Snacking can either be a major asset to your nutrition plan, or a major bummer. The key is to plan ahead and stay smart about your choices. These are some of my favorite protein packed snacks for when you are craving something sweet.

Smart snacking has benefits…

• Snacks are a great opportunity to add nutrients to your diet.
• Balanced snacks help you feel full between meals and prevent overeating at meal times.
• You’ll feel more focused, energized and productive with healthy snacks stabilizing your blood sugar levels

But of course we all know that snacking can go wrong.

The key to healthy snacking is mindfulness – we tend to eat more of whatever is readily available. Be aware of what options are available to you. More importantly, be aware of what snacks COULD be available to you.

A little planning goes a long way.

Protein Packed Snacks to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

Tropical Peanut Butter ad Banana Toast

Take this classic snack to the next level by adding a tropical twist. Sliced banana and peanut butter (or any nut butter of your choice), on top of whole grain toast is good. Add a sprinkle of coconut and a drizzle of honey and you’re on the next level.

Greek Yogurt and Frozen Berry Parfait

Sadly, the fruit-added yogurts you find at the grocery store are typically packed with very little real fruit and a bit more added sugar than necessary. Instead – build your own parfait the night before (just don’t forget to grab it on your way out the door). In a mason jar, add 3-4 ounces of Greek yogurt and top with frozen mixed berries. The berries will melt slowly and release their juices and voila…you’re very own homemade parfait.

DIY Trail Mix

Not all trail mixes are made equal. That mix with more M&Ms than cashews doesn’t make it onto the healthy snacks list. Plus, it’s expensive! Build your own trail mix to up the nutrient content and save a bit of money.

Choose 1:

Unsalted popcorn
Roasted chickpeas (even better, cinnamon roasted chickpeas)
Soybeans (dry or roasted)
Oat cereal (ahem, Cheerios)

Choose 2: (unsalted)

Almonds
Cashews
Walnuts
Peanuts
Pistachios
Hazelnuts
Pumpkin seeds
Sunflower seeds

Choose 1-2:

Flax
Chia
Sesame seeds
Dried or freeze-dried fruit: cranberries, figs, apricots, banana slices, blueberries, strawberries, raisins, apple chips, cherries, papaya, pineapple
Coconut flakes

Choose 1:

Mini dark chocolate pieces
Yogurt or chocolate covered mini pretzels

Peanut Butter Protein Bites

The first time I had peanut butter bites it was at a local coffee shop in Hawaii. They were amazing but I wasn’t about to spend $4 a day on a 1 1/2″ ball of sweet goodness! So I made up a recipe at home. The only problem that you will find with these PB Bites is that you have to proportion them ahead of time or you won’t be able to stop at 1 or 2!

Kodiak Cake Muffins

Did you know that there are a variety of recipes on the side of the Kodiak Cake box – recipes for more than pancakes and waffles? The muffin recipe gives you super tasty, moist, protein-packed muffins. I recommend storing these in the fridge as they go bad quickly on the counter top (downfall of real food).

Apple Almond Stacks

Anyone else remember eating countless apples with peanut butter as a kid? I was personally obsessed. This takes a bit more work but damn is it worth it! Slicing the apples cross-wise makes them easier to spread peanut butter on and you get way more surface area for sprinkling toppings like cinnamon, crushed walnuts or hemp hearts!

Protein Smoothie

There are ENDLESS ways to mix-and-match ingredients in protein smoothies. These are some of my favorites.

Cinnamon Sugar Roasted Chickpeas

Crunchy, sweet, healthy and addictive! Plus, completely portable and great for sharing.

Not in to baking these yourself? Thrive Market has some of the best, healthy snacks I’ve found online (and you get $20 in shopping credit when you sign up).