Super Snack Challenges

Carrot Cake Muffins
Carrot Cake Muffins – 2 Guiding Stars

This month, we’ll be exploring ideas for truly great snacks. A snack, as our dietitian Allison Stowell often tells us, should be a purposeful bridge between meals. Snacks can be tricky because they’re rarely eaten sitting down at a table with ample time to plan them out. They’re more often consumed quickly in between activities. And while many of us are spending the lion’s share of our time at home right now, snacks may still be needed under more challenging conditions for eating nutritiously. Let’s look at the snacking challenges we’ll be addressing throughout the month.

Challenge 1: Nutrition

What does it mean for a snack to form a bridge between meals? How do you decide which food groups to include? What’s an appropriate portion? Guiding Stars can help you choose nutrient-dense snacks in the store and when you’re choosing recipes. But there’s more to snacking than that. I’ll compile some of the excellent advice from our nutrition experts and share a few prep ideas next week.

Challenge 2: No Refrigeration

Snacks may need to sit in a hot car for more than 4 hours. Even with ice packs and insulated lunch boxes, snacks can provide food safety challenges. What’s more, food safety isn’t the only issue with a lack of refrigeration. The texture and enjoyability of snacks can be influenced by your storage options. Come back on August 21 (or sign up for blog updates) to get my tips on keeping snacks safe and enjoyable in adverse conditions.

Challenge 3: Food Allergies

Food allergies can be very serious. If you have a family member with food allergies, you know the worry. If you don’t, you might be clueless about risks that your snacking choices present for other people. On August 28, we’ll take a look at a few allergens to be aware of and some delicious, safe snacks.