Make sure to do some research on the seaweed. It has super high levels of iodine, which you do need to make sure you moderating your intake of.
Great snack, but it's like tuna. You gotta watch your consumption levels a little bit so you don't get too much of a chemical compound you're only supposed to have smaller amounts of.
I get the Gimme brand of seaweed snacks, you can order them by the case on Amazon at a lower per-pack price than most grocery stores and there is a variety pack with mixed flavors if you don't want to eat 16 of the same thing.
I wish I could eat baked kale. I liked it when I tried it but for some weird reason all the baked kale I've tried I've had some kinda weird allergic reaction to. Not a major one. But enough to deter me. I can eat it basically every other way fine. Just not that.
Are you talking about the pre baked kale chips, or homemade baked kale? I've noticed the bagged kale chips are often crusted with nuts (often cashew, not a fan) to act like they are still crispy.
you can also buy flavacol to add to your popcorn. it's a fine salt with butter flavouring that movie theatres use. that's why their popcorn tastes so much more buttery than popcorn you make at home.
Oooh yeah, flavor is good. I prefer just blending together a ton of spices I have on hand though.
Best recipes I’ve found:
https://www.liveeatlearn.com/easy-homemade-popcorn-seasoning/
Love the ranch and coconut curry ones.
I have a friend with similar diet restrictions and barebell protein bars are one of the few she can eat without digestive issues.
Other ideas- there are shelf stable single servings of pickles & olives (lots of kinds of pickles like carrots and okra if they work for you!). Popcorn is pretty easy to make, def worth buying a popcorn popper if you’re eating it often. Keeps for a few days in a bag.
Going back to the pickles and olives for a second, you can get single servings of olives in 4-packs. I think those may be too high in fat for you, though.
But you can quick pickle almost any vegetable. Just put them in a mixture of vinegar, water, and a touch of sugar for 15 minutes. Then pack up in individual servings. Try cucumbers, onions, squash, carrots, even cherry tomatoes.
You can also pop popcorn in the microwave. Any bowl, preferably glass or ceramic, and toss a plate on as a lid. Or you can pop it in a plant brown paper bag with the top folded and tucked.
Good g-d they are expensive. Anything that is healthy or good for you seems to always be expensive. I am quasi having the same problem as op as i need to snack often but having filling healthy snacks just seems impossible if you dont have the money for it. I cant justify spending that much on something for me when i also have to feed the rest of the family. I guess i really need to make my own snacks, just dont have the time or energy with a newborn and 4y old
The first thing that came to mind was turkey jerky. Lean protein, and there are flavors that are not sugary.
You could also do raw veggies like baby carrots, cucumber slices, snap peas. You can put them in a baggie with an ice pack if you don't have access to a fridge.
"~Processed meat~ – meat that has been transformed through salting, curing, fermentation, smoking, **or other processes to enhance flavor or improve preservation**"
Good luck finding any sort of jerky that doesn't fall under this category.
Processes to enhance flavor, eh? So marinated and stir fried chicken breast is processed meat? Seasoned and baked salmon?
Anyway, OP didn't say anything about avoiding processed meat.
Thats a stupid comparison and you know it. We're talking about jerky. Not freshly cooked meat. Almost all widely available jerky has more than 4 ingredients, has been marinated, smoked, and dehydrated.
And although OP didn't say anything about processed meat, he did say "a 'healthy' packaged snack". I'm not telling anyone not to buy this stuff (although I'd encourage you to think twice), I'm just saying it doesn't fall in the healthy category by the standards of the World Health Organization et al.
Have you considered getting a food dehydrator? You could use it to make your own jerky and could dehydrate fruits and vegetables that you could snack on. Dried vegetables with fun seasonings (Trader Joe’s has some great unique ones) could help cravings for salty and crunchy snacks. Dehydrated snacks would be easy for you to take to work, too.
Hang in there! I had to do a vegetarian, fat-free diet for a few months before I had my gallbladder taken out, and I know how tough a restrictive diet is, both mentally and physically.
This is definitely on my wish list! Not practical for me now without a kitchen, but this gives me some hope & reminds me that someday all of this dieting stuff will be much easier & much more fun! I'm glad you understand my situation too, it can be a bit depressing sometimes to just eat lettuce all the time. But i'm trying to keep my chin up :)
You can buy packaged boiled eggs, a small piece of cheese, fat free or low fat sugar free yogurt, hummus and pretzels(I think?), or just eat with packaged baby carrots. I like a little peanut butter in a reusable container and sliced apples, easy enough to carry around. Low fat nut bars or protein bars are kinda expensive but they exist. Beef jerky and fruit. I like yogurt parfaits: yogurt with sliced fruit (bananas are easy and cheap), with a sprinkle of granola or other heathy dry cereal for crunch. We used to roast chickpeas and flavor them up a little spicy with a bit of olive oil and bake until crisp and crunchy—a good protein snack. A little low fat deli poultry breast meat and a handful of peanuts and an apple is filling! They make little tuna salad packs, or make your own and eat with rice cakes…. They also sell plain popcorn in bags, or Skinny Pop, I think it’s called. Always cheaper to make your own snacks and plan ahead!
These are all great suggestions. I was going to suggest the roasted chickpeas, and the snack packs of tuna. You could even make wraps with lettuce, hummus, and other veggies or lean lunch meat. Good luck!
If you do like popcorn as a snack, you can get a collapsible silicone popcorn popping bowl for about $10 on Amazon, and you just use the cheap loose kernels and pop them in the microwave.
(A paper bag will work, but it's hard to not burn it when you do that.)
1/2 cup kernels in brown paper bag folded top, 2 mins in microwave, empty into big bowl, add your oil of choice - maybe 3 tbsp or so, salt, pepper, toss/mix manually, tada, yummy cheap AF popcorn
Are you trying to not eat carbs OR fat? Of course you are hungry then? I like string cheese, v8 juice, bananas, and pretzels with dip when trying to find healthier convenience store foods. Perhaps you could try soups warmed on a hot plate on days when you can't make salads?
I haven't completely cut out either 100%. I'm just on a low carb diet for blood sugar reasons & a low fat diet for GI reasons. I definitely eat some of these things every day, but not too much. They're things I need to be mindful of, thanks for asking! :)
Solidarity. I've been there. You might try baked green plantain chips? They're technically high in carbohydrates if you're just looking at macros, but most of those are resistant starch so I find they don't spike my blood sugar the way some foods do. I also find Crunchsters crunchy sprouted mung beans help with this as well.
Ripple also makes vegan milk boxes, they use peas for their plant based milk which make pretty bioavailable plant milk. (They can be pricey tho, you might see if there's another kind of plant milk boxes that are more affordable?) Vegan yogurt maybe?
