Clean Eat Education :: Clean Snacks for Back to School

I know that summer is not technically over yet but down here in GA a lot of schools have already started back!  We are often asked about quick and clean snacks for school lunches. We have compiled our favorites for you based off of our own recommendations and speaking to other parents.  Our suggestion would be to prepare their lunches and snacks ahead of time just like you should be doing yours!  It is much easier if you have a "food prep" day so that everything is ready to go once the work/school week starts!

It might be more difficult to get your children to eat healthy the older they are but it is possible.  We know this because we get countless emails and messages from people who have changed the eating habits of their ENTIRE family!

For the main food option, ditch your typical deli meat sandwich and side of potato chips and pack your children a healthy, nutritious lunch for school!  Instead of the deli meat have your child take chicken (that you have already prepared during your food prep: salsa chicken, Italian chicken and Greek chicken are all good cold) or make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich but use real ingredients.  Try toasting Ezekiel bread (found in the freezer section of most grocery stores) and adding natural peanut butter (NO SUGAR) with real jelly (watch the portion sizes).

Here are a few examples of snacks or sides that can easily be packed into a lunchbox:

- Vegetables (celery, carrots, broccoli) with natural peanut butter (the only ingredients should be peanuts and sea salt) or    ranch dip (made with our Ranch Seasoning Mix & Greek yogurt)

• Plain greek yogurt with FRESH fruit - avoid the Greek yogurt that already has fruit
• Plain greek yogurt with pure vanilla extract & walnuts
• Fresh Fruit - avoid fruit cups
• Dried Fruit - no sugar added (these can be very hard to find...try Amazon)
• Baked Cheese Crackers - as a replacement for goldfish or cheez-its

Does your child insist on having dessert with lunch?  Try fresh fruit or dress it up using these recipes:

• Honey Glazed Bananas
• Cinnamon Vanilla Applesauce

Looking for a special treat to leave in their lunch occasionally?  Check out our desserts and treats page to make them healthy cookies such as the oatmeal cinnamon raisin cookies, cookie dough bites, or peanut butter balls! 

Does your child need a snack in between classes or after school?  Try these out:

• Four Ingredient Protein Bars

Looking for clean breakfast ideas for back to school?  Check out this post!

Clean Eating Beach Snack Ideas

Planning a trip to the beach? We are here to help you make the most of your vacation with some clean food ideas for your trip! These snacks easily fit into a cooler and are healthy enough to munch on all day! Sure, we believe you should indulge every once in awhile but that doesn't mean that you need to eat junk all day and all night long.

Scott & I just got back from the beach and here is a peek into our cooler:

Clean Beach Snack Ideas:

• Fruit Salad (we made ours with grapes, strawberries, blueberries, mangoes, and orange slices)
• Mixed Veggies (celery and carrots)
• Cucumber Zings
• Unsalted Brown Rice Cakes
• Natural Peanut Butter (ingredients should be just peanuts or peanuts and sea salt - NO sugar)
• All Natural Beef Jerky (minimally processed, no artificial ingredients, no preservatives added)
• Dark Chocolate

We loaded these up into our collapsible rolling cooler and found our perfect spot in the sand!

Remember, a vacation is a vacation but that doesn't mean that you should eat unhealthy the entire time. It is about balance so try to eat healthy most of the day and save your treats! That way you will feel good during your entire vacation!

Have a fun and safe trip!

Need more ideas? Check out our post on Clean Road Trip Food!

- Whitney

5 Foods That Seem Healthy But Aren't

Have you ever gone out with your friends and they say, "Oh, I'm getting a salad! I'm on a diet."? Well, not so fast! Don't let what could be a healthy salad fool you. Read up on these 5 foods that you may want to take a closer look at next time you eat out (or even when you make them yourself!).

Clean Eat Education: 5 Foods that May Fool You

1. Oatmeal

We love oatmeal - right? It's a staple in our diet and hopefully is in yours as well. However, when you go out and eat oatmeal you may not be getting exactly what you think. I recently ordered a bowl of oatmeal at a restaurant only to have an epiphany as it was coming to our table that it may be made with milk (something that many people can't have). After it came out, I found out that it was actually made with half and half.

It's also important to pay attention to the toppings that restaurants include with your oatmeal. They typically top oatmeal with dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, etc) and many times these items contain added sugars. If you consume these with the brown sugar or sweetener they provide you, you will probably be consuming much more sugar than you expect. Try to stick with real fresh fruit for your topping and limit the amount of added sugar. Other toppings they might provide could include sliced almonds, granola (more sugar!) and maple syrup (more sugar!). If you aren't careful that bowl of healthy oatmeal can turn into calorie city!

If you are making your own oats at home try one of our most popular oat recipes:

• Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats
• Cranberry Apple Steel Cut Oats
• Banana Cream Quick Oats

2. Granola

Granola - It's perfect in your Greek yogurt as your breakfast or midday snack, but have you looked at your granola lately? You may be shocked to find out just how much sugar they add in to make it sweet and "lightly toasted" for you to enjoy. With granola, it's also imperative to pay attention to the serving size. You could easily consume 2-3 servings when you really only think you are consuming one. (this is one of the reasons we recommend having a food scale!).

Consider making your own:

• Cinnamon Vanilla Granola
• Apricot Flax Fall Granola
• Gluten-Free Power Granola

If you are looking for better store-bought options try one of the following but still pay close attention to the serving size!

Purely Elizabeth Ancient Grain Granola

Autumn's Gold Grain Free Granola

3. Wrap Sandwiches

Ever ordered a wrap because you forgot your clean lunch at home or didn't have time to prepare it thinking that the "whole wheat" version will be okay for today? You are not alone! Think again though - those wraps are often 1.5-2 times the amount of bread you would consume in a normal sandwich and much is hidden as the sandwich is wrapped up.

4. Salads and Low-Fat Dressing

This is a big one that gets a lot of people! We think that salads: lettuce, vegetables, and grilled meats are healthy for us... well, they are! Until you add in the dressing! Most on a "diet" will reach for the low-fat version of the dressing. BAD IDEA! The fat is masked by sugar - and lots of it! Some salads have more calories than a cheeseburger! Opt for oil and vinegar or red wine vinegar and skip any fried flair in your salad.

Try one of the following as your salad dressing:

Oil and Vinegar Bottle Set

Red Wine Vinegar

5. Frozen Yogurt

Frozen yogurt just might be one of my weaknesses! It's creamy texture and chilling temperature make it the perfect treat. However, have you ever thought about how they cut the fat from the yogurt? By adding in sugar, thus extra calories. If you are going for a treat, consider making your own. We have a ton of clean eating treats to choose from!

What foods should we add to this list that may have fooled you?