Grab-and-go healthy snacks I’m loving right now

Ooooooh friends. Have I ever got a load of greatness for you today!

Recently I got an email from a reader who had just stumbled across my 36 healthy snack ideas for every kind of busy. (There are some gems in there, so if you haven’t read it yet be sure to check it out soon!) She said she loved these ideas, but has a trip to Europe coming up and worried that some of the options I suggested wouldn’t be available to her.

Having been to Europe a few times myself, I could identify with her concern. When I was in London around Christmas time, there were certainly gluten-free, plant-based organic items available if I looked hard enough, but as a Canadian used to looking at Canadian price tags, and as a Vancouverite used to being spoiled for choice, I was quickly alerted to the fact that North America seems to be quite a bit more progressive in this area.

So back to my reader’s question. She wanted to know what my top healthy packaged, non-perishable snack recommendations were. In other words, ones she could easily toss into her suitcase and enjoy during her travels. In addition to providing her with my top tips for healthy travel, I suggested checking out these:

Wonderfully Raw 

This is a brand that I got to know a little better recently at Vancouver’s Gluten Free Expo. As I taste tested my way around the expo hall that afternoon, I couldn’t help but be drawn to the booth with bags of something called Brussel Bytes on display. As a huge veggie head, my BS radar (that’s brussels sprout) went off and before I knew it, I’d tried every flavour they had to offer.

These guys are like kale chips, only better. They come in Tamarind Apple, Chili Pumpkin Seed Crunch and Cheesy Herb, and all of these are vegan, gluten-free, organic and non-GMO. The ingredients are squeaky clean and include things like brussels sprouts (crazy, right?!), spices, tamari, cashews, seeds, apple cider vinegar, garlic and coconut nectar.

In addition to Brussel Byes (which are hands-down, my favourite of the bunch), Wonderfully Raw also has Snip Chips, which are crispy dehydrated bits of parsnip mixed with dried unsweetened coconut and flavourings similar to the Brussel Bytes.

If cauliflower, broccoli and carrots are more your style, Dipperz are a blend of the three, dehydrated until lovely and crisp. They come in cheezy, lemongrass chili, and ranch flavours.

And last but not least, for those of you who like sweeter bites, Wonderfully Raw also has Coco-Roons. They’re little two-bite macaroon cookies that are vegan, organic, gluten-free and paleo-friendly, and to my surprise, only have about 5g of sugar each. They come in 7 different varieties (think Apple Pie, Lemon Pie, Brownie, Vanilla Maple…) and I’m not even a huge coconut person, but I thought the Lemon Pie ones were lovely!

You’ll find these goodies at plenty of health food stores across North America, and if you’re in the US there’s a retailer search on Wonderfully Raw’s website. Here in Canada, I’ve seen them in many Whole Foods locations, as well as Urban Fare and a few smaller grocery stores. Or, if you hang on until the end of this post, you could win some!

Where to find Wonderfully Raw on social: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Simply Protein

I’ve been a fan of Simply Protein (formerly known as Wellness Foods) for many years now, and an ambassador for just a few. Their first product, The Simply Bar is still one of my top choices and recommendations for people looking for a bar that’s low in sugar, not too heavy, gluten-free and high in protein.

I occasionally use these as pre-workout snacks because they seem to digest really easily, and this makes them a good airplane snack too because bloating on air planes is no bueno! Simply Protein Bars are also a convenient post-workout choice (due to the high protein content) and mid-afternoon snack because they’re low in sugar but still sort of treat-like.

The company has a few different products and it’s important to know which bars are which. Let me differentiate 2 of the most popular for you:

Simply Protein Bars are the originals, and to this day, my faves. They have about 1g sugar, 15g protein, 7g fibre and 150 calories each, are gluten-free, vegan, and come in a ton of flavours. The protein content comes from soy which I know is a controversial ingredient, but they claim to be non-GMO verified and in comparison to a lot of other bars on the market, are much cleaner from an ingredients perspective. If you need recommendations, I highly suggest the Maple Pecan and Chocolate Caramel ones!

Simply Protein Whey Bars are similar to Simply Protein Bars, but they’re not vegan because the protein source is… you guessed it – whey! Although my body doesn’t seem to like dairy very much, I haven’t had any digestive troubles with these bars. Nutrition stat-wise, the numbers are very comparable to Simply Protein Bars.

Other bars: Simply Protein Decadent Bars, Veggie Bars, Kids Bars… there are several others that are newer and each serve their own purpose. There’s also Simply Protein Chips (vegan, gluten-free, soy free) which are made with pea protein, and I love using them as croutons on salads!

Eat Spin Run Repeat reader discount: ESRR20 for 20% off your first purchase (US and Canada).

Where to get social with Simply Protein: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Naked Snacks

This is a wicked Vancouver-based company doing awesome things! Most recently, Naked Snacks was the official snack provider for TED 2016, and those attendees were in for a treat because these guys kill it when it comes to delicious healthy snacks! The company also donates a portion of the proceeds from each box to Canadian children in need.

In case this is the first time you’ve heard of them, Naked Snacks is a snack box provider to hungry healthy eating enthusiasts across Canada. I’ve been working with the company for a little while now and am amazed by how fast they’ve grown since starting up in 2014. As a customer, you’ve got lots of options:

• Get Snacks – for yourself, that is! Choose your snacks (5 bags per box, 4 portions per bag), choose your frequency, and wait for them to arrive on your doorstep!
• Give Snacks – to your friends, your family, your clients, your favourite blogger… 😉 Again, you can choose the snacks you want to give, personalize a message, select the frequency and Naked Snacks looks after the rest.

But what about the actual snacks themselves? There are lots, and more are being added all the time. My favourite sweet ones are the Maui Pineapple Rings, Ginger Staycation and Tuscan Road Trip (dark chocolate and cashews and pistachios, oh my!) and the Sriracha Cashews are my top savoury pick.

Eat Spin Run Repeat reader discount code: eatspinrunrepeat for 33% off your first single box – that’s a $10 savings! (Canada only.)

Where to get social with Naked Snacks: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Now the super exciting part: the giveaway!!!

All three of these amazing companies have generously provided some goodies for lucky Eat Spin Run Repeat readers to win. Here’s what’s up for grabs:

Wonderfully Raw: A prize pack full of of Brussel Bytes, Snip Chips, Dipperz, and CocoRoons. (Canada only)

Simply Protein: A box each of Simply Protein Chips, Simply Protein Bars, and the very recently launched Simply Decadent Bars, all in the flavour of your choice. (Canada and US)

Naked Snacks: A snack box containing the snacks of your choice, just like you’d receive if you were a customer! (Canada only)

Here’s how to enter:

• Mandatory blog post comment: Tell me which of the above 3 prizes you’d like to win.
• Bonus Facebook follows: Like at least one of these companies on Facebook. (All links are above.) Comment back here telling me you did.
• Bonus Twitter follows: Follow at least one of the companies above on Twitter.(All links are above.) Comment back here telling me you did.
• Share this giveaway on Instagram: Check out my Instagram feed for the photo that looks like the one at the very top of this post. Re-post it and tag me (@eatspinrunrpt).
• Tweet about this giveaway! Something like…

[Tweet “I want to up my snack game with help from @mynakedsnacks @wonderfullyraw1 @simplyprotein”]

I’ll keep this one open until Thursday February 25th at 8PM PT, so get your entries in and good luck!