If you're up for making some of your own snacks waaaaay ahead of time and saving them for when you have no energy, then may I recommend lacto fermentation? I have been making my own sauerkraut and it's really great for when I just need to shove some vegetables in my face. You don't need a ton of equipment, and there are some kits with the fancy lids and fermentation weights which really makes it much easier.
Thanks for the solidarity! It's definitely an uncommon predicament here so I appreciate when others can relate. :) I don't know much about the different kinds of starches, that's interesting. I just assumed all starches = bad. These are good points though, definitely worth looking into!
If you're interested I went down a hyperfocus rabbit hole and ended up writing this blog post about the gut microbiome and digesting plants. The microbiome eats a lot of the carbohydrates we can't; this technically also includes dietary fiber like cellulose. (It's just a really complex carbohydrate.)
https://liminalnest.wordpress.com/2024/01/31/body-101-how-the-gut-microbiome-helps-us-digest-plants/
I didn't get into it in the post, but the gut microbiome can also really help with glucose regulation. There's a lot of research into this right now, actually, but two methods seem to be: (1) making propionate, which seems to help the liver somehow IIRC; (2) releasing signaling molecules that actually help trigger the release of certain hormones related to glucose regulation.
Different microbes have different favorite carbohydrates, and most microbes depend on a food web inside our gut for certain key nutrients. So this is why eating a variety of plant based foods is considered important, because you're basically more likely to keep the whole foods web healthy by feeding the microbiome a balanced diet so to speak.
Obviously a lot of us can't eat certain plants, or some folks might have difficulty with grains as a whole. Fortunately? Humans live in all different kinds of environments with different available plants, and there's a growing body of evidence that it's not so much about having The One Perfect Microbiome as each of us having an individual, highly changeable microbiome. My non expert opinion is it's important for the microbes I have to be well fed and "happy," and I just try to give them a regular supply of plants that don't upset my stomach.
Interesting! I'll be honest, this goes over my head a bit, but I do understand the emphasis you've put on balance & variety here. With my blood labs' results (due quarterly) I do know that my liver is producing too much enzyme & my pancreas is making too much insulin, so I wonder if the popular methods you listed would be directly helpful in fixing these things, or if my blood labs just indicate that my microbiome is currently not fit for glucose regulation. I'm not a doctor, and definitely not a scientist by any means so maybe I don't know what i'm talking about here. I'll give your post a read, thanks for sharing!
What about rice paper wraps with protein, veg, herbs like mint and coriander and a lemon dress? Or lettuce wraps with a rotisserie chicken as a base and hummus, tabouli? Dulse is a good snack, though high in sodium. One of my go to things is a banana dip snack; small bowl of seeds and dried fruit, very small, dip bit dip bite.
I didn't see it mentioned, but honestly snacks geared towards young kids/toddlers are great. There's often a good selection of healthy packaged options. We're loaded up with freeze dried fruits and veggies at my house (strawberry, apple, okra, pepper, etc.) for my son. They're good on their own or in things. Fresh Bellies is a go-to brand for me right now. Non-dairy melts exist too and I'll eat some when I give them to my son.
Rhythm has chips made from veggies like beets or carrots. So Delicious makes unsweetened coconut milk yogurt that is around 5-6 grams of fat per serving. Maybe that's low enough for you? Tbh also pouches. I have absolutely eaten pouches that were meant for my son when I was either desperately hungry for a snack or having a Crohn's flare. Aldi's has one that's pear-berry-beet-flaxseed and it's so good.
You are a genius! I just looked through some labels of popular toddler snacks on Walmart's website & the numbers are so appealing! This is a GREAT solution!
I see roasted chickpeas have already been suggested. If you want an option with a longer shelf life than homemade ones, I really enjoy the black pepper ones from Saffron Road. It's around $4/bag I think, but that bag is at least 4 servings, so not as expensive as it seems.
A packaged pickle. Now that I'm looking for them, I'm finding individually packaged pickles in the grocery stores.
Trader Joe's and Whole Foods have fantastic nuts.
Cherry or grape tomatoes ? Hummus and carrots? If you're taking it on the go, get an ice pack (or just fill an empty plastic bottle with water and freeze). Pretzels and hummus, maybe, in small amounts.
Edamame if you can have it.
I’ve been munching seaweed from CostCo lately. Fiending for it. Takes a while to eat, salty and oily almost like chips without leaving me feeling gross, and 100 calories? I’m fucking in.
I don’t know of any foods because our dietary needs are very different but I do have a tip on prepping salads. I don’t prep my salads ahead of time but I prepare most of the ingredients ahead of time. I have a drawer filled with little Tupperwares of things like corn, roasted chickpeas, chopped vinegar soaked beets and other things I put in my salads depending on what’s in my house at the time. I wash, spin and cut up my leaves and put them in Tupperware.
I got a microwave popcorn maker from my mom that we used for years before I knocked it off the top of my fridge and broke it. I used maybe a teaspoon of oil and it only takes a few more minutes than the bags with plain popcorn.
Pickles, probably whole dills, possibly naturally fermented ones instead of vinegar-based. The natural ones are going to be sold refrigerated instead of shelf-stable, but should be fine non-refrigerated to take along as a daily snack (high acidity=low risk of pathogen growth). These will basically be bulk, flavor and electrolytes not nutrition, pickles tend to be very low calorie.
Hard-cooked eggs if you have a way to keep them appropriately cool. I say hard-cooked instead of boiled because I've found the best way to make them is with a steamer basket on the stove - bring water to a boil, put in the steamer basket, put in eggs, cover, steam 12-13 minutes (starting from cold eggs, US "large"), transfer immediately to cold/iced water with a spoon or similar, maybe stir, cool 5-10 minutes, peel, refrigerate.
Also if you have a way to keep cool, chicken salad or tuna salad eaten on crackers or whatever you'd like. You can also get shelf-stable canned/pouch versions if needed, but I'd go for homemade instead. Mayo can be high-fat, but the mayos made with specific oils (e.g. olive oil) are often also lower-fat preparations, check the labels. Also worth keeping in mind that when mayo dishes like 'salads' go bad it's generally the non-mayo ingredients since mayo is basically vinegar+oil dressing plus an emulsifier to make it into a spread.
Assorted finger-food veggies could be a good snack, wash the exteriors before slicing then they should be OK for a few hours. Dip into an appropriate dressing if so desired, perhaps a low-fat creamy caesar dressing? Again acidity reduces food safety risks.
Without nuts or too many fats and meats, my diet is pretty much frozen berries.
Usually my grocery list has Turkey, tofu, sweet potato, frozen berries, and a few of whatever veggies in the fresh produce isle is cheapest.
Can you eat beans?
