Create These Healthy Snacks for Your Next Summer Trip
Summer is here and that means a couple of things — long sunny days and summer vacation! Whether you’re spending weekends close to home or taking a break to meet your besties across the country, you’re most likely going to get hungry while traveling :) As a member of the hangry club, I often travel with snacks in my purse at all times. But I always end up filling my bag with unhealthy snacks, which is just a bad way to start off a trip on which you most likely are going to indulge. After packing your suitcase, avoid the last-minute junk-food grab by spending an hour preparing a box of healthy snacks for your upcoming adventure.
Cheese-Its
Ingredients:
— 6 ounces shredded cheese (cheddar, Colby jack, pepper jack)
— 1/2 stick butter
— 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
— 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions:
1. Toss all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until it forms a ball of dough.
2. Roll the dough out between two pieces of wax paper. Cut into one-inch squares. Poke holes in the center of each square with a wooden skewer.
3. Place on parchment paper and bake for 11 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Pour all ingredients into a food processor and mix until it forms a ball of dough. Believe me, it will turn into dough in about two minutes. Roll the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness and cut into one-inch squares. Poke holes in the center with a wooden skewer.
Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 11 minutes in a 350-degree oven.
Cinnamon Roasted Chickpeas
Ingredients:
— 1 can of chickpeas
— 1 Tablespoon olive oil
— 2 Tablespoons honey
— 3 teaspoons cinnamon
— 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions:
1. Mix all ingredients together and spread out onto a baking sheet.
2. Bake for 30 minutes (or until crispy) in a 425-degree oven.
We chose cinnamon and honey for a sweet snack, but this recipe could be done with any combination of spices.
Spicy Kale Chips
Ingredients:
— bushel of kale
— 1 Tablespoon olive oil
— 1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
— 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
— 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions:
1. Mix all ingredients together and lay flat on a lined baking sheet.
2. Bake for 15 minutes (or until crispy) in a 350-degree oven.
Again, these chips could be made with any combination of spices. My go-to is either spicy pepper flakes or salty garlic :)
Double Chocolate Energy Bites
Ingredients:
— 1 cup dried figs
— 1/2 cup water
— 1 cup old-fashioned oats
— 1 scoop chocolate protein powder
— 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
— 2 Tablespoons miniature chocolate chips
Instructions:
1. Combine figs and water and microwave for one minute. Let the mixture cool, then pour hydrated figs and leftover water into a food processor. Pulse until smooth.
2. Once the mixture has returned to room temperature, mix together the figs and the rest of the ingredients.
3. Shape into small balls and place on lined baking sheet. Place in the refrigerator to firm up and then wrap in plastic wrap for individual snacking.
Bring those figs back to life by mixing them with water and microwaving for one minute.
Place the figs and water into a food processor and pulse until smooth. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and then roll into small balls. Place the balls in the refrigerator until firm and then wrap in plastic wrap.
Alright, we’ve got all of our snacks — time to box them up for the plane!
We bought these reusable plastic lunch boxes from Daiso for about $2. Creating individual snack boxes is a great travel hack for you and the kids.
Everyone at Brit HQ had a different favorite snack, but my favorite was definitely the cheese-its.
This photo collage is what I call “The Book of Snacks.” I had the idea of creating a reusable case to hold different snacks for when you are traveling. I wanted it to have pages that were pretty much large plastic baggies and a front cover so no one would be jealous of all your snacks. However, I wound up saying goodbye to this idea — the book just turned out to be too large and was more like a travel pillow than an amazing book of snacks. Don’t worry, though, The Book of Snacks will be back!
