Let’s Talk Snacks

Everybody loves snacks. They do. Just ask anybody what their favorite snack is, and they’ll have an answer. A lot of people won’t even have to think about it, they’ll just instantly say what their favorite snack is. Except me. I don’t necessarily have a favorite snack as much as I have a favorite snack type. Salty.

Yup, I love the salty snacks. Chips, nuts, popcorn, pickles, even Saltines if that’s the only item available. Smear some peanut butter on those crispy squares and I’m in heaven.

Snacks come in all shapes, sizes, and varieties: sweet, salty, crunchy, squishy, healthy, and the more popular, not-so-healthy. I love healthy snacks but find the problem with them is they usually have to be prepared. That’s not what snacking is all about for me. No sirree. I need my snacks to be of the grab-and-go variety. I like to snatch that bag of chips, rip it open and commence to crunching despite my rising cholesterol and ever-increasing waistline.

I try to have some pre-prepared snacks handy, but I don’t always have the time to do the pre-preparation. Washing celery and cutting it into sticks takes time. I sometimes buy the pre-packaged healthy snacks but find them to be not so wallet-friendly. I like the convenience, but I don’t want to pay for it. I’m cheap that way. I also love dried fruit, salami, and beef jerky, which make awesome snacks, but I’ll go broke stocking up on them. Just hand over the chips.

But, sometimes, I cut the celery into sticks, have the baby carrots and snap peas ready to grab from the fridge, but I still need to take the time to scoop out the hummus for dipping or to spread the peanut butter or ranch dressing, or whatever. I know, third world problems, right? (Is that phrase still acceptable today or is it taboo now as well?)

Anyway, every time I tell myself it’s time for a snack, I just react. I get up, go into the kitchen, open cupboard doors, the refrigerator, the snack jar, whatever, and grab something. I rarely tell myself, “self, you should probably take the time to prepare a delicious and nutritious snack.” Nope. I don’t have that kind of time. When it’s snack time, it’s snack time. There’s no time to piddle around and make decisions or prepare the sliced cheese and grapes. By then snack time will be over.

You see my problem? Snack time encompasses a very narrow window. A lot of days I barely even have time to go to the bathroom, so when snack time arrives, I must grab – something salty – stuff it in my mouth and carry on with the next project. There’s no time for chopping or slicing. (sigh) And, if I pre-slice my apple in the morning, in preparation for my snack later, it’s all brown and yucky looking. Chips don’t turn brown.

When I take the time and plan ahead, I’ll boil eggs, cut up celery sticks and other veggies and pre-slice or cube cheese, but on those other days . . . hand me the goldfish crackers or somebody’s getting hurt. And stay outta my way when I’m on course for the pantry . . . where the chips are. No, I will not share. (That’s why I don’t buy chips any more. My family has weaponized them.)

How do you approach snack time? What’s your favorite snack? Do you take the time to actually pre-prepare your snacks? Give me some suggestions for healthy grab-and-go snacks that don’t cost an arm and a leg.

Word of the Day: Zibeline

Fun fact about me: I could snack all day and never have an actual meal, except for the fact that I’d probably never eat anything healthy ever again.

Original post by Jansen Schmidt, August 2021. Images by Google, Pexels and giphy.com

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