When you're beach-bound, guilt-free snacks are a must. Hungry Girl has put together a list of great foods to toss in a bag for a hot summer day out, plus some tips 'n' tricks, too...
Hard Bars & Bites - While there are some chewy baked snacks bars we happily chew on in air-conditioned environments, the crunchy ones are your best bet for outdoor eating. You should also avoid ones with coating (like peanut butter or chocolate), 'cuz those'll become sadly misshapen once the heat hits 'em. HG's picks? All-Bran Brown Sugar Cinnamon Snack Bites (1 pouch = 110 calories, 5g fat, 5g fiber) are sweet, crunchy, and packed with fiber (to help fill you up). Plus they're portion-controlled and portable! Another beach-friendly HG favorite? Special K Vanilla Snack Bites (1 pouch = 90 calories, 2g fat, <1g fiber). They rock our world! Love bars? Try Kashi's TLC Crunchy Granola Bars (2 bars = 180 calories, 6g fat, 4g fiber). Those are crammed with protein and taste great.
Fresh Fruit - Go for firm, easy-to-eat fruits like pears and apples. Skip anything sticky, soft, or hard to handle, like melon, berries, oranges, and kiwi. The sticky stuff will leave you a mess, the softies could easily be smooshed in your beach bag, and the tough-to-peel stuff will leave you more likely to reach for a cookie than pick a fight with your fruit.
Portable Protein - Sadly, tuna salad and turkey slices won't last long outside the cool comfort of your fridge. But there are some excellent alternatives -- no cooler required. Stock up on low-cal dehydrated protein-y snacks, like soy jerky, turkey jerky, and beef jerky. A company called Tasty Eats makes soy jerky in a slew of crazy-good flavors that even diehard beef-jerky fans will love -- trust us, we wouldn't jerk you around. (HG Heads-Up: Stick with the originals and avoid the unsweetened Chick'N flavors, which aren't nearly as good.) A half-ounce serving of each of the original flavors has just 40 - 45 calories and <1g fat (plus 1g of fiber). Feel free to polish off a full 3-serving pack throughout the day. Our pals over at Oh Boy! Oberto now make portion-controlled packs -- called 100 Calorie Jerky Bites -- in Beef (1g fat) and Turkey (1.5g fat) varieties. Those are great, too!
Other Beach Snacking Tips
* Be sure to pack napkins and maybe even a few wet naps. And don't forget about a closeable bag for garbage -- you'll keep the birds at bay that way.
* Freeze a bottle of water the night before your day in the sun. Pack it in addition to a bottle of cold water, and you'll have another icy cold bottle ready once the midday heat hits.
* Don't forget your sunblock! Okay, technically not a snacking tip. But if you develop a nasty sunburn, you may be tempted to drown your sorrows in a giant tub of ice cream or a bag of greasy potato chips, which is definitely not a good idea.
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