It’s 3pm, hours removed from lunch and dinner, and your stomach growls menacingly in the middle of lecture. The person to your left squints sideways. You squirm a little bit in your seat, maybe cough lighty into your fist. Your stomach growls again and you lock eyes with the professor. If only you had packed a snack! It’s easy to avoid the wrath of a needy tummy by running to the Arbor for some quick potato chips, or settling on a sugary cookie at a coffee stand. But we’re trying to be healthy, right? Here are six of my favorite snacks to bring to class.
1. Hummus + Anything, really.
Hummus is rich in fiber and protein because it’s main ingredient is the garbanzo bean. Tahini, the seaseme seed butter that helps to season hummus, adds additional protein and fiber to the mix. Hummus can be eaten with a spoon, licked from fingers, with broccoli, pita chips, lamb kebab, or whatever your heart desires; it’s really delicious with anything.
2. Sweet Potato Chips
I crave chips more than I crave any other snack. Sweet potato chips are my go-to because they’re low in sodium and saturated fat, and high in Manganese and Vitamin A. By eating this snack, you might also improve your vision.
3. Luna Bars
I always have a Luna bar in my bag. The chocolate dipped coconut flavor is my favorite. The only bad point about these babies is that they’re pretty high in sugar. But they’re also high in calcium, iron, manganese, vitamin A and vitamin C. I think in this case, the good outweighs the bad.
4. Raw nuts and seeds
Ask yourself, should you go nuts? The answer should be yes! Not only are nuts super easy to travel with, they’re also super filling, and richly packed with good fat, protein and vitimans. The best nuts for your diet are almonds, cashews and pistachios. Try to avoid nuts packaged or roasted in oil.
5. Apple + Milk
This pairing may bring you back to the days of nursery school. Do you remember when the teacher made you drink all of your milk and eat your apple before you could play at recess? She had your best interest at heart. Any piece of washed fruit makes a healthy snack but apples are especially great because they’re a good source of dietary fiber and vitamin C. Like they say, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Pairing this carbohydrate with a glass of skim milk will not only sustain your hunger level for a couple of hours, but the carb + protein pairing will give you energy too!
6. Edamame
One cup of these boiled soybeans contains 17 grams of protein, 8 grams of fiber and less than 200 calories. I like to season edamame with a bit of salt on top, served either hot or cold. Believe it or not, edamame is very low in sodium. This snack is an excellent source of vitamin K, folate and manganese.