Cut the Junk: Snack Swap

So, we've talked about "real food" breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. Next up: snacks! I really think snacks are, by far, the easiest to switch over to "real food". So, if you're overwhelmed with your switch to real food, start with snacks. It's simple, I promise.

1. Carrots or celery + natural peanut butter
2. Carrots or celery + ranch dip
3. Frozen peas (my kiddos love these!)
4. Sweet potato cubes
5. Frozen grapes or blueberries (yummy dipped in yogurt, too!)
6. Greek Yogurt dipped frozen banana bites
7. Chobani Champions Tubes (stick them in the freezer for a yummy "popsicle-like" treat!)
8. Smoothies (freeze in popsicle molds in the summer!)
9. Fresh fruit + banana sauce
10. Apples + cheddar cheese
11. Apple + greek yogurt or peanut butter
12. Triscuits* + cheddar cheese cubes
13. Whole wheat toast + natural peanut butter or cream cheese & jam
14. Popcorn
15. Whole wheat blueberry muffins
16. Banana bread (use whole wheat flour and substitute applesauce for oil)
17. Almonds dusted with cinnamon sugar**
18. String cheese wrapped with a slice of ham
19. Frozen banana peanut butter sandwiches** (smashed banana and peanut butter between 2 graham squares)
20. Hard boiled eggs

**My 80/20 rule is in effect here.

*Triscuits are one of the few "processed" foods I'll buy. With just 3 ingredients and no junk, you can't go wrong!

Now you might be asking yourself: How do I make this easy? Pre-packaged snacks are super easy to grab or to hand over to your kiddo. Here's what I do: 

I'm not much for prepping for my meals on a weekly basis, but I do take the time to prep snacks. I do this for 2 reasons:

1. It saves me time from cutting up fruits and veggies multiple times a day.

2. Most importantly, when we have healthy and "real food" snacks prepped and ready to go we tend to choose them over other not-so-healthy options.

{red grapes, carrot sticks, strawberries, and cheddar cheese cubes}

I set aside about an hour every weekend to prep snacks, and sometimes it doesn't even take that long! It really depends on what I've picked up at the grocery store and if I'm prepping banana sauce or other dips. 

Stay tuned on Facebook- I post my weekly snack prep menu over there every week to keep you inspired! 

Catch up on our "Cut the Junk" series:

Week 4: Dinner Makeover

Week 3: Lunch Swap

Week 2: Breakfast Makeover 

Week 1: Food Makeover

Linking up with Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop