Being a college student has its ups and downs we have some more freedom but with that freedom comes responsibility. Some of us have jobs, extra-curricular, internships and other things that can take up a lot of our time while also going to class during the week. I find that sometimes weeks are harder than others and it’s hard to find time to squeeze in a meal. In the mornings I run out the door to get to class and if I don’t have something quick to grab, I go to class hungry. It’s important to snack throughout the day because with a busy college schedule we need the energy to make it through the day. Over the years I have found some healthy snacks that are essential to a college kids’ life.
When I have morning classes I don’t wake up early enough to make a full breakfast, so I usually turn to granola bites. I usually buy them from the store if I don’t have enough time on the weekend to prepare them myself. Whether I make them myself or buy them I look for granola bites with a peanut butter filling in them so I can have more energy and they seem to fill me up more than a regular granola bar. If I make them at home, I mix granola, honey, chocolate chips (because I love chocolate). If you refrigerate the mixture for a little it makes it easier to add peanut butter into the middle of the balls, you make. This is one of my favorite healthy snacks for the mornings and you can even bring them with you for a midday pick me up.
Buying a snack from the vending machine in between classes can be tempting but why not pack a quick snack from home while also saving some money. I love to eat vegetables and hummus in between my later classes because with only 15 minutes in between classes I don’t want to wait in line to get a snack or use the vending machine. The night before I throw carrots and celery into a bag and at most grocery stores you can buy prepackages single servings of hummus. If you’re not a vegetable person you can also pair the hummus with pretzel thins. It’s usually more cost-efficient to buy a tub of hummus and portion it out into smaller containers to throw into your backpack before class.
I snack on fruit as much as I snack on chips when they’re near me. Fruit can be eaten at almost any time of the day and it is a healthy sweet treat. During the day I try to stay away from junk food snacks because although they are also easy to grab before class and throughout the day it doesn’t give me the energy I need to get through the day, and I find myself getting hungrier faster. An apple, orange, pair, or some strawberries are easy to grab and stay fresh until you are ready to eat them. You can also dice the fruit up and mix them together to have a variety to snack on. The apples may start to brown throughout the day, but they still taste just as good and it’s an on the go snack that gives you a refreshing boost of energy.
As the years go on this childhood snack never gets old, ants on a log is a classic snack that’s fun and easy. Who says we can’t pretend like were back in elementary school having snack time and not worrying about a thing? With a package of celery, a jar of peanut butter, and some raisins you’ll have plenty to make enough ants on a log for the entire school week. I cut the celery into small enough pieces to fit a handful in a small container that will fit in my backpack. I personally like to put peanut butter on my celery but there are other options such as almond butter which comes in different flavors, and sunflower seed butter. I love getting boxed individual servings of raisins because I can place them on my celery sticks when I am ready to eat them and can save the leftover for later.
Some nights we are up late working, studying, or doing homework and I know I get a late-night craving for something sweet, especially after dinner. Some nights you feel the need to eat some ice cream, candy bars, or even cookies but there are healthy dessert alternatives to the sugary treats. One alternative that I have recently discovered has been life-changing for me. I am a huge fan of frozen yogurt and decided to try and make frozen yogurt bars at home. I love strawberries and add them to my yogurt bars for extra flavor. I prefer using vanilla yogurt because it can be a little sweeter than plain yogurt. You can add whatever fruit or even chocolate chips to your yogurt bars and try different yogurt flavors. Eating these at night cure my sweet craving and give me that final boost I need to finish out the day.
Times can get really stressful during college and having healthy snacks on the go can take away a little bit of that stress. It’s important to also fuel our bodies with healthy food so we are able to function more efficiently and take care of our overall health. Whenever you have free time you can prepare a numerous amount of these on the go snacks so you can have them on hand whenever you need them. Even if you feel like you don’t have time to prepare these healthy snacks most of the time you can find a prepackaged version at your local grocery store. It can be easy to skip a meal or not eat enough when as a college student we are so focused on school, work, and other activities we may participate in. Having these on the go healthy snacks in your home can make sure you are eating and staying energized.
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