How To Create Your Own Snack Box
Last week I gave you the recipe for one of my favorite snacks at the minute, healthy granola bars. And, I mentioned the fact that many people find snack-time really challenging.
I believe the best way to get over this challenge is to plan your snacks ahead of time, rather than leaving it totally to chance.
Here in the UK we have the wonderful company called Graze.
Basically, they deliver a snack box to your door or office via a standard delivery service. You pick the days you’d like to receive your box, and the contents are based on your own tastes.
That means you can choose to be totally healthy, or go for something like their 80/20 box, where 80 percent of the contents are healthy, and 20 percent are treat foods.
While I really love the idea, however, I don’t think it’s something most of us have access to, or even something we can afford the luxury of doing regularly.
But, you could easily try doing something very similar yourself. It just takes a little forethought and organization.
Lisa Cain, from the blog Snack Girl, recently talked about setting up your own snack station.
I think this is such a great idea, so I thought I’d give it a go today.
How To Make Your Own Snack Box
The basic idea with this snack box is that it is the first thing you reach for when you feel peckish between meals, rather than reaching for that leftover piece of cake in the fridge, or grabbing something from the vending machine at work.
Your box should be filled with foods which you can quickly fix for yourself, but they should be healthy and tasty, too.
osakajon
As I was thinking about how to put this into practice, I was inspired by the idea of the Japanese lunch box, or the bento box.
It is basically a lunch box which is divided into different sections.
To make your own bento-style snack box you will need a plastic container with a lid, such as a lunch box. Smaller tubs with lids to fit inside your box. And, silicone muffin cases, or even pastry cutters (particularly for kids).
Basically, you want everything to be held tightly inside your box, without touching each other, so that they don’t flavor one another, or get mixed up.
If you intend to take your snack box to work, for example, you will need to make sure everything is secure with lids or plastic wrap, etc., before you travel.
Snack Box Contents
In your snack box you may like to include a selection of items, such as:
- Fruit salad, whole fruits, or dried fruits
- Vegetable crudites such as carrots, celery, peppers, also baby tomatoes and raw broccoli, etc
- A healthy dip such as hummus or salsa
- Hard boiled eggs
- Hard cheese or cottage cheese
- Lean meats such as ham, chicken, or turkey
- Olives
- A granola bar
- Natural yogurt
- Nuts and seeds
- Wholegrain crackers
- Dry wholegrain cereal
- A small amount of dark chocolate
My Snack Box
Here is what I put together earlier today…
Inside My Snack Box
In my snack box I had:
- A homemade healthy granola bar
- Some almonds and pumpkin seeds
- A hard boiled egg
- Some cottage cheese
- A small amount of dried apricots and cranberries, and two square of chocolate
- Some broccoli and a carrot
Having a snack box in your fridge would also be a great way to help your kids to eat healthier, too.
Try filling one box with perishables which stay in the fridge, and one with non-perishables to stay on your countertop.
That way your children can quickly grab both boxes and fix themselves a healthy snack anytime.
What do you think of this idea… would it work to help you eat healthier snacks throughout the day? What would you put inside your snack box?
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9 Comments
Ruth
10.22.2011
Hi Melanie!!
I like this idea!!! Will work well for my work day!!! Thankyou once again for your inspirational ideas!:)
Melanie
10.28.2011
Thanks, Ruth. I know it would take a bit of organization ahead of time, but once you do it a few times, I think it would be easy, and so handy when you are away from home in particular.
Katy
11.01.2011
I made myself a breakfast/lunch/snack box for today! So far I love it! It’s nice to have food ready for me, so I don’t have to decide what I’m going to have. Today in my lunch box I have a large apple, a plum, 2 stalks of celery, 1/2 serving of rice crackers, 1 oz swiss cheese, and a can of sardines. I tried to make sure I hit all of the food groups! I love the idea this was great!! I’m definitely going to be using this during the week!
Melanie
11.04.2011
I love this comment, Katy. So glad you found the snack box idea useful. You choices sound fab, too. Did you get a chance to try it out over the rest of the week?
Katy
11.05.2011
I did get it done the next two days, but Friday just didn’t happen. The next day I did a quinoa and wheat protein sausage mix, oatmeal, and two plums. Worked out great!! Friday, the day I wasn’t able to get the lunch box put together, I didn’t eat anything at work. And by lunch time I was starving! I ended up eating out. So it really makes a huge difference in not over eating and saving money! And I thank you again for this idea!!
Melanie
11.15.2011
I’m so glad to read this comment. I hope it’s still working out for you
Courtney
11.09.2011
I really love this idea and will try it soon. I work a very odd schedule… basically I am awake when everyone is sleeping and sleeping when all others are awake and have had a difficult time staying on path eating correctly. I really want to make it work and think this snack box is just one thing that will make it easier to have foods more readily available and healthy foods at that.
Melanie
11.15.2011
Hi Courtney, I’m so glad you’ve found this article, and I hope it works for you. I know how challenging it can be to work different patterns to everyone else.
Menekse
11.24.2011
Hi Melanie!
I love this article. Andrew and I have easylunchboxes for work which are a bento-style box – both our lunchboxes then stack into the cooler bag that comes with them (we’re working in the same place now so not a problem that our lunches are in the same bag – ha). They’re great – we have hummus and vegetable sticks today with a side of pomegranate and some cheddar cheese pretzels. Yesterday we had a small amount of gnocchi in a pesto based sauce with some turkey and salad… The Family Fresh Cooking website is GREAT for lunchbox ideas and healthy snacks! Anyway, that was slightly off the “snacks” topic and more on the box!
Thanks again for all your great help and brilliant tips!!
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