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THM On The Run Snack Bag

February 4, 2014 By Gwen Brown 44 Comments

THM-emergency-snack-kitMy THM on the run snack bag is a work in progress, but I thought I’d share it today for those of you who just want or need to be prepared for last minute trips or emergencies.  Now, I always keep my stevia in my purse, but a post from a midwife on the Trim Healthy Mama Facebook group really got me thinking. She asked what types of foods she could keep on hand, pre-packed to take to births.  She wanted ideas for foods that didn’t require refrigeration, and that would give her some options on S or E meals or snacks.

I realized that it’s really not a bad idea to keep a little THM emergency snack kit on the ready, so I compiled this collection of items in my ‘just in case’ kit.  Admittedly, some of these are not what I’d consider ‘healthy’ foods, and not staple items that I’d use as part of my everyday food choices.  But in a pinch, they’d be better than having nothing on hand, and would expand my options even if there were some food choices available.

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Maybe I’m not a midwife, but as a busy Mama and a soon-to-be aunt again, there are plenty of opportunities that may call me out on an errand or a late night run to the hospital at times when I just need to have some healthier options than what the candy bar/snack machine can offer.

P1140012I love the convenience of the 100 calorie packs of nuts.  They help me snack responsibly. 🙂  Habenaro BBQ is tasty enough to dissuade me from potato chips, and hot enough to dissuade me from eating the whole can.  Now, these do contain a few off plan ingredients, but we’re not talking daily snacks here.  This is just for times of need.

P1140011

The True Lemon products are great for flavoring waters or yogurt.  The drink tubes are sweetened with stevia, and are usually found in the water flavoring aisle here.  In my opinion, the drink tubes are too sweet and are better if you halve them between two water bottles.

The lemon packets are unsweetened and can be found with the bottled lemon juice or baking aisle.  One lady shared a great idea that she buys plain 0% Greek yogurt cups when she’s on the go and uses the real lemon packets and her own sweetener to create a yummy lemon yogurt if she’s caught between meals and needs to eat. Smart!

P1140015Protein.  Gotta have it.  I’m thinking the salmon could be added to a salad or I could even add a pack of mayo and some dill relish if there are any packets around.  Some types of jerky are better than others as far as ingredients.  This is the Aldi’s brand of beef sticks.  Like I said: I’ve eaten healthier food options, but this is an emergency, people.  Don’t judge. (P.S. They should be refrigerated after opening.)

And speaking of emergencies:

P1140018and Aldi’s: I just adore these 85% chocolate bar packs.  The little bars inside are one serving of dark chocolate, but I only use one square (half of a little bar) to add chocolate to my mint chip milkshakes.  Chocolate: it’s what counts in a true emergency.

P1140032I just love these, especially if you’ve got kids with you when your emergency hits.  The only ingredients are apples & vitamin C, and they’re a really quick way to get a decent E snack in (if you add some protein.  May I offer you a beef stick?)

Oh, and HERE is a fun item:

P1140022Unlike regular dried fruit, which is too sugary to use on plan, this freeze dried fruit is low enough in carbs to work on plan as a Fuel Pull!  I love this blend in oatmeal or even the berry cake I make.  I snagged a pouch for my emergency kit.  It is so nice & crunchy and makes a fun snack on the go. (This one is only 9 net carbs for the whole pouch.)  I found a box of different flavors at Costco, but they’re also available here in my THM Amazon store or sold at Trader Joes or through Honeyville.

This next one, I have very mixed feelings about.  For many reasons.  I know some ladies like to use the Atkins bars and similar, so I thought I’d try the Aldi’s version.

P1140025On one hand, they’re VERY convenient and look at that gorgeous photo on the box! Caramel. Chocolate. Peanut. Nougat.  Really, you don’t have to try very hard to sell me on caramel. I heart caramel.

However:

P1140027The bars are very small-maybe 3 inches? And they really are far less appealing than the packaging makes them out to be. On every level. You can see why peanut is not plural in the title, and the conservative caramel ribbon is not discernible at all when you bite into the bar. The chocolate coating is creepy and melts all over your fingers as soon as you touch it, and it tastes a bit like sawdust. If you want my honest opinion.

They qualify as a slightly off plan S style protein bar.  Some of the ingredients are just less than stellar.  So all the way around, I don’t see myself really using these or buying them again.

P1140024If I *know* I’m going to be out and about, I would much rather make on of the THM milkshakes for a snack instead of one of the sawdust bars.

Oh, and I’ll leave you with a REALLY fun idea for travel or emergency use:  I remembered seeing the baby formula containers at the grocery store, and thought that it would be PERFECT to measure out scoops of protein powder!  You may even want to go ahead and add your stevia and cocoa measurement to each section.  This container stores 3 separate servings, and you simply twist the lid to the section you want to pour from, and dump into your cup.
protein-powder-dispenserThis would be a quick fix to mix into some shelf stable almond milk, coffee, or even plain 0% Greek yogurt for an added protein boost.

