You know what you are? You’re a health warrior. You are a bad a$$, take no batch cooking prisoners kind of person. Your fridge is on point. Your meals are Instagram-worthy, but your snacks… your snacks are basic bitch status.

If you have another handful of nuts with an apple you might pull your hair out.

I take getting bored with food very seriously because you’re about three days away from eating whatever junk creates “variety” in your boring, nut snacking life. Then begins the pendulum swing of the weekday warrior and the weekend crusader.

Put the nuts away, I’m going to help you uplevel your snack game.

Here are a bunch of snack ideas that you may have never tried before (or tried six months ago and then forgot about them so ta-da! They are new again):

1. Cucumber Fancies - Cucumber slices topped with hummus, dill, smoked salmon, and capers.
2. Tapioca or Chia Pudding topped with all the goodies (hemp seeds, cacao nibs, chia seeds, fresh mango).
3. Veggies with a (5 min) Homemade Dressing - Peanut sauce, romesco sauce, pesto, or any other dressings that keep you from eating hummus for the 1000th time. I get most of my dressings from the cookbook Salad Samurai.
4. Protein Pancakes - I make them in bulk and keep them in the fridge, then top them with almond butter as a snack.
5. Brami Beans - These are more fun to eat than anything else, are packed with fiber and protein, and guess what… They aren’t nuts!
6. Cucumber, Tomato, Basil/Mint Salad - Diced cucumber, tomato, basil or mint, onion, EVOO, S&P, and lemon juice paired with grain-free/gluten-free crackers (you can eat this with lima bean hummus to shake things up.)
7. Not Your Mama’s Yogurt Parfait - Cocoyo coconut yogurt with a spoonful of almond butter, a drizzle of honey, wild blueberries, and a mix of whatever you have on hand (hemp seeds, chia seeds, cacao nibs, matcha powder, the ideas are endless).
8. Nori Veggie Wraps with Almond Butter Sauce - You can make a bunch of this nut-based veggie stuffed “sushi” and have it for 2-3 days as a snack.
9. Cobb Lettuce Wraps - Who wants bacon? Turkey deli meat (from Whole Foods only), avocado oil mayo, onions, tomatoes, and a slice of uncured bacon make a great combo.
10. Carrots in nut butter - I fully understand how weird this makes me and it’s one of my favorites.
11. Avocado toast - If you’re down with a slice of gluten-free bread, then it’s all about the toppings (radish, sprouts, harissa, poached egg, roasted peppers, I could go on). You can also use fresh peppers as the bread and yes you have to get creative.
12. Mediterranean Plate - Because you’re classy. Olives or pickles, any type of vegetable crudités you have on hand, hummus/lentil spread (or some Applegate Farms Turkey Pepperoni if you eat meat), mustard or harissa, and some gluten-free crackers or Flackers. If you want to turn this more into charcuterie, you will have to get a little wild and try some cashew/vegan cheeses. Most of them are processed and gross, but if you want to splurge you have to check out this company. The cheese is out of this world.

Lastly, remember that a snack is just a small meal. I have smoothies, eggs, a small salad, or a small portion of leftovers. Chips are out, real food is in!

What are your favorite snack ideas? Share them with me here.

Xoxo Carly