Advice from the Perspective of a Real College Girl: 5 Quick and Healthy Snacks

Finals are fast approaching, and with all that stress we may find ourselves eating not as healthy as we would like. Yeah it is easy to grab a bag of chips and walk out the door, but here are some healthier alternatives.

1. Apples, crackers and grapes: They say, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Apples are relatively cheap and healthy for you. I add mine with some Keebler club crackers and grapes to add more flavor and texture to an otherwise plain snack. 

2. String Cheese/Cheese slices: This may remind you of the lunches your mom used to pack for you back in elementary school, but cheese is a nutritious and quick snack to grab on the go. I sometimes roll a piece of deli meat, such as turkey, around a piece of cheese to add some protein to the bite.

3. Protein bars/ Granola bars: These satisfy your sweet tooth without adding on too many extra calories. My favorites are Quaker’s Chewy Bars in the peanut butter chocolate chip flavor and Clif Bars in the Blueberry Crisp flavor.

4. Carrots/Celery: Get your daily vegetable filling with your snack by grabbing baby carrots or celery sticks as a snack to rush off to the library to study. As a kid we used to eat “Ants on a Log,” which is a celery stick with peanut butter and raisins. However, you can still enjoy this combo as a college student. Another alternative is instead of peanut butter and raisins you can use cream cheese and dried cranberries. For the baby carrots I like to get a portable pack of Nature Valley’s ranch dressing to dip them in.

5. Yogurt: Whether you prefer Greek yogurt or just regular yogurt, it is a healthy snack that is also quite tasty and portable. To add some extra flavor without adding too many extra calories I like to add either granola, berries or some type of nut to the yogurt. You can even add in all three!

So even though some of these snacks take time to prepare they are easy to prepare the night before and just store in the fridge. So when you overslept that alarm because you’re so exhausted from that late night study session you can easily grab the snack and head out the door.