I wake up between 4:30 and 5:00 am everyday but Saturdays. By 5:45 I am leaving my house to arrive at the barn by 6am to turn in, feed, and groom my herd. Either from there I am going to ride and then return home to shower and head to the office, or I am going to go to the gym and shower there. It really depends on what day it is and what I feel like doing with that time.
Since my day begins so early I can’t exactly blend up one of my green drinks, therefore I had to find a way to get in some basic protein to beat the “hangry” feeling that creeps over me around 10:30 am. While I was contemplating what to do, I found the answer in a Wawa pit stop; Protein Packs!
Wawa’s version was much less expensive than Starbucks version at a moderate price of $3.00, but $3.00 x 5 days per work week x 4 weeks in a month = $60.00. It helps to remember when budgeting that those small purchases add up over the long haul.
Since I love my money in the bank, if I were to copy cat what was in them, even getting to change up the variety, I could probably do a weeks worth for less than if I were to by three of them from Wawa. Thrifty and earth friendly bonus: I even kept the container and continue to reuse it. That is when I didn’t forget to bring it home from work.
In the one pack that I had purchased came sliced apples, slices of cheddar cheese, grapes and a yummy teeny tiny cinnamon apple loaf. I’m still cutting and I don’t really eat sugar anyway, so I replaced that portion with something more substantial to keep me satiated. While the possibilities for combinations for a DIY Protein Packs are truly endless. The below list is what I began with;
DIY Starbucks/WaWa Protein Packs…(from Aldi of course):
- Block of Swiss Cheese ~ $1.79
- Block of NY Sharp Cheddar ~ $1.79
- Mini Whole Wheat Bagels ~ $1.89
- Granola ~ $2.99 (I buy this weekly so I didn’t add it in to the price)
- Roasted Chicken Breast (lunchmeat) ~ $2.49
- Gala Apples, 5lbs ~ $2.89
- Grapes ~ (Already had on hand)
The mushrooms and egg whites were part of my healthy haul, not the protein packs…because that would be messy. The hummus I always purchase so though I did use it in my protein snack packs, I didn’t count it towards the total.
Just a small sampling of what I packed…
As you can see, I didn’t remember until after I ate them to take a picture, and the pics that I did snap show the same foods. I admit that for myself, I’m just not that creative when it comes to food. I keep it simple, whole, as sugar free as possible, but creative…I’m just not there yet. I actually see food a fuel and that’s it. While I used to be a foodie, that was only when I was eating in nice restaurants because I’m not a “foodie” in that I can cook.
Basically, food to me is what gas is to my car…necessary. I’m hoping that one day I’ll get that creativity and love for food and cooking, but for now I’m content to keep it simple…and the same if need be…just to build those good foundation blocks.
At the end of the 9 days I still had half a bag of mini bagels, a whole block of swiss cheese, and about 1/4 container of the roasted turkey breast. I continued to use them as my base and added additional fruit, yogurt, granola, and crackers with hummus that I purchased on my most recent shopping trip. The leftovers actually drive the cost per pack down even lower.
Other Free Options… (Free since you probably have them already anyway)
- Hard Boiled Egg
- Tuna & Crackers
- Popcorn (not microwavable, those bags are chemical ridden. Check here for an easy way to make it fresh.)
- Peanut Butter & Carrot Sticks/crackers/celery/etc.
These snack packs can be anything that is healthy and easy. The point is to save money by bringing a mid-morning snack that is healthy, fresh and devoid of processed foods. I like to make them all week so that I have something easy to grab on the weekends too.
Additional Inspiration for your DIY snack packs…see…I’m getting there 🙂
- String cheese
- Jerky (Make your own in your oven)
- Almonds
- Small piece of dark chocolate
- Banana slices with cashew butter
- Cereal/Granola bar (Make your own)
- Slice of nut bread (Make your own)
In conclusion,
Eating well absolutely can be inexpensive and easy. A few years back a 10:30 am snack to me may have been another cup of coffee and a Danish from the coffee shop down the street. Everything in moderation, but I was doing it 3 to 4 times per week! These snack packs have made things much easier and healthier for me. Hopefully, you’ve found some inspiration here!
Tell me some tips and tricks of yours that I need to try when it comes to beating mid morning munchies!
I love things organized, simple, and efficient. From food to embracing emotions, this blog is about organized, simple, and efficient. For me, there is no other way to be.
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Jenna Prosceno 