Ever be in the city running around going to classes, auditions, your normie job, and think “crap, I forgot to bring food.”? Then you start to feel faint, hangry, and emotional. All you wanna do is soothe those unpleasant feelings with something comforting. So, the first thing you do is find a decent place to pick up food. Since Starbucks is literally everywhere, it seems like the most convenient option. They have little “healthy” snack boxes and salad options, and you think this should be fine. Since you’re starving, you purchase way more than you need and end up spending around $20 on what you would consider a large snack.
This scenario is something that happens way too often. From my experience, not bing prepared can really screw you over financially and with how your body feels throughout the day. In order to save on money as well as preserve precious energy for a long day, having snacks at the ready is key.
Listed below are some of my favorite snacks and pick-me-ups right now when I’m out and about. I have included sweet and savory options that are nutritious and packed with all the right macros: Protein, Fiber, and Fat.
Date Delight
One of my go-to’s right now when I’m feeling something sweet, are dates with nut butter. If I’m craving a sugary treat during that classic 3pm slump that happens to almost everyone, I try to avoid grabbing any highly processed carbs (pastries, cookies..). I also want to make sure that I’m not just eating sugar, even if it is a piece of fruit. It’s still sugar and it needs to be balanced out with some sort of fat and of course a protein source.
- 3-5 Medjool Dates
- 2 Tbsp Nut/Seed Butter (avoid palm/soybean oil and salt/sugar)
- 1 Tbsp Hemp Seeds
Split open each date and spread a little bit of nut butter inside. Top with a sprinkle of hemp seeds. Enjoy on their own or with a cup of tea or coffee. The dates are high in natural sugars and fiber, so you don’t need many of them (3 should do the trick). My favorite spread for this treat is Sunflower Butter, it’s more of a lighter (less nutty) taste. The hemp seeds give this snack what it’s missing, fat. This simple ingredient will help to you feel full longer and to sustain your energy and concentration.
Clean Bar
When I don’t have time to throw something together before heading out the door, I depend on my trusty protein bar to get me through. Not all protein bars are created equal and some are laced with harmful ingredients. The last thing you need when your starving is to fill your body with added sugars and chemicals your body can’t digest.
After doing some research online, I found that these were the cleanest protein bars out there. When being a label detective at the grocery store you want to make sure to follow these simple guidelines when it comes to the ingredient list:
- NATURAL forms of sugar (honey, brown rice syrup, date syrup, coconut sugar)
- NO Natural Flavors (Natural flavors are anything but natural. They are manmade chemicals that companies are not required to reveal how they are produced.)
- NO palm oil or soybean oil (The most highly processed, GMO crops out there besides corn and wheat.)
- AVOID carb heavy bars (Keep it balanced with equal amounts of protein.)
- TRY Organic (Quality ingredients)
Hummus + Veggies
To change it up, I like to go for something a little more savory and creamy. Hummus is a perfect snack for multiple dip-ables (brown rice crackers, veggies, topping for Buddha Bowls…). Here I paired a Lemon & Beet Hummus by Ithaca with some raw carrot, cherry tomatoes, and broccolini. I always feel much lighter after this little snack, but nice and satisfied. This one would be a great one right before something active, that way will feel less bloated. Raw veggies are usually more digestible for your stomach when chewed properly with an already healthy digestive system.
- 2 Tbsp Hummus if choice (look for clean ingredients, avoid canola/soybean oil) OR make your own
- 1-2 cups of raw veggies (carrots, broccolini, cherry tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, cauliflower, zucchini..)
Keep it interesting by changing it up every once in a while with a flavored hummus or different veggies. You can also dip roasted or cooked veggies in your creamy hummus like sweet potatoes or asparagus.
Yogurt + Fruit + GF Granola
Back to the sweet snacks. I mean we all love a little treat every once in a while, why not avoid the high sugar/processed foods and replace that craving with something much healthier. Greek yogurt or non-dairy yogurts are great options for a lighter, creamier protein choice. My favorites are cashew yogurt and coconut yogurt. Make sure to always get unsweetened or unflavored. The yogurts that have vanilla or even fruit flavors are doused with unnecessary added sugars and chemicals that could easily be replaced with REAL FRUIT. Speaking of real fruit…I will usually throw into my snack some berries, peaches, pomegranate seeds, or kiwi. This keeps it sweet without the harmful ingredients. I also like to throw on some sort of nut and seed mix. This GF Granola by Purely Elizabeth is perfect for this. Most of her granolas are made with GF oats, nuts, seeds, and natural sweeteners. You could also go for just straight up chia seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, pecans, or anything you fancy.
- ½ cup Greek or Non-dairy Yogurt
- ½ cup berries or fruit of choice
- ¼ cup of nuts/seeds or GF granola
Keep this as a snack or double the recipe and take it as a breakfast on the go. No need to add any honey or maple syrup on top because the fruit should be enough. By having too much sugar in a snack, this could spike your blood sugar resulting in a hunger crash only a few hours later.
Cucumber Avocado Protein Bites
This final snack is one that I’ve recently added to my collection and am loving it so far. It’s very simple. All you need is cucumber rounds, avocado and some sort of ready-to-eat protein. Here I chose to mix avocado with canned wild caught tuna. Makes for a healthier version of tuna salad. I mixed a full can with a full small avocado and saved ½ to put on top of a Buddha bowl, on a sandwich, or make another batch of these little bites. You could also plop some sliced chicken, turkey, or smoked salmon on top. To keep it vegan, perhaps some already cooked up tofu or tempeh into tiny chunks or some beans/legumes. The cucumber provides some fiber and the delicious avocado makes for a healthy fat to round out this snack.
- ½ Cucumber sliced into rounds
- ½ small avocado
- Protein of choice (size of palm)
Stack these bad boys all together to create a tower of yummy goodness. Enjoy on its own (perhaps with some herbs on top) or pair with a green smoothie for a detoxifying and hydrating meal.
I can’t stress enough the importance of being prepared. These are some of my tried and true snacks that I have been eating for a little bit now and I know that they work for my body. The snacks that I always seem to regret are the ones chosen out of starvation, frustration, convenience and emotional eating. Over time, this can take a toll on your health and your wallet.
I hope you try one or all of these snacks! They are packed with nutrition and can still fill those sweet or savory cravings we get throughout our day. Always plan ahead for your busy days to avoid snacking on things that may not sit well with your stomach.
What are you snacking on these days? Whether you’re at auditions, in between dance classes, on tour, or in intense rehearsals, I wanna hear from you. Comment below with your favorite healthy snack that keeps you going no matter where you are in the world.
Having trouble with what to eat while performing or in between contracts? Take my Self-Assessment to find out if this decision paralysis is holding you back from booking that dream role.
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