15 Quick and Easy Snacks for Busy Moms * Moms and Crafters

Did you ever notice the clock strike 3 PM and you’ve hardly eaten a thing? Or did you notice your hunger just as you were about to leave – at the last minute of course? It happens to the best of us, which is why I always keep some quick and easy snacks handy to grab and go.

Every time I scroll through my favorite magazine, and I notice the ideas they share for snacks, I think “who’s got the time for that?!” I mean, when hunger hits I don’t usually have the time to start assembling sushi rolls or avocado quinoa salads to repress those pains.

For me, grab ‘n go snacks need to be dummy proof. No complicated mini sandwiches, no work can be involved. It needs to be the kind of thing I can reach into the cupboard or fridge for, and stick into my handbag. I need to be able to eat it while “redirecting” my toddler from whatever tests-of-gravity he may be experimenting with at the moment.

And of course they need to be delicious and filling, or I’ll have to pass. Peanut butter is a common theme you’ll see across this list, as it is easy, satisfying, and packs in some protein. My new favorite is the Jif bars that include granola and keep me Peanut Butter Happy. We really enjoyed them on the subway when we took M to the Children’s Museum of Manhattan last Labor Day.

Here are some of my favorite quick and easy snacks for busy moms. Some are better for grabbing while leaving to go to work, shop, play (or wherever it is moms go). Some are easy to scoop into a bowl single-handedly and eat with whichever hand is spare between mopping, cooking, playing (or whatever it is that moms do at home.)

15 GRAB ‘N GO QUICK AND EASY SNACKS FOR BUSY MOMS:

Jif Peanut Butter Granola bars
Veggie sticks and hummus
Rice cakes with hazelnut spread
Cheese sticks
Crackers with sliced cheese
Apples dipped into peanut butter
Dried or dehydrated fruit
Pretzel rods with peanut butter
Yogurt with cereal.
Banana chips
Frozen grapes
Pita chips and hummus
Beef sticks or jerky
Homemade vegetable muffins (made in advance and stocked in your freezer.)
Chips ‘n salsa

Some more on-the-go snacking tips:

Aim for foods that have some protein, so that you can feel fuller for longer.
For on the go: Buy individual serving hummus and peanut butter. You can even get pretzels prepackaged with your PB to make it quicker. Or, invest in small serving containers if you prefer to split large containers.
Wrapped Jif peanut butter granola bars are great for at home AND on the go. Keep lots of them handy!
Corral less-perishables such as Jif bars in a makeup pouch inside your handbag. You don’t even need to grab it – you can just go! This will also save you when you forget to grab a snack.

Double wrap any dips that you bring on the way, just in case.
ALWAYS bring an extra just in case you meet a hungry friend!

Keep a separate zipper bag in your handbag for trash, in case you’re not near a trash can when you eat.
On that note, zipper bags are your best friend! I use them for carrying a few Jif bars, for fresh veggies or fruit, and for double wrapping (see tips above…)

My favorite new quick and easy snack – Jif peanut butter granola bars (and how they keep me peanut butter happy):

My husband and I are huge peanut butter freaks. I mean, there can be thirty flavors of ANYTHING but if one of them is peanut butter, it’s a no-brainer for us.

So, when I heard about the new Jif peanut butter granola bars, I KNEW we had to try it! I always kept a stash of granola bars handy as one of my main quick and easy snacks. And, with these bars, peanut butter isn’t the flavor. Peanut butter is the bar!

Delicious fresh roasted Jif peanut butter is layered with the chewy granola that I love so much. And it packs in 7-8 grams of protein per bar, keeping you full for longer. It comes in crunchy peanut butter, creamy peanut butter, and peanut butter chocolate (my personal favorite) to suit your mood. And, of course they are certified Kosher Dairy by the OU, making them a favorite go to snack.