So, what are your favorite on-the-go/emergency grab items on THM?

And now for LOTS more Trim & Healthy Inspiration…

trim-healthy-tuesdays-banne

A big thanks to all of the THM bloggers that make Trim Healthy Tuesday so fun!  Your comments and clicks really make their day! And the linked up recipe with the top clicks will be featured here next week.

Here are my top 3 posts from last week:

(click to open them in a new window)

Trim Healthy Tuesdays

Game Day Treats

 

Trim Healthy Tuesdays

Coconut Cream Berry Crunch [S]

Trim Healthy Tuesdays

Apple Crisp For One! [E]

The post from last week with the most visits was this one.

Trim Healthy Tuesdays

Apple Oatmeal Cream Pies [E]

*drool*

And now for this weeks Trim Healthy Tuesday Posts!

Bloggers: please see updated posting guidelines here.

Thanks so much for joining me on Trim Healthy Tuesdays!

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Bloggers, wanna link up? We want to see your posts! See the little blue “Add Your Link” box just above? CLICK IT if you want to add your Trim Healthy Mama link to this post!
Psst…the Name blank means the name of your recipe or blog post. And you’re welcome, because I’ve already screwed that up nicely myself.
NOTE: Please review the Trim Healthy Tuesday linking guidelines here and be sure to backlink to this post when linking up: http://wp.me/p4hfZb-U0

Filed Under: Trim & Healthy, Trim Healthy Mama Tips Tagged With: THM Tips

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  1. Michelle says

    February 4, 2014 at 12:20 PM

    I like Quest bars. I get them from GNC. Several flavors have Splenda, but there are 3 or 4 flavors with stevia and erythritol only.

    Reply
  2. Becky says

    February 4, 2014 at 12:38 PM

    I honestly don’t understand. If I was going to eat something slightly off plan, why would I eat junk food full of chemicals? Eat some almonds and an apple, or cheese and apple, but at least eat real food. Its easy to grab fruit and nuts.

    Reply
    • Suzanne says

      April 12, 2017 at 10:22 AM

      Some people can’t eat nuts. These were just other snack items to try on occasion for an emergency.

      Reply
  3. Sister Uglier says

    February 4, 2014 at 1:30 PM

    LOVE this idea! MRE’s for THM is total genius! So simple yet so creative! Thank you!

    Reply
  4. julie coney says

    February 4, 2014 at 1:31 PM

    loved this post. Having been “stranded” out in my “taxi” and starving is never fun. An apple and a gas station bag of salted peanuts have come to the rescue…. I am going to look for a few other emergency supplies to keep handy. Thanks!

    Reply
  5. Leslie Garms Pennington says

    February 4, 2014 at 1:55 PM

    Gwen, the Costco freeze dried Strawberry/banana mix has the BEST strawberries. They are like candy – crunchy, sweet, and just the right bite. I don’t like regular dried fruit, but love these freeze dried crunchies.

    Reply
  6. Julieanne M. says

    February 4, 2014 at 2:19 PM

    I’ve tried the Atkins bars in the past (we don’t have Aldi’s here in the Pacific NW), and they have a nasty cleansing effect on me…must be the maltitol or sorbitol or something. I have used some of the Quest bars with success, the flavors that are on plan, but oh my goodness, those are EXPENSIVE! Thank you for this post. What a great, helpful idea to share with us all!

    Reply
  7. ChristinDitchfield says

    February 4, 2014 at 6:37 PM

    Thank you so much for sharing these ideas! I’ve had a really hard time staying on plan when I travel (as a women’s retreat speaker) between the restrictions at airport security, the often limited amenities in hotel rooms, and lack of time / transportation to get to grocery stores during the conferences. But I’m determined to keep trying and these suggestions will really help!

    Reply
  8. Rashel says

    February 4, 2014 at 8:54 PM

    I love all these ideas! I could have used an emergency pack last month when we had to make a fast trip to the emergency room. Usually I keep nuts on hand to grap and go but those get old quick.
    Thanks again
    Rashel

    Reply
  9. Cynthia Barger says

    May 5, 2014 at 8:37 PM

    Thank you! I might have been the midwife with the request. My birth bag food has gotten a little more creative but this is still great help!

    Reply
  10. Jennifer Francis says

    July 26, 2014 at 3:16 AM

    Thanks for the idea! I made myself up a plastic container for work, that I take on vacation with me too. I also added little sugar free hard candies, tea bags, and a small container of ACV.

