29 May Six cool + quick snacks for summer

Now that the temperatures have skyrocketed and school is almost out, it’s time to switch to my summer snacking plan. 

Disclaimer: I’m a proud Meta spokesperson and was compensated for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What’s a summer snacking plan? 

In my house—and in many houses across the land, there are two main components to the summer snacking plan.  Because appetites are voracious (swimming, swimming, swimming), there’s no such thing as a schedule and it’s typically HOT outside, summer snacks must be: 

• Quick
• Cool

I’ve got my top 3 snacks in both categories for you and at the end of the post, you’ll see find my #1 tip to make sure these snacks stay top of mind.   By the way, these are all kid AND adult friendly snacks-we tend to eat the same foods in my house!

Quick: 

• A high fiber health bar like Meta Health Bar’s Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin or Cranberry Lemon Drizzle. Not only are they portable and hold up well in high temps (like purses, glove boxes, pool bags), these bars help lower cholesterol to promote heart health^†, help promote digestive health and help satisfy hunger as a healthy snack. 

• Homemade microwave popcorn-pour 1/4 cup corn kernels into a lunchbox-sized paper bag. Gently fold over the top of the bag-just enough to make sure the kernels don’t fall out. Microwave until popping slows to 1 pop every 3 seconds. Remove from microwave and open carefully.   Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. 
• Individual bags of peanuts, almonds, pistachios or a mixture of all three.  If I don’t pre-make these, I can swing by my local gas station, convenience store or grocery store and grab a few for a quick shot of fiber, protein and healthy fat. 

^† Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol that include 7 grams of soluble fiber per day from psyllium husk, as in Meta Health Bars, may reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol. One Meta Health Bar have at least 1.8 grams of this soluble fiber.

Cool: 

• FROZEN SMOOTHIE POPSICLES—just pour the blended smoothie into popsicle molds and ta-da! High protein, high fiber and high FLAVOR ice cold treats!  Try this whipping up THIS smoothie from fellow Meta fan Jessica Levinson over at Nutritioulicious.

• FROZEN GRAPES  –wash grapes, pat dry, place in freezer safe bag and freeze overnight. Couldn’t. Be. Easier. (photo)
• WATERMELON TRIANGLES-Purchase a whole, 1/2 or quarter watermelon. Slice 1 inch thick triangles. Need a quick watermelon cutting refresher? Here’s a quick tutorial. 

Now, here’s the trick to making this summer snacking plan work (or any snacking plan, actually!): 

Take 15 minutes on Sunday to PREP and REPLENISH the snacks in your fridge (watermelon), freezer (smoothie popsicles and grapes), glove box (bags of nuts), pantry (popcorn) and purse/beach bag (Meta Health bars).  

There’s no question about it–when I fail to plan, I can plan to fail. Even 15 minute of meal (or in this case, snack) planning will set the stage for healthier choices for the week. I promise you that they will be 15 minutes well spent–your kids-and probably your friends kids-will thank you!