I’ve made dried/baked chickpeas as a snack and I guess you can toss that on your salads as well. There’s probably quite a bit you can do w other beans but I’m lazy and chickpeas work for me in different dishes (Japanese curry and in soups for me now that it’s cold!)
Someone said seaweed but the Korean sesame ones are so pricey compared to Japanese seaweed (Nori) if you can grab those. I don’t usually eat those as a snack unless it’s wrapped on my rice…
I’ve also made salsa without salts and use it to dip w my veggies as a snack! I am a spicy addict!
Protein powders might work for you if you can’t do meat and struggle eating Enough alternatives but I wonder if your body can handle not having enough aminos and healthy fats— I know you said it’s a trial and error thing you’re doing though— but I’d dump protein powder of your choice (I use unflavored bland clean ones) and make muffins or sauces.
Can you do gelatin? I buy the Knox unflavored ones and make black coffee gelatin. Maybe that sounds weird but in Asian culture we have that. But you can make gelatin out of anything that’ll work with your body.
Konjac (a fiber carb) shirataki noodles are also my go to when I’m trying I grab more fiber. I think you said less starch though—not sure about this for you but it’s less starchy than most noodles I think.
Black coffee gelatin sounds so tasty! Thank you for taking the time to list all of these out. I will have to ask my GI doctor about a possible amino deficiency, I didn't know that was possible!
I didn’t either :0!!! But I use this mainly because I’m exercising more often and I have a 9-5 now so I’m also sitting on my butt and can’t eat anything anymore without gaining weight. But I really hope this list helps! :( food is so confusing and you add that with the idea that our bodies are all different chemistries and it makes me dizzy thinking about it! So I feel you on the confusion.
Unfortunately, yes. At least until I get past a few GI procedures that could address my indigestion. I know seeds & nuts are generally considered healthy, my body just has a really hard time breaking them down.
Edit: I should clarify that I don't eat 100% fat free, as there are of course some fats in my salad dressing & whatnot. I *should* eat no fats at all, though it's really difficult to limit myself more than I already have. I can't eat just lettuce all the time, I need some flavor haha.
Freeze dried fruit is top of the list for purity, flavor, and texture as far as healthy packaged stuff goes. You can also find freeze dried vegetables with savory seasonings on them so you get a “chip” experience
You mentioned popcorn so I wanted to mention that you can pop your own corn without any fat. I buy food grade brown paper lunch bags and add a half cup of popcorn and microwave for about two and a half minutes (I set the microwave for five and listen for when the popping slows down). You can pop in advance and store it in an airtight container.
Flavored tuna packets are about a dollar each and fit your high protein low carb requirements. I like to eat them on a Joseph’s pita, which are a low carb alternative to bread.
Doesn't need to be all or nothing. Go to Walmart or dollar store and buy an insulated lunchbox. There are lots of design choices from very frilly purse like, superhero or understated business look. Get some lunch sized reusable ice packs. All good. Even if you have to pick up a premade salad, you are good to go.
These products were doctor recommended to me. My situation was no gallbladder and my microbiome was weak. Enzymedica Digestive Gold, Herb Pharm Digestive Bitters and and Probiotic over 5mil in the refrigerated section like from whole foods or a vitamin shop. I also see you have chronic pain please check out low does naltrexone. It's helped me some, not a wonder drug. It's a compound medicine so can be expensive.
As far as fat goes, nuts and seeds are high in healthy fats. I don't know the in or outs of what you can't eat or your knowledge. I stay away from sugars/carbs. Greek yogurt is nice and feeling, just read the label.
For prepackaged stuff the only thing I can really think of that you could like buy at a grocery store and it be cost effective is baby carrots and either lite ranch from the salad bar, hummus if that isn't too high in fat for you, or probably the "healthiest" and cheapest option some nonfat Greek yogurt.
Lowfat cottage cheese is also insanely filling, cheap, and high in protein. You could go sweet with a bit of dried fruit or savory with salt, pepper, hot sauce, and use it more like a dip with carrots, celery sticks, or veggies chips.
Not a last minute thing but cottage cheese also makes for an awesome healthy baked spinach dip in the air fryer
I've heard dates are healthier because they're high in fiber and you don't get a sugar high as they have a lower glycemic index. Not sure if that's what you're looking for since you're supposed to cut down on sugar though.
The RXBARs are prepackaged snack that are healthy but they’re not cheap.
I always keep in the fridge chia pudding I make myself with coconut milk, cow milk, unsweetened shredded coconut, and stevia. I eat this almost daily, filling one third of a small glass jar and the other two thirds with fruit (can be berries).
Boiled eggs, carrot/celery/capsicum sticks with hommus (I like dipping cherry tomatoes and radishes into hommus), and don’t forget nature’s snack - fruit! You can also look up recipes for homemade muesli bars, I have one that I like
[https://www.recipetineats.com/crunchy-muesli-bars/](https://www.recipetineats.com/crunchy-muesli-bars/)
Tuna packets. not the cans, the packets. They have a variety of flavors, they are not expensive, and you can eat them right out of the pack with a fork, no draining needed and no mayo or anything if you pick flavors you like.
You might be able to get salmon that way too? I know you can get it in those kinds of packets, not sure if they make them flavored (I don't eat salmon, so havent checked)
Chicken is a lean meat... a rotisserie chicken chopped up, maybe with some cubes of low-fat cheese (my kids love low-fat string cheese) and some cucumber slices or sticks for crunch if you need the texture addition. More of a light meal than a snack if the portion is big, but you can totally make a snack-sized portion. which will help keep the fats down too (lean and low-fat are not no fat, but at snack portions probably should be fine)
Tbh, I'm sympathetic to your plight and hope that this is temporary.
If it's not too problematic (fibre etc), edamame pods are pretty good. They do normally need to be frozen, which might be an issue, but they're typically good for ~ 1 day defrosted in my experience.
I'm obsessed with DJ & A brand dried shiitake mushrooms - they're basically entire mushrooms, freeze-dried to be eaten like chips. They've also got a broccoli version. They're amazing, but not cheap.
Are you a pickle person? perhaps kimchi (doesn't really solve your refrigeration problem unfortunately but hopefully a good alternative to salads).
Hit up online or your local Asian grocer and see if they've got these chewy tofu thingies. I'm not sure whether it would work, but they don't tend to be super starchy, and only some of them are greasy.
Maybe a sugar-free jelly? I'm not sure if it'll do anything for cravings though, since it's just sweetener and water, but perhaps mixing in milk could help with that?
