Healthy Snack Ideas & Recipes to Include in Your Meal Prep

When you reach for a snack, are you likely to grab potato chips and chocolate bars, or something that will actually sustain your energy and keep you satisfied until the next meal? According to a review in the scientific journal Nutrients, snacks make up 22% of adults’ total energy intake, with more than 90% of U.S. adults eating 1 or more snacks per day. But the size and frequency of those snacks have increased in recent decades.

With today’s busy lifestyles, it’s easy to fall into some common traps when it comes to snacking. At one extreme, some people fail to eat at regular intervals, then have a tendency to overeat when they finally sit down to a meal because they’re so famished. At the other end of the spectrum are those who habitually reach for packaged snack foods or fast foods that are totally devoid of nutrients. In fact, these choices fuel even more hunger for empty calories, which is why ultra-processed foods are actually addictive.

Americans need a healthier approach to snacking. The good news is, with a little forethought, it’s easy to make and enjoy satisfying snacks, even when you and your family are on-the-go—at work, school, or anywhere else. Read on for a range of my favorites.

5 Healthy Snack Ideas & Recipes for On-the-Go

Protein bars and trail mixes are two of my go-to categories for snacks. Not only are they portable and portionable, but you can customize them with your preferred ingredients, like nuts, seeds, and spices. Here are a few of my personal favorite recipes from my books The Omni Diet and The Brain Warrior’s Way Cookbook to get you inspired, plus a packaged alternative that you can feel good about eating (and feeding your kids) when you’re pressed for time.

Sesame Almond Bars Recipe

This recipe makes 16 servings and will keep for about a week in an airtight container in the refrigerator, so they’re perfect to make at the start of the week and keep on hand for snacking. To preserve them longer, store in the freezer.

Ingredients:

1¼ cup sesame seeds

¾ cup shredded coconut, unsweetened

¼ cup raw almonds, chopped

¼ cup almond butter

2 tablespoons raw honey

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

coconut oil

nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Combine all ingredients, except cooking spray, until well mixed.
3. Line an 8 x 8-inch square pan with parchment paper, so the paper reaches above the sides of the pan. Spray the parchment with coconut oil spray.
4. Spray your hands with the coconut oil spray and push the seeds mixture evenly into the pan, flattening the top.
5. Bake for 25 minutes.
6. Let cool completely, then lift out of the pan and cut into 16 bars. Keep in an airtight container.

Super-Food Protein Bars Recipe

This recipe serves 12 and is very versatile—you can even make them into chocolate protein bars. Just use chocolate-flavored protein powder or add 2 tablespoons of cacao powder in step 5.

Ingredients:

½ cup cacao butter

½ cup raw cashews, finely chopped

½ cup raw almonds, finely chopped

¼ cup mulberries

2 tablespoons hemp seeds or flax seeds

½ cup coconut butter

2 tablespoons lucuma powder

½ cup pea protein (sweetened with stevia)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons raw, unfiltered honey

¼ cup goji berries

1 tablespoon maca root powder (optional)

Directions:

1. Melt the cacao butter in a small saucepan over low heat.
2. In a food processor, combine half of the cashews and half of the almonds, plus all the mulberries, hemp seeds, coconut butter, lucuma powder, protein powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
3. Remove the cacao butter from heat and add honey to the saucepan.
4. Slowly pulse nuts and powder mixture in food processor while adding the melted cacao butter and honey in a steady stream. The mixture will form a dough-like texture.
5. Remove the dough from the processor and place in a bowl. Add remaining nuts, goji berries, and cacao nibs. The dough should be very thick. However, if it’s too thick to mix, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until the mixture combines (but it should remain very thick).
6. Press dough into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
7. Cut into bars.

Go Well Trail Mix Recipe

With only 6 ingredients, this streamlined recipe allows you to make your own trail mix with ease. It makes 6 servings, but you can easily double the amount to feed the entire family throughout the work and school week.

Ingredients:

¼ cup raw cashews

¼ cup raw slivered almonds

¼ cup raw walnuts

¼ cup raw cacao nibs

2 tablespoons goji berries, unsweetened

2 tablespoons shaved coconut, unsweetened

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients well and store in an airtight container until ready to consume.

BrainMD Brain Boost Protein Bars

No time to make your own protein bars? Don’t worry—you can now buy them pre-made without subjecting yourself to ultra-processed options that are filled with suspect ingredients. When I’m especially busy, I grab Brain Boost Protein Bars from BrainMD.

Here are just a few reasons why I love them:

• They’re plant-based, with no added sugar, 12 grams of clean protein, and gut-friendly prebiotic fibers
• They taste delicious, with a soft and chewy texture and luscious dark chocolate chunks (which have the added bonus of antioxidant flavanols)
• The ingredients are keto-friendly, with zero sugar or artificial sweeteners
• They’re great for eating on-the-go, snacking between meals, or replenishing your body and energy after a workout
• With no fractionated oils or trans fats, they instead feature MCT oil powder, which is burned for fuel rather than being stored as fat
• They’re vegan and gluten-free
• They have only 200 calories, which is the right amount to satisfy your hunger without spoiling your next meal

With a base of creamy almond butter, plus a blend of pea, brown rice, and pumpkin proteins, you get more than ⅓ the daily value for fiber and all 9 essential amino acids in just 1 bar. And this kind of high-quality protein benefits everyone—from athletes to senior citizens, from pregnant and nursing women to those looking for weight loss. Plus, with clean ingredients and no hidden chemicals or contaminants, you can also feel good about giving them to your kids.

Banana Nut Roll Recipe

This is a great single-serving snack, even when you’re out and about. It can be assembled anywhere, and it’s both delicious and satisfying. I keep it simple by carrying travel-size packs of nut butter and coconut wraps when I’m on-the-go. You can usually find bananas for sale, even at convenience stores and coffee shops.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon almond butter

1 coconut wrap

⅓ banana

cinnamon (optional)

1 teaspoon shelled hemp seeds (optional)

Directions:

1. Spread almond butter on the wrap.
2. Cut the banana into small bite-size pieces and arrange over the almond butter. Sprinkle cinnamon and hemp seeds if desired.
3. Roll the wrap up with the almond butter and banana inside.

Guilt-Free Snacking for the Whole Family 

When you’re pressed for time, on-the-go, or feeding picky kids, it’s all too easy to select a snack that’s not truly supporting your health, fueling your body, or boosting your energy. That’s why it’s so important to plan accordingly. By making snacks ahead of time—and stocking options like Brain Boost Protein Bars so that you’re never without a healthy option to eat between meals—you’ll ensure that you and your family won’t go hungry between meals or succumb to the dangerous junk-food trap.

Meet the Author

Tana Amen, BSN, RN, Writer

Tana Amen, BSN, RN is a New York Times bestselling-author, health and fitness expert, Vice-President of Amen Clinics—the world’s leader in brain health, mentor, motivational speaker, and former neurosurgical ICU trauma nurse. By providing science-based guidance along with her authentic, no-holds-barred approach, Tana has won the hearts of millions with her simple, yet effective, strategies to help people win the fight for a strong mind, body, and spirit.