Five balanced snacks to meal prep on your next meal prepping day.
Everyone is always looking for new snack recipes! There’s nothing worse than heading over to your pantry or refrigerator only to find nothing other than the same old produce and boring ingredients you always have around. Fun, exciting snacks are so important for maintaining enjoyment in your relationship with food!
Plus, who doesn’t love finding a delicious homemade dip or spread in the refrigerator? It’s always nice to have things pre-made in advance your yourself, your loved ones, or your roommates. These are some of my favorite snacks to meal prep because they’re easy to make and they keep well!
Let’s dive right in!
Using the Foundational Five to Create Balanced Snacks to Meal Prep
A balanced snack recipe has all the components we need to feel satiated, satisfied, and energized after eating. The key is to create balanced combinations. Cue the Foundational Five!
In case you’re new to the NS Community and the Mindful Nutrition Method, the Foundational Five system is part of how we teach you to build balanced meals. It makes it easy for you to give your body the nourishment you need while having the flexibility to enjoy the foods you love without stressing about food.
The Foundational Five is made up of five elements of nutrition including Protein, Fat, Non-starchy Carbohydrates, Starchy & Sugary Carbohydrates, and the Flavor Factor (which brings vibrancy, deliciousness, and enjoyment to your meals).
You can download our free guide that walks you through our Foundational Five system for creating balanced meals that you can use to meal prep or cook fresh this week!
5 Balanced Snacks to Meal Prep
Below you’ll find 5 of my favorite snacks to meal prep. These are tried and true recipes that you can either have alone or mixed in with other ingredients to add some volume and variety.
Creamy Sweet Onion Dip
Dips and spreads are some of my absolute favorite components of a balanced snack. They’re always packed with flavor and they’re so versatile! You can spread them on a piece of toast or a tortilla, dip your favorite veggies or dunk your favorite crackers in them.
There’s nothing quite like a French onion dip. It’s so creamy and delicious, it’s no wonder why it’s a staple in the dip family. This simple recipe delivers the perfect, irresistible tang that you’d expect in a great onion dip. Caramelized onions pair with protein-rich nutritional yeast and soaked raw cashews, a splash of lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, a dash of black pepper, and an onion salt mix. The result is flavor-packed and delicious — all while being dairy-free, too.
Creamy Vegan Spinach & Artichoke Dip
Another classic is the spinach and artichoke dip. This is a great snack to meal prep because you can make so much of it in one quick batch! This vegan dip is made with the obvious, spinach, artichokes, plus pureed cashews, nutritional yeast, and delicious spices like garlic, cayenne, and onion.
Coconut Energy Balls
Energy balls are such a great way to get a big boost of nutrition in a simple little bite. You can make as many of these as you want in advance, pop them in the freezer, then just pull them out as you need them!
They’re a great example of a balanced snack to meal prep because they’ve got all the nutrients a balanced snack needs. From coconut to walnuts, tahini, and cashews, they’re jam-packed with protein and heart-healthy fats. I just recommend tossing a little fruit on the side of them (like a banana, peach, or some strawberries) to give you a little boost of starchy carbohydrates for energy!
Baba Ganoush
Isn’t this name just so fun to say? I love a good baba ganoush recipe, especially one I can use throughout the week as a snack. The flavors are deep and complex and packed with nutrients. Roasting the eggplant at a high temperature creates a wonderfully subtle smokey flavor, and mint and tahini add a perfect nutty freshness to the dish.
The best part about baba ganoush? You can use it in so many different ways? First, we have the most obvious. You can dip vegetables, fruits, and crackers in it. You can also use it as a condiment or even a dressing! Just dip your favorite plant or animal-based proteins right in it, or add a bit of extra virgin olive oil to it to thin it out and toss some veggies in it.
Vegan Smokey Cashew Queso Dip
Surprise, surprise, another dip! This Vegan Smokey Cashew Queso Dip uses lightly toasted raw cashews and almond milk to give it a boost of protein. Plus, by adding a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast, you get a big boost of B vitamins, while adding the perfect “cheesy” flavor.
Try making this delicious snack the next time you’re prepping components for the week ahead.
How to Meal Prep Snacks
Now that we know what we’ll be prepping, let’s quickly nail down the details for how exactly you’ll go about it.
First, start by taking a look at your week ahead. How many people will be eating snacks? And how often will you be home to eat them, or pack them to bring along with you? Next, what sounds good to you? Try and switch up which snacks you meal prep week to week, that way you won’t be completely sick of any of these recipes. I recommend picking two recipes per week!
Lastly, take a look at your schedule and pick a day to hit the grocery store and have some fun in the kitchen! Before you know it, you’ll have a little snack meal prepping routine down pat!
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