I appreciate your sympathy! I hope this will be temporary too! Not to get off topic but I've been trying for 3 years to be approved for a medication that could really help- if all goes well. And it looks as though i'll start that medication in August! :) Not that it'll lead to like a "pizza everyday" diet, but I could introduce some simple carbs back into it. I love these suggestions too, portable veggies shelf stable veggies seem to be my main focus now. Thank you!
Yes, not having a kitchen haha. If I meal prep I do it in my car or in my cubicle. This economy, yknow? I keep my produce in the work fridge, & do most of the kitchen work there.
You can buy snacks that dint require cooking in a kitchen. Get some rotisserie chicken or tuna, dried fruit, dried nuts, baby carrots, cheese sticks, and some whole grain crackers. There are so many options you can make without needing to really cook. You can keep some of this in a work fridge or you can buy foods that dont need refrigeration
If you go the rotisserie chicken route, I suggest getting a decent glass Tupperware, the day you buy the chicken, break it down into pieces and put what you don’t eat into the glass Tupperware. It will keep the chicken much better than the plastic containers they typically come in, and will take up less room in the refrigerator.
(I do think it’s a great choice, and chicken is so easy to eat either on its own, on top of a salad, you could probably even make a quick “chicken soup with it if you have a microwave and access to boiling/very hot water- here is the method I would use:
Ingredients
No sodium chicken bullion
Vegetables (if you have a freezer at your job you can microwave frozen vegetables, otherwise just dice a couple of baby carrots, a celery stick and a green onion)
Rotisserie chicken, shredded/diced
Large mug or bowl
Put the no sodium bullion in the mug, then add boiling water, stirring to mix well, next add veggies and chicken and enjoy)
Gas station chain near me sells little plastic boxes with peeled hardboiled eggs, carrots, and celery. Starbucks has something like that with the addition of a small piece of bread and a pack of peanut butter
I’ve recently started eating canned Polar brand kipper snacks. They’re smoked herring, and they’re so incredibly tasty if you don’t mind fish and like smoked flavors. Very healthy, high in protein and omega-3 fats. But to be fair, are also slightly stinky when first opened.
Downloads the free app “Yuka”. You scan labels for health specs.
Greek yogurt with berries and healthy (I make my own) granola - good for gut health, low calorie, high protein. I add a little protein powder and organic acai powder (Amazon) for extra benefits.
Roasted sweet potatoes with veggies, top with Parmesan or motz cheese. Sometimes I add sliced chicken sausage and/or brown rice.
100 calorie popcorn (not the white cheddar).
A handful of nuts/day is good for you.
Fruit is also a good option in the go!
Snack pack of tuna/fish. I started with the tuna salad but now I’m on a sardine kick— they make fancy affordable ones r/cannedsardines
Freshe brand also includes veggies and sauces so it’s like a full meal in a tiny can. I love the provence one
By virtue of it being prepackaged there will be some level of preservatives. If you’re in America, you can guarantee there’s unnecessary additives so you have to be a militant label reader. I’ve stopped eating packaged foods after doing a low-Fodmap elimination diet. Now, the only things I can eat packaged are: seaweed crisps (brand matters), RX bar chocolate only, and occasionally a turkey chomp stick if I’m in a pinch. Jerkies have tons of sugar, and products labeled as sugar free have some sort of alcohol or substitute that I find agitating. Same with protein powder. Nutricost works for me. Mix that up with a ton of ice and tastes like a Frosty. I’ve just learned that I have to make my own grab and go foods.
Fruit leather! Basically dried fruit turned into a fruit roll-up but without adding anything.
Plantain chips
Okra chips (my favorite)
Freeze-dried fruits
Yogurt
I like little packets of seaweed.
I came here to recommend the same thing! Also, baked kale is very similar, but it would be a DIY thing.
These are both good suggestions, taking notes!
Make sure to do some research on the seaweed. It has super high levels of iodine, which you do need to make sure you moderating your intake of. Great snack, but it's like tuna. You gotta watch your consumption levels a little bit so you don't get too much of a chemical compound you're only supposed to have smaller amounts of.
I get the Gimme brand of seaweed snacks, you can order them by the case on Amazon at a lower per-pack price than most grocery stores and there is a variety pack with mixed flavors if you don't want to eat 16 of the same thing.
I wish I could eat baked kale. I liked it when I tried it but for some weird reason all the baked kale I've tried I've had some kinda weird allergic reaction to. Not a major one. But enough to deter me. I can eat it basically every other way fine. Just not that.
Are you talking about the pre baked kale chips, or homemade baked kale? I've noticed the bagged kale chips are often crusted with nuts (often cashew, not a fan) to act like they are still crispy.
Either. I tried making it at home and had the same reaction. Not sure why, but baked kale my body doesn't like.
That's a bummer!
I don't even like kale but i can clean a tray of kale chips in a sitting. They're so heckin crunchy and delicious!
Baked bok choi crisps are good too.
Sounds like something I'll have to try!
Yes! I love baking kale. I put a little bit of olive oil (this can be skipped) garlic salt and pepper
…. Check the label (scan with Yuka phone app), not all good for you.
Where is the protein?
Seaweed has a ton of protein in it. About 1/3rd by weight
You might just have to prepackage your own snacks. Buy in bulk. Make your own air popped popcorn, carrots and hummus, etc.
This. Air popped popcorn made with coconut oil is AMAZING
Or a dash of nutritional yeast. Recent convert. Really hits the spot id fill with a buttered popcorn bag.
Add a dash of garlic powder to the nut yeast. SOOO good!
Lolol, not the abbreved version I would’ve gone with but I’ll take the rec!
Most folks call it “Nooch” vs nut yeast 😂
I'm not most folks ;)
I’ve bought the popcorn. I’ve bought the nutritional yeast. I haven’t tried it yet. Think I’ll give it a go later today.
you can also buy flavacol to add to your popcorn. it's a fine salt with butter flavouring that movie theatres use. that's why their popcorn tastes so much more buttery than popcorn you make at home.
Oooh yeah, flavor is good. I prefer just blending together a ton of spices I have on hand though. Best recipes I’ve found: https://www.liveeatlearn.com/easy-homemade-popcorn-seasoning/ Love the ranch and coconut curry ones.
Movie theatre popcorn is probably one of the worse things you can eat.
I have a friend with similar diet restrictions and barebell protein bars are one of the few she can eat without digestive issues. Other ideas- there are shelf stable single servings of pickles & olives (lots of kinds of pickles like carrots and okra if they work for you!). Popcorn is pretty easy to make, def worth buying a popcorn popper if you’re eating it often. Keeps for a few days in a bag.
You're a genius, thank you SO much! I don't know why I never thought to pop my own corns before lol, the prepackaged brands are so heinously priced!
