bag of food in the car for emergencies if we get stuck somewhere, some water so I went in and put you know like protein bars in applesauce pouches and bottles of water in our back just in case we need them. And honestly them it’s been nice for times that I have just known they’re in there and have been able to use them and then restock it. So that’s always my tip too. We talked I think back in fall or something about going to stick some things like this in your car for myself, I always have a big old box of like a jar a plastic jar though, of cashews that I keep Why did not have any kids that have not allergies, obviously. So I just like ride shotgun with me. passenger seat, just some cashews, things like that. So some of these, obviously, with prudence, decide what you want to put in your car or put in your bag or your office shore, or have at home stock your pantry with these things. So when you’re hungry is not just the point of this list, I have made sure that they’re pretty balanced out in macros, if you know what that is your carbs, fat and protein. So the trouble is, if we don’t have easy access foods like this pre plan that we know are going to be balanced out in macros. If we just grab whatever is grab and go a lot of times it’s carb heavy. I talked about this on Fridays, because of times I’ve talked about this in the past about my own Friday situation because Fridays we do meatless and there are times where if I did not get enough protein in the day, or I just was not adequately prepared for with my meals. I don’t know why it’s just it’s like a mental block at this point that Monday through Thursday. I’m pretty set. I make sure I have leftovers from dinner. But then I can’t do that on Friday because we typically meet with dinner. So I’m usually just scrambling all day for food. Essentially, I’m very proud of myself still the Fridays that I get home meals going like I actually had oatmeal for breakfast that was rounded out and all the categories and then had something for lunch that still had protein even though it didn’t meet whatever this is, you know, we’re all a work in progress. And sometimes we can come up right up against the same roadblocks. I had a client who was in the exact same boat, and she did meatless Fridays, and I was like, Man, I have a problem every Friday, so I would text her on Thursdays. Okay, what’s your lineup for tomorrow? And it’s just something I need to actually keep applying for myself. Because you know, you gotta move on from it. But anyway, what would happen is then I would just start grabbing things. Insert the cupboard and it’d be things like crackers or things like tortilla chips and carb carb carb carb. So if at least you have these other things, you can get away with a more snack based day, if they are rounded out, and it’s kind of like a travel day, these are actually things that I pack when we go on car trips and things that you know, are not maybe, you know, some of them are highly processed. I tried to go as mentally process as I could with this list, but they’re still processed foods, because they’re made to last obviously to have on hand. So they’re good for those in a pinch times they shouldn’t comprise the bulk of our diet though. All right onto the list, I promise you quick down and dirty here. And that like I said, shoot me a message even on Instagram if you want I’ll just send you the screenshot if to make it the easiest thing for you if you need this actual list. Okay, this one you need to be home for rolled up deli meat and cheese stick is a great no prep, macro friendly snack also like could be a whole macro friendly lunch for your kids or for yourself. If you do not want to prep something like maybe some ways to make like chicken salads or this that like but you just cannot get on the idea of prepping like get some high quality deli meat boars heads a great option. And I’m sure they have other ones that are no hormones, no nitrates added. And just make a little charcuterie style lunch or snack or dinner or whatever in a pinch. Okay, so that would be a great one. Another one, I’ll just stick with all the ones then that you would have to be home for at least like put in a cooler. Oops, Greek yogurt. dropping my phone topped with granola especially like a protein enhanced granola would be great or just a clean granola. And again, absolutely no prep, you’re just buying both of those thrown them together. And hard boiled eggs, which is almost no prep. And you could buy these already done for you in most grocery stores. But eggs hard boiled them and you’re good to go. They’re super grab and go. Last one that I think is well I guess these two might need coolers, carrots and celery. With a hummus or guac cup, you can go ahead and just buy those many portions already. So they’re pre portioned out for you. And just grab a bag of carrots, grab a bag of solder and make it really easy on yourself. Then same thing with Apple or any kind of fruit and almond butter. That’s really nice. Obviously, they’re pricier because you’re paying for the fact that somebody did the work for you. In all these examples with the pre portioned things. Like back to the Greek yogurt, I buy a big tub of Greek yogurt for us at home, when I’m just doing that as a snack for myself or the kids or breakfast or something. But for my husband to take for his lunches, I do buy the you know single serving packs just for convenience, like I could buy the big one I could do in glass jars. For us, that’s obvious, it’d be better for the environment. I know that as I’m saying it is gonna add that whole element of the night before me having to put or you know, Monday for the whole week putting Greek yogurt in the glass jars, maybe I’ll get there one day, that is not where I am right now, homeschooling running the business things that I do pick my husband’s want to guess maybe if he did it too, or whatever, but I just buy the single serve yogurt cups, okay, so make it easy on yourself. So same thing here with the almond butter expect to the fruit with an almond butter or peanut butter something obviously you can buy the whole big jar, it’s gonna be a little more cost effective. But for the on the go times they have those little pouches you might already use, or might not be aware of I love these. I used to keep these in my desk at work and just like 180 calories, which is great because a lot of us are still thinking oh, it should be low calorie. No, I’m like good. I just got like a 200 calorie snack just in the pouch itself. And then if I add an apple in there, that’s like a really good feeling snack, right? So those pouches are great. I actually don’t have those in the car. I bet they would freeze, though for winter. So I don’t know about that. But other times, that would be a great one to keep in the car on the go to I’ve never done that. Alright, so I think that’s most of the ones that kind of needed cooler or a fridge. But again, you can’t get much more grab and go than nice little single sized portions of Greek yogurt for your kids. If they like the tubes of yogurt, deli meats, that kind of stuff. A bar that I really like that’s pretty clean as raw rev glow, very minimally processed. They don’t really melt or anything. So I keep those don’t quote me on that but also shouldn’t freeze I don’t know, just these out and you’re different elements. But they’re great grab and glow, grab and go but they’re called Aurora. Well, all right. roasted chickpeas is another great one and there’s lots of other things like this that you can find in most grocery stores like roasted beans, roasted chickpeas, kale chips, that kind of stuff like these are good. Grab and Go in a pinch type things.
