Snacks I Can't Live Without

Ever since I became a mother (16 years ago), I've been known to carry snacks in my purse. From granola bars, to carrots, to sub sandwiches, I never leave the house without an emergency supply of snacks. The best time to indulge in snack foods is when you're stuck at a red light or in traffic, when you're in line at the supermarket, or when you don't want to pay $43 for a bucket of popcorn at the movie theater.

Almonds are one of my favorite snack items; they are easy to carry plus they pack tons of nutrients, and I like that they're crunchy (that's always a plus!). I usually scoop in a couple of handfuls of almonds into a ziploc bag and call it a day. They're not messy, don't leave crumbs, and it's a food that can be easily shared with friends (and with strangers too).

If I'm running errands and I know I won't be able to have lunch at a decent hour, I will snack on a protein bar. I prefer chocolate Luna bars with chocolate chips inside and chocolate on the outside, plus more chocolate. Actually, my favorite ones are the peppermint chocolate: they taste like Christmas and I love anything with peppermint! These bars satisfy my hunger while providing lots of vitamins. Again, these are easy to share, but I usually don't, because I'm stingy with anything chocolate (just ask my family).

When we are going to the park or somewhere outdoors and buying food is almost impossible, I like to bring along some carrots, apples, bananas. Basically, anything that doesn't require too much work to eat. Fruits and veggies are a quick option. On a hot summer day, I prefer to eat frozen grapes...perfect food to eat when you're hot and sweaty and hungry. Unfortunately, grapes in Dubai are hard to find, and when they are available, they cost approximately $123 a bag--not kidding.

On days when I crave carbs, I will bring some pretzels or half a bagel. Like I said earlier, I like to eat crunchy foods; therefore I love pretzels. Preferably I would dip the pretzels in hummus, but carrying around a dip would be a bit much...right?

Even though I don't consider candy to be a snack food, sometimes I'm guilty of carrying around bags of skittles or M&M's. I blame the Easter bunny for this!! However, I seem to be more popular amongst my nieces and nephews whenever I have candy...and who doesn't enjoy being popular?

These are just some of my favorite snacks, for now. And speaking of food, I'm getting hungry--time for lunch! Until next time!!