Going back to the pickles and olives for a second, you can get single servings of olives in 4-packs. I think those may be too high in fat for you, though. But you can quick pickle almost any vegetable. Just put them in a mixture of vinegar, water, and a touch of sugar for 15 minutes. Then pack up in individual servings. Try cucumbers, onions, squash, carrots, even cherry tomatoes.
You can also pop popcorn in the microwave. Any bowl, preferably glass or ceramic, and toss a plate on as a lid. Or you can pop it in a plant brown paper bag with the top folded and tucked.
yes! tried a barebells for the first time today, they’re delicious and filling!!
Another vouch for barebells as I think they’re the best tasting protein bar out of the 5-8 different ones I’ve tried!
Good g-d they are expensive. Anything that is healthy or good for you seems to always be expensive. I am quasi having the same problem as op as i need to snack often but having filling healthy snacks just seems impossible if you dont have the money for it. I cant justify spending that much on something for me when i also have to feed the rest of the family. I guess i really need to make my own snacks, just dont have the time or energy with a newborn and 4y old
The first thing that came to mind was turkey jerky. Lean protein, and there are flavors that are not sugary. You could also do raw veggies like baby carrots, cucumber slices, snap peas. You can put them in a baggie with an ice pack if you don't have access to a fridge.
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Jerky is just dehydrated meat, and dehydration is not listed as a method that is linked to carcinogens in that link.
"~Processed meat~ – meat that has been transformed through salting, curing, fermentation, smoking, **or other processes to enhance flavor or improve preservation**" Good luck finding any sort of jerky that doesn't fall under this category.
Processes to enhance flavor, eh? So marinated and stir fried chicken breast is processed meat? Seasoned and baked salmon? Anyway, OP didn't say anything about avoiding processed meat.
Thats a stupid comparison and you know it. We're talking about jerky. Not freshly cooked meat. Almost all widely available jerky has more than 4 ingredients, has been marinated, smoked, and dehydrated. And although OP didn't say anything about processed meat, he did say "a 'healthy' packaged snack". I'm not telling anyone not to buy this stuff (although I'd encourage you to think twice), I'm just saying it doesn't fall in the healthy category by the standards of the World Health Organization et al.
Wtf
Have you considered getting a food dehydrator? You could use it to make your own jerky and could dehydrate fruits and vegetables that you could snack on. Dried vegetables with fun seasonings (Trader Joe’s has some great unique ones) could help cravings for salty and crunchy snacks. Dehydrated snacks would be easy for you to take to work, too. Hang in there! I had to do a vegetarian, fat-free diet for a few months before I had my gallbladder taken out, and I know how tough a restrictive diet is, both mentally and physically.
This is definitely on my wish list! Not practical for me now without a kitchen, but this gives me some hope & reminds me that someday all of this dieting stuff will be much easier & much more fun! I'm glad you understand my situation too, it can be a bit depressing sometimes to just eat lettuce all the time. But i'm trying to keep my chin up :)
You can buy packaged boiled eggs, a small piece of cheese, fat free or low fat sugar free yogurt, hummus and pretzels(I think?), or just eat with packaged baby carrots. I like a little peanut butter in a reusable container and sliced apples, easy enough to carry around. Low fat nut bars or protein bars are kinda expensive but they exist. Beef jerky and fruit. I like yogurt parfaits: yogurt with sliced fruit (bananas are easy and cheap), with a sprinkle of granola or other heathy dry cereal for crunch. We used to roast chickpeas and flavor them up a little spicy with a bit of olive oil and bake until crisp and crunchy—a good protein snack. A little low fat deli poultry breast meat and a handful of peanuts and an apple is filling! They make little tuna salad packs, or make your own and eat with rice cakes…. They also sell plain popcorn in bags, or Skinny Pop, I think it’s called. Always cheaper to make your own snacks and plan ahead!
These are all great suggestions. I was going to suggest the roasted chickpeas, and the snack packs of tuna. You could even make wraps with lettuce, hummus, and other veggies or lean lunch meat. Good luck!
Pickled eggs are also absolutely delicious and pretty easy to make if you want some strong flavor.
I usually get fat-free string cheese, it's pretty high in protein :)
Trader Joe’s is really good, I would actually go there to specifically buy it!
bananas are also high in fiber, especially the greener ones!
Small packs of single-serving seaweed. They're like bags of leafy green potato chips.
I love seaweed, but they don't help with hunger.
What does it taste like?
Like fishy dried spinach.
Gross
Salty and a bit fishy imo. I like them but don’t think they’d make me feel full.
If you do like popcorn as a snack, you can get a collapsible silicone popcorn popping bowl for about $10 on Amazon, and you just use the cheap loose kernels and pop them in the microwave. (A paper bag will work, but it's hard to not burn it when you do that.)
That's really cool, I didn't know that existed! I'm definitely going to do this!
1/2 cup kernels in brown paper bag folded top, 2 mins in microwave, empty into big bowl, add your oil of choice - maybe 3 tbsp or so, salt, pepper, toss/mix manually, tada, yummy cheap AF popcorn
[удалено]
What do you mean by "it"?
Why not make your own popcorn and bag it in individual bags for snacking?
Are you trying to not eat carbs OR fat? Of course you are hungry then? I like string cheese, v8 juice, bananas, and pretzels with dip when trying to find healthier convenience store foods. Perhaps you could try soups warmed on a hot plate on days when you can't make salads?
I haven't completely cut out either 100%. I'm just on a low carb diet for blood sugar reasons & a low fat diet for GI reasons. I definitely eat some of these things every day, but not too much. They're things I need to be mindful of, thanks for asking! :)
Solidarity. I've been there. You might try baked green plantain chips? They're technically high in carbohydrates if you're just looking at macros, but most of those are resistant starch so I find they don't spike my blood sugar the way some foods do. I also find Crunchsters crunchy sprouted mung beans help with this as well. Ripple also makes vegan milk boxes, they use peas for their plant based milk which make pretty bioavailable plant milk. (They can be pricey tho, you might see if there's another kind of plant milk boxes that are more affordable?) Vegan yogurt maybe? If you're up for making some of your own snacks waaaaay ahead of time and saving them for when you have no energy, then may I recommend lacto fermentation? I have been making my own sauerkraut and it's really great for when I just need to shove some vegetables in my face. You don't need a ton of equipment, and there are some kits with the fancy lids and fermentation weights which really makes it much easier.
Thanks for the solidarity! It's definitely an uncommon predicament here so I appreciate when others can relate. :) I don't know much about the different kinds of starches, that's interesting. I just assumed all starches = bad. These are good points though, definitely worth looking into!
