The Best Clean Eating Snacks

I started eating clean soon after starting my weight loss journey, and I have to say, now it’s my preferred way to eat meals.

I eat three main meals a day and include snacks around 10:00 am and 3:00 pm. I eat a snack between breakfast and lunch, then again between lunch and dinner. This help me stay full and satisfied between meals. Some people like to have a snack after dinner. I don’t like to eat past 7:00 pm, but do what works for you.

Eating five small meals a day requires you to think a little differently about food!

Helpful Guidelines

Here are some easy clean eating guidelines when choosing ingredients for snack recipes.

• Purchase organic when you can.
• Choose whole-grain over white.
• Choose healthy oils (coconut, olive, sunflower, walnut, etc.) over canola or vegetable oil. Stay away from hydrogenated oils.
• Choose natural sweeteners (honey, pure maple syrup, etc.) instead of white sugar.
• Don’t use low-fat or light ingredients. These are filled with chemicals, additives, and sugar. You’re better off using less of the full-fat version.
• Lower in calories. My goal is to keep snack calories under 200 to stay on track with my lifestyle goals.
• Read labels. Most ingredients you purchase won’t even have a label (ex. apples), and if they do, they should only have a couple of ingredients. For example, the only ingredient in peanut butter should be peanuts.
• Choose ingredients that are high in protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Remember, the purpose of these clean snacks is to keep you full between meals.
• A variety of flavors. You don’t want to get bored with snacks; I like to have variety to switch it up depending on the craving.
• Keep a stocked healthy pantry. This makes it easy to throw together clean snacks when you don’t have time to run to the store. My favorite snack ingredients on hand are chia seeds, flaxseed, rolled oats, almond butter, dried fruit, chickpeas, olive oil, and more. Here’s a list of healthy pantry items I like to have in stock.

Keep in mind clean eating is about eating food in its most natural form- free of chemicals, preservatives, and additives. 

Check out my How to Eat Clean For Beginner’s Guide to learn more.

How to meal prep snacks

The best clean eating tip I can give is to make sure snacks are ready ahead of time, and this means snacks should be a part of your meal planning and meal prep routine.

Every Sunday, I take time to prepare my meals and snacks for the week, which helps tremendously with sticking to eating clean during the week. Check out my clean eating meal prep guide for all of my best tips and ideas.

Supplies

Having the right supplies makes it easier not only to prepare snacks but to transport snacks when you’re on the go. These are the containers, equipment, and other supplies I use every week.

• Mason Jars – I use 4-ounce containers to store nuts, 16-ounce containers for parfaits, and to store fruit, and I also use 32-ounce containers to store cut-up fruit and vegetables.
• Pyrex Simply Store Containers – I use these to store energy balls, tuna and chicken salad, vegetables, fruit, and whatever else. These are great containers to have available.
• Pyrex mixing bowls are essential for whipping up a batch of energy balls or anything that needs mixing.
• Small cooler bag – I use a small cooler all the time to transport clean eating snacks with me.
• Ice packs – Again, I often have a cooler with me. So, having a bunch of ice packs available is essential.
• High-speed blender – I use this for smoothies, but it also comes in handy to quickly blend hummus or nut butter.

Shopping tips

Fortunately, most grocery stores carry clean ingredients and organic brands.

Stores like Wegmans and Tops have a natural foods section with a more extensive selection of clean ingredients. Or, if you have Whole Foods near you, they offer a vast selection of clean eating ingredients. Remember to look for organic and foods in their most natural form.

Believe it or not, another great place to get clean ingredients is BJ’s Wholesale. Over the years, they have offered more organic ingredients. Many readers have said there’s also an excellent organic selection at Costco and Sam’s Club. 

My advice is to do a little shopping around and get familiar with where you can get the best deal on clean eating snacks and ingredients.