Based on my mentality of partying, “just enough” studying, and music festival-going, Spring Break should be here already. However, seeing as it’s over a week away, I’ve got more time to prepare for a proper #SpringBreak blowout (just kidding, I’m visiting my married sister and her puppy in Atlanta).
Prepping for this article was a blast; I prowled the cherry red aisles of Target, filling my hand basket with $1.29 goodies. Here are eight healthy and easily transportable snacks from Target to pack in your spring break tote – they'll keep your energy up, your wallet happy since beach cafe snacks are $$$, and your belly filled with fiber, protein, and carbs.
1. Garden Veggie Chips
The "healthy" version of Pringles, these green chips are made with potatoes, spinach, broccoli, and peas. Their dusting of sea salt will bring the ocean directly to you, along with 1 g of protein and fiber each. The sugars are also less than 1 g, leaving you at tip top energy levels, and not sluggish.
2. Fiber One Baked Bars
These breakfast bars are desserts that taste like softer, un-toasted Pop-Tarts. The 8 g of sugar per bar isn't the healthiest, but the touted "20 percent daily value of fiber" definitely is. If you're heading to the seas for a beach sunrise, these pastries are perfect for fuchsia skies. They're also super filling for their pocket-size; two of these and you won't even think of spending $11 on a hotel bar cocktail.
3. Goldfish
I had to include these cliché American snacks since their popping colors and cheesy core have been around since our childhoods. With 4 g of protein and a surprising 70 mg of potassium, these crackers leave you wanting little. I always have energy after eating Goldfish, and the "baked" aspect feels cleaner for my body than a fried potato chip.
4. David Sunflower Seeds
Although I haven't perfected the art of eating sunflower seeds (separating them in your mouth is so confusing!), these bright nuggets contain Vitamin E and antioxidants. There's no sugar and only 1.5 g of saturated fat, plus a 5 ounce bag of these seeds slides in at $2, making them inexpensive and tasty.
5. Cinnamon Applesauce
Another oldie but goody, these little plastic cups were my arts and craft delight as a 10-year-old—the sauce reminds me of tangled hair and white streaks of sunscreen. There are 2 g of fiber per cup and 0 g of saturated fat (watch out though, the 19 g of sugar will get ya). Although a fresh apple is always healthier than applesauce, you have to deal with potential bruising/rotten flesh and having to have a place to wash it—not so with applesauce!
6. Nutella With Pretzel Sticks
This is more of a "treat yo self" specialty than a healthy snack, but one doesn't have to be health conscious 100 percent of the time. Seeing as the chocolate spread will melt in the sun, eat this Nutella/pretzel combo as your first snack of the afternoon. Technically hazelnuts are heart-healthy, so Nutella can't be that sinister...
#SpoonTip: San Francisco Gate also wrote an entire article on the health benefits of Nutella alone (not just hazelnuts), including its doses of iron, calcium, and fiber.
7. San Pellegrino Water
Sparkling water is essential for a successful Spring Break beach day (although I'm probably biased since sparkling water is my WEAKNESS). The refreshing bubbles make the afternoon bearable and the innocent carbonation will satisfy your itch for soda. There's also a boatload of minerals in the water including magnesium, calcium, and nitrogen.
8. Fresh Fruit
Target's fruit aisle is a godsend since my regular Publix closes at 10 pm—their berries, citrus, and $.29 bananas refuel my body when late night cravings kick in. Fruit, especially citrus, is a beach favorite, the pleasant zing of juice combating the sweat. Might as well get double the Vitamin D, right?
The Power of Target
Although these snacks can be purchased at most places, there’s something holy about strolling the red aisles of a clean, fluorescent Target. It feels like Spring Break all year round there, their wispy dresses and knitted bikini tops bringing the sand and sunshine to my landlocked county. But if you’re hankering to smell real salty air, these Target snacks will keep your sunscreened-belly pleased.