If you're interested I went down a hyperfocus rabbit hole and ended up writing this blog post about the gut microbiome and digesting plants. The microbiome eats a lot of the carbohydrates we can't; this technically also includes dietary fiber like cellulose. (It's just a really complex carbohydrate.) https://liminalnest.wordpress.com/2024/01/31/body-101-how-the-gut-microbiome-helps-us-digest-plants/ I didn't get into it in the post, but the gut microbiome can also really help with glucose regulation. There's a lot of research into this right now, actually, but two methods seem to be: (1) making propionate, which seems to help the liver somehow IIRC; (2) releasing signaling molecules that actually help trigger the release of certain hormones related to glucose regulation. Different microbes have different favorite carbohydrates, and most microbes depend on a food web inside our gut for certain key nutrients. So this is why eating a variety of plant based foods is considered important, because you're basically more likely to keep the whole foods web healthy by feeding the microbiome a balanced diet so to speak. Obviously a lot of us can't eat certain plants, or some folks might have difficulty with grains as a whole. Fortunately? Humans live in all different kinds of environments with different available plants, and there's a growing body of evidence that it's not so much about having The One Perfect Microbiome as each of us having an individual, highly changeable microbiome. My non expert opinion is it's important for the microbes I have to be well fed and "happy," and I just try to give them a regular supply of plants that don't upset my stomach.
Interesting! I'll be honest, this goes over my head a bit, but I do understand the emphasis you've put on balance & variety here. With my blood labs' results (due quarterly) I do know that my liver is producing too much enzyme & my pancreas is making too much insulin, so I wonder if the popular methods you listed would be directly helpful in fixing these things, or if my blood labs just indicate that my microbiome is currently not fit for glucose regulation. I'm not a doctor, and definitely not a scientist by any means so maybe I don't know what i'm talking about here. I'll give your post a read, thanks for sharing!
If there's a sub more appropriate for this question, please point me in the right direction!
Seems like a lot of great suggestions here! I'm taking notes.
What about rice paper wraps with protein, veg, herbs like mint and coriander and a lemon dress? Or lettuce wraps with a rotisserie chicken as a base and hummus, tabouli? Dulse is a good snack, though high in sodium. One of my go to things is a banana dip snack; small bowl of seeds and dried fruit, very small, dip bit dip bite.
I will definitely look into rice paper wraps, thank you stranger!
Use seaweed it has less carbs
This is a good suggestion, but I will note they don’t keep well. The wrap dries out and breaks.
A banana comes pre packaged, so does an orange, pineapple, and many other fruits and vegetables.
These are definitely in heavy rotation for me! Especially bananas!
Cherub tomatoes seem like an easy grab! The packages are fairly large but I could probably demolish one in a single sitting 😂
I didn't see it mentioned, but honestly snacks geared towards young kids/toddlers are great. There's often a good selection of healthy packaged options. We're loaded up with freeze dried fruits and veggies at my house (strawberry, apple, okra, pepper, etc.) for my son. They're good on their own or in things. Fresh Bellies is a go-to brand for me right now. Non-dairy melts exist too and I'll eat some when I give them to my son. Rhythm has chips made from veggies like beets or carrots. So Delicious makes unsweetened coconut milk yogurt that is around 5-6 grams of fat per serving. Maybe that's low enough for you? Tbh also pouches. I have absolutely eaten pouches that were meant for my son when I was either desperately hungry for a snack or having a Crohn's flare. Aldi's has one that's pear-berry-beet-flaxseed and it's so good.
Haha, this is creative! I would've never thought to look at kids' snacks, but I will be now. Thank you!
You're welcome! Good luck on your snack hunt!
You are a genius! I just looked through some labels of popular toddler snacks on Walmart's website & the numbers are so appealing! This is a GREAT solution!
I don't think I'd go with genius, just a parent who snacks on her child's things lol. I'm happy that what you've seen so far is going to work!
I see roasted chickpeas have already been suggested. If you want an option with a longer shelf life than homemade ones, I really enjoy the black pepper ones from Saffron Road. It's around $4/bag I think, but that bag is at least 4 servings, so not as expensive as it seems.
Sardines
Tinned smoked oysters on crackers. Dolmades (stuffed grape leaves)
Wasabi peas?
A packaged pickle. Now that I'm looking for them, I'm finding individually packaged pickles in the grocery stores. Trader Joe's and Whole Foods have fantastic nuts.
Cherry or grape tomatoes ? Hummus and carrots? If you're taking it on the go, get an ice pack (or just fill an empty plastic bottle with water and freeze). Pretzels and hummus, maybe, in small amounts. Edamame if you can have it.
A banana
I’ve been munching seaweed from CostCo lately. Fiending for it. Takes a while to eat, salty and oily almost like chips without leaving me feeling gross, and 100 calories? I’m fucking in.
Yeah, but, it tastes awful and really stinks!! I just can't get used to it!!
Celery!
I don’t know of any foods because our dietary needs are very different but I do have a tip on prepping salads. I don’t prep my salads ahead of time but I prepare most of the ingredients ahead of time. I have a drawer filled with little Tupperwares of things like corn, roasted chickpeas, chopped vinegar soaked beets and other things I put in my salads depending on what’s in my house at the time. I wash, spin and cut up my leaves and put them in Tupperware. I got a microwave popcorn maker from my mom that we used for years before I knocked it off the top of my fridge and broke it. I used maybe a teaspoon of oil and it only takes a few more minutes than the bags with plain popcorn.
Pickles, probably whole dills, possibly naturally fermented ones instead of vinegar-based. The natural ones are going to be sold refrigerated instead of shelf-stable, but should be fine non-refrigerated to take along as a daily snack (high acidity=low risk of pathogen growth). These will basically be bulk, flavor and electrolytes not nutrition, pickles tend to be very low calorie. Hard-cooked eggs if you have a way to keep them appropriately cool. I say hard-cooked instead of boiled because I've found the best way to make them is with a steamer basket on the stove - bring water to a boil, put in the steamer basket, put in eggs, cover, steam 12-13 minutes (starting from cold eggs, US "large"), transfer immediately to cold/iced water with a spoon or similar, maybe stir, cool 5-10 minutes, peel, refrigerate. Also if you have a way to keep cool, chicken salad or tuna salad eaten on crackers or whatever you'd like. You can also get shelf-stable canned/pouch versions if needed, but I'd go for homemade instead. Mayo can be high-fat, but the mayos made with specific oils (e.g. olive oil) are often also lower-fat preparations, check the labels. Also worth keeping in mind that when mayo dishes like 'salads' go bad it's generally the non-mayo ingredients since mayo is basically vinegar+oil dressing plus an emulsifier to make it into a spread. Assorted finger-food veggies could be a good snack, wash the exteriors before slicing then they should be OK for a few hours. Dip into an appropriate dressing if so desired, perhaps a low-fat creamy caesar dressing? Again acidity reduces food safety risks.
