GUILT-FREE GAS-STATION GRABS

LET’S PLAY TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE, shall we? :)

1. we're choosing to travel a lot less by plane these days, given the current atmosphere and social distancing parameters.

2. we're opting in for driving (instead of flying), and taking fun road trips with friends and family - or even just solo with a kick-ass audio book!

3. you’re stopping at a gas station to fill up, hear your tummy rumblin’, and all there is to choose from inside is a huge bag of Doritos and Gatorade!

Can you guess which one of these three is often sorely mistaken for “truth” - but is in fact a lie?! Yep - it’s numero tres.

"I need something salty and I hate the playlist the group voted to listen to...I deserve these nachos loaded with cheese." While I do agree, being outvoted and forced to listen to a sh*tty playlist for 8 hours is less than ideal...I strongly recommend finding a different solution than housing a plate of gas-station nachos (unless you want your distraction to be stopping every 30 minutes for the remainder of car ride...💩).

I’ve been in that scenario a time-or-two, and have learned that I end up feeling 100x less bloated and way better when I arrive at my final destination if I choose a clean snack over those loaded-with-salt and high-sugar treats that we often stroll by in the gas station! If I don’t end up packing my own snacks for a road trip, these are my five go-to-grabs if I need to stop of a quick snack whilst fillin’ up the tank in the middle of B.F. no where ;)

Gluten-free, non-GMO, and KETO, these nut-butter packets are made with extremely clean ingredients: dry-roasted nuts. When assessing the "healthiness" of nut-butter, it's important to understand that "fat" contained in nut-butter is broken down into two categories: "mono-saturated fats" and "trans fats" - it's important to understand the basic differences between the two! Mono-saturated fats are "good" and trans-fats are "not so good". These mono-saturated fats are insanely good for overall heart health, with vitamin E, magnesium, copper, vitamin B2 (riboflavin), and phosphorous.

While high in calorie count, nut-butter is loaded with good mono-saturated fats and 0g of bad trans-fats, fibers (3g), and protein (6g) per pack.

I mentioned this in my last post but...0% fat Fage Greek yogurt has become the MVP of my kitchen. It’s loaded with protein (18g), low in calories (90), and low in sugar (5g). It's the perfect quick gas-station-grab because you can eat it plain, drop some mixed-nuts in there, drizzle some honey, or toss some fruit on top!

Debatably can down three entire bags of this stuff (and have). At only 35 calories per cup, this clean-ingredient (popcorn + sea salt + dash of sunflower oil) popcorn is the perfect guilt-free snack to satisfy that salty-craving popcorn. Warning: should grab two bags. Or three.

Hummus, as we all know, is made from (...drumroll please...) chickpeas!! chickpeas not only have a cool name, but they are also a fantastic source of plant-based protein. These little to-go containers are not only convenient, but contain 10g of protein, the perfect bite-size pretzels for dipping, and are made with all-natural ingredients, including chickpeas, garlic, ground sesame seeds.

Anyone who knows me knows I have a zealous obsession with trail-mix. Mixed nuts are often a tricky topic in the "health food" world, solely due to their high calorie count. However, when consumed in moderation, they're the ultimate source of fiber and protein...not to mention - they're quite filling! Another tidbit of knowledge is that apparently there are four "top nuts": walnuts, almonds, peanuts, and cashews; they're considered “best” in terms of nutritional value and least amount of calories (according to SpoonUniversity).