If we look at your pantry right now, would it be laden with the traditional snack items like Doritos, OREOS and General Mills Cereals that we all grew up with?
A toxic storm of chemicals and science lab ingredients. But let’s be realistic. You have to have some junk food in your house. We can’t be perfect all the time. And, quite frankly, do you really want to be??
You don’t, however, have to eat those processed, chemical-laden, GMO riddled snacks! There are so many new alternative brands and organic versions out there.
Fruit Loops, Lunchables, and Cheetos ARE NOT OPTIONS.
I don’t recommend packaged junk food all the time, but we live in the real world. It’s gonna happen. PLUS, if you want your teens to gather at your house, you gotta have some ready to grab snacks!
Give these organic and non-GMO snacks a try.
- Instead of Doritos/Tostitos – Late July Jalapeno Lime Tortilla Chips (Warning: these are insanely good!)
- Instead of Gold Fish – Annie’s Organic Cheddar Squares or Bunnies, Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers in great flavors
- Instead of Ritz Crackers – Field Day Organics Golden Round Crackers
- Instead of Fritos & Cheetos – Bearitos Corn Chips and Cheese Puffs
These snack brands do not contain MSG, an ingredient that keeps you going back for more and more. MSG is why many of the GMO snack brands like Doritos are so addictive!!
The key is to BE PREPARED. Make regular trips to the grocery store, with a list of things that will sustain your teens (and their friends) for the week. Or check out these AMAZING delivery apps:
INSTACART – Get deliveries within an hour from Whole Foods, Costco and Central Market. Awesome!
THRIVE MARKET – Get organic pantry products at great prices!
Don’t wait for them to start rummaging through the kitchen. They will snack on what is in front of them. So have it out on the counter.
Other awesome snack ideas:
- Organic popcorn made on the stove top with coconut oil and sea salt. So easy. Tiny But Mighty brand non-GMO popcorn kernels are fantastic.
- Sliced cucumbers/carrot rounds marinated in lime juice and sea salt. Don’t underestimate this one!
- Tex-Mex rules! Keep grass-fed taco meat ready to go. Always have these in your fridge:
- Fresh pico, salsa, guac or bean dip. Nachos with pinto beans and organic cheese knock Cheetos out of the park! Make sure your tortillas are without chemical ingredients (say goodbye to Mission brand).
- Amy’s Nacho Snacks, Pizza Rolls or Burritos
- The GEM hummus with jalapeno pesto. Grab one of our snack packs for on the go!
- Keep sunflower seed and pistachios in a bowl on the counter.
- Make watermelon slushes in the afternoon. They will love you! How? Tons of watermelon on the bottom of the blender, frozen strawberries, a cup of ice, a peeled lemon or lime. Shazam!!
- Mini pizzas made with whole grain English muffins, fresh marinara and organic mozzarella. Whole Foods has great pre-made ones.
- Sami’s Cinnamon Chips will disappear at carpool time. Everyone LOVES these high fiber, low sugar (but don’t tell them that) chips. Available at The GEM.
- Keep whole wheat pasta ready in the fridge with marinara.
- Steam frozen ORGANIC edamame and add sea salt. Costco sells this!!
- Popsicles? Try these Austin-based GoodPop® All-Natural Frozen Pops. I love the Watermelon Agave and Coconut Lime Bars!!
These are not all super-food healthy snacks – because we don’t always obey the rules. They are, however, CLEAN, free of harmful chemicals and dyes. This is really important to remember when feeding your families. Good luck and … Happy End of Summer!