40 Fast & Healthy Lunch Snacks
1. Low-fat yogurt topped with granola.
2. Whole-wheat pretzels with spicy mustard for dipping.
3. Rice cakes – Top with natural peanut butter and bananas or raisins.
4. Whole wheat cheese sandwiches – For smaller or more snacks, cut the sandwich in half.
5. Turkey and cheese whole wheat tortilla wrap – Leave the mayo off and add more lettuce and tomatoes.
6. Fruit salad – Create a salad with lots of your favorite fresh fruits. Drizzle with lemon juice for some added natural flavor. Keep your salad in the fridge to avoid grabbing chips or sweets instead.
7. Fresh fruit – Great for those on the go. Some more popular and easy to take with you fruit includes apples, pears, peaches and bananas.
8. Chicken salad wrap with low-fat mayonnaise – Top chicken salad with sprouts, lettuce, grated carrots and tomatoes for a more filling wrap with great nutritional value.
9. Apple slices topped with low-fat cheese.
10. Celery sticks – Top with cream cheese or peanut butter. Name this treat “Ants on a log” to get the kids interested in them as well.
11. Dried nuts and raisins – For added interest, include just a few chocolate candies, such as M&Ms or Reese’s Pieces for your kids and call it “Trail Mix”. Dry cereal, such as Chex brands works well as a part of the mix too.
12. Raw veggies – Couple with low-fat ranch, yogurt or avocado dip.
13. Salad (pack dressing separately) – Customize it with your favorite raw vegetables, sandwich meats, cheeses and egg for a filling snack or lunch.
14. Baked tortilla chips and salsa – Easy to make and take. Pack salsa in a separate container and use low-sodium tortilla chips.
15. Low-fat cheese and whole wheat tortilla quesadilla – Add some chicken or turkey slices or chunks to make it more filling and tasty.
16. Veggie pitas – Cut open and fill with your favorite fresh veggies.
17. Fruit smoothie – Create your favorite with frozen fruit and low-fat yogurt. Take with you in an insulated mug.
18. Cut up fruit – Fruits such as apple and pear slices go great with low-fat fruit or vanilla yogurt for dipping.
19. Air popped popcorn – Always a great snack, but be sure to choose a brand with low sodium and no butter.
20. Cup of dry low-sugar cereal – You can package these in small sized sandwich bags as a great mess-free portable snack.
21. Whole-grain crackers –Top with cheese, lean sandwich meat, tuna, chicken salad or peanut butter.
22. Sunflower seeds – These yummy seeds make another great portable snack. For a bit of variety, you can also mix with other nuts and seeds.
23. Fat-free pudding cups – Sold in a wide variety of flavors and available in single serving cups, these are great for those who want something sweet but don’t want all the fat.
24. Gelatin fruit cups – Available as single serving cups, pick your favorite fruits. Of course you can also make your own with gelatin and plenty of fresh diced fruit.
25. Cottage cheese – Eat it plain or topped with fresh fruit. Use low-fat cottage cheese for a healthier version.
26. Bran or banana muffins – Make your own and substitute the oil with apple sauce for a great healthy snack.
27. Low-fat string cheese – String cheese makes another great portable snack. Eat it alone or mix it up by wrapping with sliced ham or salami.
28. Dried fruit – From apples to pineapple, dried fruit chips make a great sweet and crunchy snack. Banana chips are another great flavor.
29. Edamame – Soy beans in their shell, you can steam them and add a dash of salt or lemon juice.
30. Apple sauce – Apple sauce is available in single serving cups and comes in a few different flavors including no sugar and cinnamon.
31. Natural, all-fruit leathers – These are a great healthy alternative to sugar laden snacks like fruit roll-ups.
32. Cereal bars – The choices are almost endless when it comes to cereal bars. Look for the low sugar variety for your best bet.
33. Low-fat or soy milk – A cup of milk is a great and filling snack.
34. Chocolate dipped strawberries – If you have a chocolate craving, dip some strawberries or other fresh fruit into melted chocolate for a yummy treat to satisfy your sweet tooth.
35. Tofu smoothie with fruit – Get some tofu and blend it with frozen fruit into a creamy smoothie.
36. Animal crackers – These are low-sugar cookies kids are sure to love. Add a cup of milk as well to help them get some calcium.
37. Fruit and cheese kabobs – Alternate chunks of fresh fruit and cheese cubes and thread them on a bamboo skewer for a fun and healthy snack.
38. Cooked sweet potato – Delicious warm or cold, cut into bite sized chunks.
39. Avocado chunks – Once avocados get really ripe, they are great for spreading on whole wheat toast or crackers.
40. Lettuce wraps – Take a large leaf of lettuce and top it with raw veggies, ham or turkey and a little low-fat ranch dressing.
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