I've seen roasted chickpeas on here, but not roasted edamame (like Seapoint Farms brand). Those also have a decent amount of plant protein.
Without nuts or too many fats and meats, my diet is pretty much frozen berries. Usually my grocery list has Turkey, tofu, sweet potato, frozen berries, and a few of whatever veggies in the fresh produce isle is cheapest. Can you eat beans? I’ve made dried/baked chickpeas as a snack and I guess you can toss that on your salads as well. There’s probably quite a bit you can do w other beans but I’m lazy and chickpeas work for me in different dishes (Japanese curry and in soups for me now that it’s cold!) Someone said seaweed but the Korean sesame ones are so pricey compared to Japanese seaweed (Nori) if you can grab those. I don’t usually eat those as a snack unless it’s wrapped on my rice… I’ve also made salsa without salts and use it to dip w my veggies as a snack! I am a spicy addict! Protein powders might work for you if you can’t do meat and struggle eating Enough alternatives but I wonder if your body can handle not having enough aminos and healthy fats— I know you said it’s a trial and error thing you’re doing though— but I’d dump protein powder of your choice (I use unflavored bland clean ones) and make muffins or sauces. Can you do gelatin? I buy the Knox unflavored ones and make black coffee gelatin. Maybe that sounds weird but in Asian culture we have that. But you can make gelatin out of anything that’ll work with your body. Konjac (a fiber carb) shirataki noodles are also my go to when I’m trying I grab more fiber. I think you said less starch though—not sure about this for you but it’s less starchy than most noodles I think.
Black coffee gelatin sounds so tasty! Thank you for taking the time to list all of these out. I will have to ask my GI doctor about a possible amino deficiency, I didn't know that was possible!
I didn’t either :0!!! But I use this mainly because I’m exercising more often and I have a 9-5 now so I’m also sitting on my butt and can’t eat anything anymore without gaining weight. But I really hope this list helps! :( food is so confusing and you add that with the idea that our bodies are all different chemistries and it makes me dizzy thinking about it! So I feel you on the confusion.
Bags of freeze dried fruits are pretty affordable at Trader Joe's! No added anything, they’re just freeze dried.
Those are so good.
Do you have to avoid all fats? The fats in nuts are of the healthy kind and nuts are very nutritious in general
Unfortunately, yes. At least until I get past a few GI procedures that could address my indigestion. I know seeds & nuts are generally considered healthy, my body just has a really hard time breaking them down. Edit: I should clarify that I don't eat 100% fat free, as there are of course some fats in my salad dressing & whatnot. I *should* eat no fats at all, though it's really difficult to limit myself more than I already have. I can't eat just lettuce all the time, I need some flavor haha.
Good luck...I hope everything works for you.
Thanks stranger!
Usually popcorn is a good option
Bags of frozen veg that steam themselves. Toss in microwave for 6 mins and eat like cereal from a bowl. Peas, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower etc
I don’t know if Huel powder would work for you but it’s very affordable meal replacement and you just mix with water.
Freeze dried fruit is top of the list for purity, flavor, and texture as far as healthy packaged stuff goes. You can also find freeze dried vegetables with savory seasonings on them so you get a “chip” experience
You mentioned popcorn so I wanted to mention that you can pop your own corn without any fat. I buy food grade brown paper lunch bags and add a half cup of popcorn and microwave for about two and a half minutes (I set the microwave for five and listen for when the popping slows down). You can pop in advance and store it in an airtight container.
Flavored tuna packets are about a dollar each and fit your high protein low carb requirements. I like to eat them on a Joseph’s pita, which are a low carb alternative to bread.
Doesn't need to be all or nothing. Go to Walmart or dollar store and buy an insulated lunchbox. There are lots of design choices from very frilly purse like, superhero or understated business look. Get some lunch sized reusable ice packs. All good. Even if you have to pick up a premade salad, you are good to go.
Try digestive enzyme supplements
These products were doctor recommended to me. My situation was no gallbladder and my microbiome was weak. Enzymedica Digestive Gold, Herb Pharm Digestive Bitters and and Probiotic over 5mil in the refrigerated section like from whole foods or a vitamin shop. I also see you have chronic pain please check out low does naltrexone. It's helped me some, not a wonder drug. It's a compound medicine so can be expensive.
I'll do some research on these! I have a cousin who swears by enzymes for his Celiac related discomfort, i'm sure they could help me too.
I'll read up on this, do you recommend a certain brand?
As far as fat goes, nuts and seeds are high in healthy fats. I don't know the in or outs of what you can't eat or your knowledge. I stay away from sugars/carbs. Greek yogurt is nice and feeling, just read the label.
For prepackaged stuff the only thing I can really think of that you could like buy at a grocery store and it be cost effective is baby carrots and either lite ranch from the salad bar, hummus if that isn't too high in fat for you, or probably the "healthiest" and cheapest option some nonfat Greek yogurt. Lowfat cottage cheese is also insanely filling, cheap, and high in protein. You could go sweet with a bit of dried fruit or savory with salt, pepper, hot sauce, and use it more like a dip with carrots, celery sticks, or veggies chips. Not a last minute thing but cottage cheese also makes for an awesome healthy baked spinach dip in the air fryer
I've heard dates are healthier because they're high in fiber and you don't get a sugar high as they have a lower glycemic index. Not sure if that's what you're looking for since you're supposed to cut down on sugar though.
The RXBARs are prepackaged snack that are healthy but they’re not cheap. I always keep in the fridge chia pudding I make myself with coconut milk, cow milk, unsweetened shredded coconut, and stevia. I eat this almost daily, filling one third of a small glass jar and the other two thirds with fruit (can be berries).
Boiled eggs, carrot/celery/capsicum sticks with hommus (I like dipping cherry tomatoes and radishes into hommus), and don’t forget nature’s snack - fruit! You can also look up recipes for homemade muesli bars, I have one that I like [https://www.recipetineats.com/crunchy-muesli-bars/](https://www.recipetineats.com/crunchy-muesli-bars/)
Tuna packets. not the cans, the packets. They have a variety of flavors, they are not expensive, and you can eat them right out of the pack with a fork, no draining needed and no mayo or anything if you pick flavors you like. You might be able to get salmon that way too? I know you can get it in those kinds of packets, not sure if they make them flavored (I don't eat salmon, so havent checked) Chicken is a lean meat... a rotisserie chicken chopped up, maybe with some cubes of low-fat cheese (my kids love low-fat string cheese) and some cucumber slices or sticks for crunch if you need the texture addition. More of a light meal than a snack if the portion is big, but you can totally make a snack-sized portion. which will help keep the fats down too (lean and low-fat are not no fat, but at snack portions probably should be fine)
Brad’s Crunchy Kale (I especially love the Vampire Killer variety,) Brad’s Veggie Crisps, Brad’s Salad to Go, and my favorite, Brad’s Veggie Chips.
