As women, business professionals, moms and matriarchs, we’re so busy these days that eating healthy can pose a real challenge, especially when we’re constantly on the go. Most of us spend several hours in our cars each week running errands, driving to and from work and shuttling our kids back and forth to activities.

If we don’t plan ahead, it’s easy to make poor food choices at our next meal because our brain is screaming “I need food NOW!” It also sets us up to fall into the vicious cycle of less-than-ideal food choices from the closest drive through when we (and our family) are hungry. All of this leads to low-energy, fatigue, weight gain and guilt.

Instead of relying on your willpower alone to stay on track, pack these simple snacks that can be tossed in your gym bag, stashed in your purse or tucked in your car’s center console.

Speaking of healthy fats, Homemade Trail Mix is relatively low in sugar and a great option to hold you over between meals. If you’re keeping this in the car, make sure you use dehydrated fruit, rather than chocolate chips to avoid a melted mess. Our favorite:

• Kid-Approved Healthy Homemade Trail Mix

Granola bars

Because they’re easy to toss into a bag, granola bars have easily become one of our go-to snacks. To keep costs down, we often buy them in bulk. Some of our favorites: 

• Blueberry Muffin LäraBar (they even sell minis online)
• Health Warrior Bars (Pumpkin Seed Bars, Dark Chocolate)
• RX Bars

We’re not normally jerky fans because most are made with highly processed ingredients and are often greasy, but we tried these two brands and they hit the mark. They’re small and filling, so they’re easy to travel with when you’re on the move. WIN, WIN! Some of our favorites: (all are minimally processed and from 100% grass fed or free range animals… YESSS!)

• CHOMPS Grass Fed Beef Jerky Snack Sticks
• CHOMPS Free Range Turkey Jerky Snack Sticks
• Nick’s Sticks Free Range Turkey Snack Sticks

These are another one of our go-to’s because they’re easy to pre-portion and stash in baggies (because buying bulk is almost always cheaper), plus they’re filled with healthy fats, which allows us to feel full longer. We’ve found that just 2 tablespoons helps fuel us between meals. Some of our favorites:

• Eden Organic Dry Roasted Pumpkin Seeds (pre-portioned)
• Woodstock Hulled and Unsalted Sunflower Seeds

Nut butter is filled with healthy fats and protein, which will help you feel full longer. Not to mention, these single serving packets are the perfect snack-size amount. They’re great to keep in your car, toss in your kids’ lunchboxes or your spouse’s work bag. If we’re feeling especially hungry or we have awhile until our next meal, we’ve even stopped at a gas station or convenience store to grab an apple or banana to put the nut butter on for a more substantial meal and energy boost. Some of our favorites:

Good (small amount of added oil but still good):

•  Rx Vanilla Almond Nut Butters
• Justin’s Peanut Butter Packets

Better (no added oil and the best option):

• Once Again Peanut Butter Squeeze Packs (also come in a variety of nut butters)
• Wild Friends Classic Almond Butter Packets (also comes in almond butter)

• Check ingredients. If there’s one thing here at FULLforLife that we LOVE to encourage and share with you, it’s how important real food ingredients are.
• Limit your carb-heavy snacks. There are so many carb-heavy snacks, like pretzels, that don’t have a whole lot of nutrients. While they’re better than a Big Mac and fries, try to choose grab-and-go snacks with more nutritional benefits. The point is to fuel yourself rather than just fill yourself up.
• Eat snack-sized portions.
• Pack hand wipes. They’re super convenient when you (or your kids) splatter peanut butter on your hands. Our favorite: Handzies Natural Soap and Water Hand Wipes..