In early times as in really early, like Prehistoric (before plastic bags or instant anything) if people got hungry going about their daily drill, they could usually, find something chemical or additive free to munch along the way, like berries, nuts or roots. Of course, there was the occasional poison mushroom, but in general, a quick pick-me-up was not so hard to find.
Today, life is much more complicated. We have Seven-Elevens and super duper superstores, but these institutions, I’ve observed, contain mostly items with very long shelf lives and very little actual life. Where is that simple, healthful (preferably organic) snack when you need it? (Of course, if you’re on the road and famished, it’s better to eat something than nothing, but how much better it would be to have a truly life supporting choice at your fingertips.)
The simple solution: bring your own (B.Y.0.)! A good 21st century healthy snack should be easy to prepare, portable (that is, light and non-spoilable or meltable if unrefrigerated for several hours), non-messy to consume, and, of course, nutritious and delicious. Here are a few of my favorites:
Fresh fruits: apples, pears, plums whatever’s in season. Fruits like melon, pineapple, grapes, etc., can be cut up and put in small plastic containers. Keep plastic spoons and forks on hand. Bananas, happily, come in their own packaging!
Raw veggies & cheese: My personal favorite carrot rounds with bits of raw, unpasteurized cheese. Also nice with cheese: mushrooms, celery, cabbage, daikon radish, etc.
Raw nuts: shelled nuts and seeds, like almonds, walnuts, pinolas, pumpkin seeds – just a few pack a powerful punch. (Chew well – very calming.)
Fruit yogurt: fresh fruit pieces in whole, plain yogurt. Variation: before going out, blend yogurt with fruit, like banana, peach, berries plus dash nutmeg and put in plastic container.
Leftover salad or cooked veggies: keep in fridge in plastic container so ready to go.
Sesame/carob nuggets: When you have a little spare time, blend or process in a food processor 1/ 2 – 1 cup or so sesame seeds until smooth. Remove to a bowl and blend in well a teaspoon or so carob powder (to taste), then mix in a few dashes of raw honey. Add just enough distilled water to make a “dough” moldable into edible balls. Store in plastic container in refrigerator ready to grab on your way out the door.
Thermos-Cooked Grains: See page 5 of this issue. Just bring a spoon a truly high quality snack, really a meal for the road.
These are just a few ideas. No doubt some of our ingenious, on-the-go readers have devised other wholesome snacks. Let us hear from you!
