Nothing beats summer days when the sun is out and you get to go to the beach to soak up your daily dose of Vitamin D. I spend most my beach days in Greece, because that’s where I’m from. I love the sunshine and heat; growing up along the Mediterranean definitely made me a summer kind of girl. I the summer, my beach tote is always packed and ready to go with all the beach essentials. A towel, sunscreen, tanning oil, sunnies, water, and some healthy beach snacks that keep my energy up when the sun starts to make me sleepy and hungry. Here are 15 of the healthy beach snacks I have on rotation all summer long.
1. Watermelon
Watermelon is one of my favourite snacks to bring to the beach. It’s mostly water and hydrates me after I’ve been sitting in the sun for hours. You can cut watermelon into cubes and store it in your fridge and have it cut up and ready to go. You can also make a watermelon smoothie if you prefer and add extra ice in your hot/cold bottle to keep it cool.
2. Rice cakes
Rice cakes are just about the easiest snack to take just about anywhere. You can add any topping from peanut butter with bananas on top or cheese with cucumbers. They are low in calories, fast to make and will fill you up.
3. Grapes
Grapes are rich in antioxidants and are an easy healthy beach snack to pack. Just rinse them and pack them in a baggie. I love eating fruit at the beach, it refreshes me so much.
4. Almonds
Looking for some protein after your swim? 1/4 cup of almonds have 5g of protein and 5g of fiber. They’re a great healthy beach snack for when you’re late to meet your friends and are rushing to get out of the house.
5. Granola Bars
Granola bars can be healthy if you choose the right ones. Ones that don’t have a ton of added sugars, high fructose corn syrup, or ingredients your body doesn’t need. Larabars, Nature Valley, and Kind bars have many different flavours to choose from, are low in calories, and are some of my favourite snacks. You can make homemade granola bars too, which are just as good.
6. Vegetables with Hummus
Hummus is packed with protein and is a great dipping sauce with a variety of vegetables. Cucumbers, carrots, red peppers, and celery are great veggie options. I love how I get to add that extra healthy flavour to my vegetables.
7. Bananas
Bananas are high in potassium and are perfect for throwing into your beach bag. One of my favourite things to do is dip bananas in peanut butter. Whatever you do, don’t forget a banana at the bottom of your bag, or else it’ll become really soft.
8. Popcorn
Salty popcorn and sun? I’d say yes to that any day. Popcorn is an easy snack to make at home before the beach (not the microwave kind, which contains a lot of unhealthy ingredients) or you can buy Skinny Pop popcorn at about any store. It’s cheap, easy, and healthier than a bag of potato chips.
9. Carrots
The easiest way to pack this snack is to buy the small carrots from the store. If you already have big carrots, peel and cut them into small pieces so they’re easier to eat with sandy fingers. They’re also perfect with hummus.
10. Sandwich
My favourite sandwich to make uses hummus and avocado as a spread, and then piles on spinach, tomato, and feta cheese. If you’re worried your lunch meats or cheese will go bad in the sun, pack your sandwich with a small ice pack to keep it cool until you get hungry.
11. Oranges
The juiciness of an orange is so satisfying after I’ve spent an afternoon on the beach. Like bananas, oranges can be tossed into your beach bag without having to worry about anything leaking or getting dirty while you’re enjoying the weather.
12. Cherries
I get so excited when I think about eating cherries, because once cherries are in season I know beach season is just around the corner. Make sure you wash your cherries really well and put them in a container or baggie before heading out, otherwise they’ll stain the inside of your beach bag.
13. Trail Mix
If you’re nuts for nuts, trail mix is for you. It’s packed with protein and healthy fats, and you even get a few M&M’s in the mix to satisfy your sweet tooth. Stores have trail mix, but you can easily make your own and add more or less of what you like and don’t like.
14. Cherry Tomatoes
I am a tomato freak and could probably eat a pint of cherry tomatoes in one sitting. It’s my favourite vegetable/fruit. Cherry tomatoes are perfect for the beach because they’re bite-sized and you can pop them into your mouth whole without worrying too much about the sand on your fingers. If you like them with salt, wash them and put them in a baggie with as much salt as your heart desires.
15. Babybel Cheese
Babybel cheese is a great protein option. This cheese is stored tightly in wax, so it should last for a while in the sun. It’s perfect with baby tomatoes or bread and crackers.
Sometimes it can be hard to choose healthy options, especially when there are so many unhealthy foods out there that are very tempting. These healthy beach snacks are easy to pack and won’t weigh you down before you head back into the ocean. The next time you’re prepping for a beach day, make sure your bag has a few of these snacks to munch on.