    Reply
    • Its_Gwen says

      September 3, 2014 at 11:26 PM

      Great ideas! I carry tea bags in my purse too. 🙂

      Reply
    • Celeste says

      June 3, 2016 at 5:09 PM

      Jennifer, what have you found to keep your ACV in? Every container I’ve tried has ended up leaking. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Lynn says

        July 5, 2016 at 6:11 PM

        Hi. I saw on another Pinterest post that someone had used a travel sized shampoo container for the ACV and just measured/marked with a sharpie for 2 T.

        Reply
        • Gwen Brown says

          July 6, 2016 at 1:35 AM

          Brilliant!!!

          Reply
  11. Beth says

    February 1, 2015 at 5:35 PM

    What quest bars are on plan? Thank you

    Reply
  12. chris hall says

    March 11, 2015 at 4:05 PM

    I am making a gift box for a friends birthday, he is very weight conscious. I am making him the ranch dressing mix, and printing some recipes. Do you have any more suggestions of dry things i can give him in jars? I am new to the THM way (and yes I’m going to try these for myself too). FYI- I bought the PDF version on my kindle and am so sorry for that. I wish I had found your website before for the quick start information. I’m going to buy ingredients before buying the paper book, money only goes so far!

    PS I love love love pretzels. are there any on plan?

    Reply
    • Gwen Brown says

      March 11, 2015 at 5:24 PM

      Hi Chris! Oh, the Ranch is amazing, and so is the Greek dressing dry mix. I use them as dry spices all the time. 🙂 What about the sugar free brown sugar for adding to oatmeal or yogurt?

      There actually ARE sprouted pretzels that you can find in my Amazon store (link in sidebar or under the Trim Healthy tab). Not sure where they are sold locally, but you may be able to look that up once you look up the brand name?

      Reply
  13. Beth says

    April 25, 2015 at 10:17 PM

    QUEST BARS (homemade and bought. I cannot do Malitol!!) !!! EAS Protein shakes (Sams), Chocoperfection bars (chocolate), homemade powdered Ranch dressing (mix in mayo and a little water or almond milk), or make your own and put in a travel shampoo bottle (new of course).

    Reply
    • Beth says

      April 25, 2015 at 10:19 PM

      you can also carry dehydrated apples (homemade if possible) or freeze dried!

      Reply
    • Gwen Brown says

      April 26, 2015 at 6:41 PM

      Awesome suggestions!!!

      Reply
  14. jan says

    August 2, 2015 at 9:39 PM

    thanx so much for the info…I often find myself in a bind & I am truly an over organized person so these times really bother me…this will be perfect for in my car…good job for your honesty also…Jan

    Reply
  15. brittney says

    January 12, 2016 at 11:06 PM

    Hi there! I am wondering if you have any tips for staying on plan during a hospital stay? I am due to have baby number 6 in just a couple days and have been doing well on the plan. Any help would be great!

    Reply
    • Gwen Brown says

      January 12, 2016 at 11:48 PM

      Sure!
      Hospital food is sadly not the most nutritious. Fats, sweets, and breads are what you’re going to want to replace. When I had my last baby, I asked ahead of time, and they had a fridge & microwave in the refreshment station that new Mama’s could use.

      I would bring my own cream, butter, dressings, yogurts, concentrates of your favorite drinks, fruit or SF syrup…even whipped cream if you want! 🙂 Stash them in the fridge with your name on it (rubber band with tape tabs is helpful, since they won’t fall off with condensation). On a vacation once, I even took the ingredients for milkshakes, and used my hand blender or bullet blender to mix them.

      I also took a non-chilled snack bag with nuts, fruits, jerky, and even premixed packets for Muffin in a Mug portions for a sweet “bread” treat. I am usually SO hungry after having a baby! And I usually travel with my own teabags and sweetener. 🙂

      If they’re serving something that you really don’t care for, you can always ask friends or family to grab something, or trade your dinner for theirs. Ha! (For some reason, the Dad’s I know all love hospital food…crazy, huh?!)

      Reply
  16. Celeste says

    June 3, 2016 at 5:11 PM

    Love these ideas. Can you tell me where you found the formula dispenser for a dollar? The only place I found was $4 at Target. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Gwen Brown says

      June 3, 2016 at 5:43 PM

      The dollar tree sells them on the baby aisle. 🙂

      Reply
  17. Lynette Hagene says

    June 25, 2016 at 10:41 AM

    Hi! my name is Lynette I am very much over weight, diabetic, high blood pressure, lots of pain from arthritis and post back surgery, I wasn’t overweight til after my 4th son was born, then two c sections later and boom!! Im a big fat girl, well old girl! Ive got the thm book and cookbook ordered, going to really try to get this right! my neighbor is doing well on it ive tried everything, I love to eat! ty for listening.

    Reply
    • Gwen Brown says

      June 25, 2016 at 11:30 PM

      Welcome Lynette! I love to eat too. 🙂 I hope you love the THM way of eating!

      Reply

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