Cashews or almonds, any kind of really trail mix that’s, you know, not the most sugary one you can find with all the chocolate I do like a balanced, I will sometimes get the ones that have like chocolate covered almonds and mixing in or the little yogurt cranberries mixed in, make it as fun as you want to. But nuts are another, it’s just right up there with nut butter, but bang for your buck on calories, like you could have a quarter cup. And that’s a really decent snack while you’re driving or just on the way from one event to another. And last to for you is sunflower seeds. This is one that I have forgotten about. I used to buy like the bags with the shells on because it was like an event to eat them, you know, it takes you time to like, pop them in your mouth crack with your teeth, take out the shell or spit out the shell. I haven’t done these in a long time because I just think that they are a lot of work and then kind of gross that you’re either spitting out or taking the seat out of your mouth all the time the shell. So I don’t know if I’m gonna go back to the shelled ones. But sunflower seeds, the one that you could just buy the actual little bag of seeds give you a really good bang for your buck. They’re also cheap, typically. So I buy these at least to tap in our salads. I throw him in our salads all the time. But even just pouring handfuls of those, it’s kind of up there with the cashew nuts and maybe if your kid has an allergy, you would want to do the seeds instead. And they’re pretty high protein and fat. Okay, last one is beef jerky. So I talked about deli meats, which is great if you have close access to a fridge or cooler. But when you don’t beef jerky can be gray in a pinch. Again, it’s usually more processed, obviously, dried meat. But you can get cleaner once the brand that I get for us. We have at Wegmans. I’m not sure where else, but it’s Vermont jerky. And even my kids love it. So like this is what I did for us for family vacation on the way down, I grabbed jerky trail mix. Actually, I didn’t put dried fruits on here too. But dried fruits would be a great addition to this list too. You just want to pair it with the fat when you’re eating it. So that would be great dried fruits and a packet of peanut butter or pack and almond butter would be great. Yeah, and then I obviously I did pack some like fresh fruit and things in the cooler. That’s why I didn’t bring dried fruits on our trip. But yeah, beef jerky got us far trail mix got as far as protein bars, the raw raw of low ones did get as far as, like I said, the chickpeas or bean chips. All of those are really great options. So let me know if you want me to shoot you this list, I would be more than happy to email or Instagram. And next episode, let me see is very exciting, because I’m going to roll out the program options for 2024. So if you’ve been waiting for that eight week fat loss challenge that I do only a couple times a year, do it three times a year. The first one will be in January, I will let you know all the details. So you can be the first to sign up if you’ve been waiting for that. Okay, that’s where I would love beginners to start. But then I also have our chasing greatness group, which is our monthly workout group. And this is the only time you get that really good discount of an entire month free if you grab it for the year. So I’m going to announce all those go over the options. Let you know what the programs look like that kind of thing next episode. So if you’re interested, I will see you there. If you’re not you might want to hold out for two episodes from now. We’re going to talk more about the valence mentality of enjoying continuing to enjoy the Christmas season because we’re in an era now but hopefully you’re during the season already. But the Christmas season is the season that needs to be enjoyed too. And I think that there’s totally a time and place for that. Ecclesiastes would agree with me as well. Time for everything under the sun, right? So that’ll be in two episodes from now. But until then, ladies, I hope you have a great rest of your day. Go get some of these snacks, put them everywhere. Seriously, ease of access is key. And I’ll talk to you next time.

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