Staying Klean on the Road with These Snacks

Posted on by Krystal

Snack Attack

Its that time of year where we are all headed on family vacations and long weekend trips. Some of us may be headed to the beach or maybe just having a family get together that involves snacks and easy on the go foods. With so many snack choices out there it can be hard to choose the right ones to keep us on track for what we have worked so hard for in the gym and preparing meals at home.

I have put together a little guideline to follow when choosing the right types of snack and the brands that tend to be the best ones to purchase when heading out on your next vacation or cookout.

Beef Jerky: When choosing a good beef jerky there are a few things you want to look out for.

  • Sodium: this isn’t necessarily always a bad thing to have but you still dont really want a large amount of it.
  • Sugars: yes you read that right it says sugar. Most of us wouldn’t think that beef jerky contains sugar. If you went to the store right now I guarantee you would find that 9/10 beef jerkies contain it.
  • Added/Unwanted Ingredients: These can be a number of things and more than likely you may not even know what the heck these are or even how to pronounce them.
  • Type of Beef: If you can find it you want to get a good source of beef that is grass fed and organic.
  • Products I love:

Chips, Crackers, and Popcorn : This can be tricky when trying to find the right kind. There are a few things you want to look for in these as well.

  • What is the carb/fiber ratio: You want to look at your carbs to fiber ratio. A good rule of thumb is to look for at least 1g of fiber to every 10g of carbs. This will help you find the best whole grain products that are complex carbs.
  • Ingredient list:  You want to have a short ingredient list that has only things that you know how to pronounce and that are considered a whole food.
  • Veggies: Opt for a classic kale or beet chip instead. You can truly find these in most stores and its just another way to get another serving of veggies in your day.
  • Products I love:

Granola/Granola Bars: This snack is tasty but gets a bad rep for its empty calories and sugary list of ingredients.

Cookies: Another childhood favorite that we seem to steer clear from because of the loads of sugar and unwanted fats that are usually present. These can also be treated like you would granola with the same types of rules

  • Sugar rule: you want less than 10g sugar and/or at least 5g of fiber or protein.
  • Ingredient list: You want to have a short ingredient list that has only things that you know how to pronounce and that are considered a whole food.
  • Products I love:

Chocolate Candy:We all love a good chocolate bar or chocolate covered something but we tend to see most chocolate to be loaded with unwanted ingredients and sugar.

Protein Bars: These can be a hard choice as well but in a hurry you may need to have this option to get extra protein in your daily regimen.

Protein Shakes: These can be one of the easiest snacks to take due to their drinkability. All you have to do is pop the top and drink.

  • Protein amount: You want to get a good amount of protein in the shake so try to look for at least 12-20g in each serving.
  • Ingredient list: You want to have a short ingredient list that has only things that you know how to pronounce and that are considered a whole food.
  • Sugars and Carbs: Look out for any extra added carbs or sugar. You want your protein shake to be a true “protein” shake. We want protein to be a higher number than the carbs.
  • Products I love:

Other Snacks

Mixed Nuts: Back to Nature Cashew, Almond, and Pistachio Blend

Veggie Pops: Made in Nature Broccoli Cheddar Pops

Freeze Dried Veggies: Karen’s Just Tomatoes