Snack Emergency!

So, you are rocking your Whole30! You go! It's been hard, but you've been prepping and following the plan and doing a great job. But now you're out shopping, and there's nothing to grab in the mall food court; it's a snack emergency!

So, what are you to do??

If you're anything like me, you have planned ahead! I always, ALWAYS, carry Whole30 approved snacks with me. ALWAYS.  They're in purses and my work bag and, if I had a gym bag, they'd be there, too!

Now I know snacking is not recommended on Whole30, but frankly there are snack emergencies (I-ate-lunch-at-noon-and-it's-8 p.m.-and-I'm-not-having-dinner-until-10 p.m.-and-I'm-STARVING kind of emergencies), and that's where these come in.

Here are some of my favorite go-to, always transportable (ok, maybe not the last one), Whole30 compliant emergency snacks:

• Blueberry Rx bars*.  Honestly, I've been obsessed with these bars for several years. Way before Whole30 ever came into my life.  I love that you can pronounce all of the ingredients, they're filling, the texture is good, and they taste super blueberry-y. Runner up: mixed berry! Not all flavors are Whole30 compliant (I'm looking at you peanut butter!), so be careful. These used to be super hard to find but now I see them at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Target, and bodegas across New York City. You can also order them online.

• Larabars*. I totally love the lemon bar and cherry pie ones. Key lime are tasty too, and I love the carrot cake ones. Just be careful with these, certain flavors are also not compliant on Whole30. These also have totally identifiable ingredients, are filling, and have a good texture.  These are pretty easy to find; same places as above, plus I see them in regular grocery stores.  If you're a huge fan of one particular flavor, Target usually sells them in boxes of 5 (and they often go on sale). 

• Epic bars.  Two words: chicken sriracha. There's also a cranberry turkey jerky type thing that I have set aside in my bag, but haven't eaten it yet and cannot vouch for its flavor. These give a good protein punch, and a LOT of spice!  They carry these at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's.

• Chomps beef sticks. Think of these as a Whole 30 compliant SlimJim. I joke, sorta. But basically these are easy, on the go, Whole30 compliant beef sticks. Also give you a good punch of protein. And they clock in at around 100 calories.  I've only ever found these at Trader Joe's.  You can also order them online.  There are also some Whole30 jerkies out there (Epic makes some), if that's your thing.

• Raw or dry roasted nuts.  'Nuff said.  I just pre-portion them into little Ziploc bags, and have them available in my bag.  I also eat them as a pre-workout "snack."  Unsweetened dried fruit is also an option, but I find that sometimes I have a hard time stopping when I eat it, so I tend to limit it.  Available everywhere, basically.

• Vegetable sticks. I know you'll think I'm crazy, but every night before bed I cut a giant container of vegetable sticks. I pack it in my lunch bag, and keep it around in case I have a mid afternoon slump, where I need something to eat. This way, I am bound to have something Whole30 compliant and filling available to me. I try not to snack, but if I do, I have these. And if I don't eat them, I just bring them home with me, and serve them alongside dinner.

*Warning: these are emergency snacks, I do not eat bars every day, and can honestly say in the first two plus weeks of this Whole30 I've had two (and one of them was dinner!)