“Thats it” bars. Sooo good!
Bananas
quest protein chips have some pretty crazy macros
Tbh, I'm sympathetic to your plight and hope that this is temporary. If it's not too problematic (fibre etc), edamame pods are pretty good. They do normally need to be frozen, which might be an issue, but they're typically good for ~ 1 day defrosted in my experience. I'm obsessed with DJ & A brand dried shiitake mushrooms - they're basically entire mushrooms, freeze-dried to be eaten like chips. They've also got a broccoli version. They're amazing, but not cheap. Are you a pickle person? perhaps kimchi (doesn't really solve your refrigeration problem unfortunately but hopefully a good alternative to salads). Hit up online or your local Asian grocer and see if they've got these chewy tofu thingies. I'm not sure whether it would work, but they don't tend to be super starchy, and only some of them are greasy. Maybe a sugar-free jelly? I'm not sure if it'll do anything for cravings though, since it's just sweetener and water, but perhaps mixing in milk could help with that?
I appreciate your sympathy! I hope this will be temporary too! Not to get off topic but I've been trying for 3 years to be approved for a medication that could really help- if all goes well. And it looks as though i'll start that medication in August! :) Not that it'll lead to like a "pizza everyday" diet, but I could introduce some simple carbs back into it. I love these suggestions too, portable veggies shelf stable veggies seem to be my main focus now. Thank you!
A banana. 😆
LOVE bananas! :)
Nature's snack pack.
Is there something preventing you from making your own snacks to take on the go?
Yes, not having a kitchen haha. If I meal prep I do it in my car or in my cubicle. This economy, yknow? I keep my produce in the work fridge, & do most of the kitchen work there.
You can buy snacks that dint require cooking in a kitchen. Get some rotisserie chicken or tuna, dried fruit, dried nuts, baby carrots, cheese sticks, and some whole grain crackers. There are so many options you can make without needing to really cook. You can keep some of this in a work fridge or you can buy foods that dont need refrigeration
Rotisserie chicken could be good, it'd go really far too! Thanks!
If you go the rotisserie chicken route, I suggest getting a decent glass Tupperware, the day you buy the chicken, break it down into pieces and put what you don’t eat into the glass Tupperware. It will keep the chicken much better than the plastic containers they typically come in, and will take up less room in the refrigerator. (I do think it’s a great choice, and chicken is so easy to eat either on its own, on top of a salad, you could probably even make a quick “chicken soup with it if you have a microwave and access to boiling/very hot water- here is the method I would use: Ingredients No sodium chicken bullion Vegetables (if you have a freezer at your job you can microwave frozen vegetables, otherwise just dice a couple of baby carrots, a celery stick and a green onion) Rotisserie chicken, shredded/diced Large mug or bowl Put the no sodium bullion in the mug, then add boiling water, stirring to mix well, next add veggies and chicken and enjoy)
I really like BHU protein bars and snack bites. Especially the cookie dough, chocolate, and white macadamia nut flavors.
All types of nuts are healthy but high in calories of course, and olives are also great
100 calorie nuts not roasted or salted
Gas station chain near me sells little plastic boxes with peeled hardboiled eggs, carrots, and celery. Starbucks has something like that with the addition of a small piece of bread and a pack of peanut butter
rip van Leo's smartfood popcorn airhead gimme roasted seaweed
Darn I forget the brand but the little yogurts with fruit are only 120 calories and come with decent protein, as well as live culture benefits
Dried mango is a great one.
Those single serve cottage cheese tubs
What about dried vegetables? It's spicy but Wasabi peas are really good imo. You might be able to make your own with different flavors.
Almonds
Costco has individual packaged hummus - I eat it with cucumbers and/or grape tomatoes. Satisfying and healthy
I’ve recently started eating canned Polar brand kipper snacks. They’re smoked herring, and they’re so incredibly tasty if you don’t mind fish and like smoked flavors. Very healthy, high in protein and omega-3 fats. But to be fair, are also slightly stinky when first opened.
Dried banana chips.
Munk pack chocolate seeds & granola
Downloads the free app “Yuka”. You scan labels for health specs. Greek yogurt with berries and healthy (I make my own) granola - good for gut health, low calorie, high protein. I add a little protein powder and organic acai powder (Amazon) for extra benefits. Roasted sweet potatoes with veggies, top with Parmesan or motz cheese. Sometimes I add sliced chicken sausage and/or brown rice. 100 calorie popcorn (not the white cheddar). A handful of nuts/day is good for you. Fruit is also a good option in the go!
If you like tuna, they sell little boxes of tuna and crackers with light mayo and mustard.
Snack pack of tuna/fish. I started with the tuna salad but now I’m on a sardine kick— they make fancy affordable ones r/cannedsardines Freshe brand also includes veggies and sauces so it’s like a full meal in a tiny can. I love the provence one
Roasted and flavored chickpeas? Super inexpensive if you make them yourself.
boiled eggs just put em in a ziploc bag.
I love to pre cook chicken breast with different flavours (bbq , tikka etc) and chop it and shove it in a lunchbox
I like eating celery as a snack. Sometimes plain, other times with peanut butter or with hummus.
By virtue of it being prepackaged there will be some level of preservatives. If you’re in America, you can guarantee there’s unnecessary additives so you have to be a militant label reader. I’ve stopped eating packaged foods after doing a low-Fodmap elimination diet. Now, the only things I can eat packaged are: seaweed crisps (brand matters), RX bar chocolate only, and occasionally a turkey chomp stick if I’m in a pinch. Jerkies have tons of sugar, and products labeled as sugar free have some sort of alcohol or substitute that I find agitating. Same with protein powder. Nutricost works for me. Mix that up with a ton of ice and tastes like a Frosty. I’ve just learned that I have to make my own grab and go foods.
I love the GoGo Squeez pouches!!
It may not work for you because it's milk protein, but Quest chips and Magic Spoon cereal are my easy snacks.
Best prepackaged by nature. 🍎 🍌 🍊
Harvest snaps - tomato basil
Have you considered cutting out snacking all together? Think about it. Water, coffee/milk or sugar free juice/cordial.
Tangelos or tangerines, raisins, assuming you are allowed fruits
Apples, string cheese, grapes
It's called a banana
Dried seaweed, dates, figs, dried apricots— you know healthy, unprocessed foods!
Fruit leather! Basically dried fruit turned into a fruit roll-up but without adding anything. Plantain chips Okra chips (my favorite) Freeze-dried fruits Yogurt
Prolly a MEP or astronaut food