THE BEST MEAL PREP SNACK RECIPES | 4 Easy + Healthy Snacks You Can Make Yourself

I don't know about you guys, but I'm a big snacker. And let's be real, when you're starving, it's easy to just grab for a bag of chips and call it a day. But not when you have some delicious snacks meal prepped. Today I'm going to show you four of my all-time favorite healthy homemade snack ideas. Hey guys, welcome back to my channel. It's Taylor from The Girl on Bloor. I'm all about sharing easy meal prep strategies so that you can save time, money, and stress. Snacks are what help power you through the day and keep your energy levels up, but they're often an afterthought when compared to other meals of the day. So today I'll be showing you how you can meal prep healthy snacks just like you do with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I'll be showing you how to make homemade beef jerky that'll last for months in the freezer, along with nut-free chocolate fat bombs, three-ingredient peanut butter protein balls, and the best meal prep green smoothie. Yes, you can meal prep smoothies. These snacks all contain protein to keep you feeling full between meals, and you can feel good about eating them because they're homemade. If you're loving all of these options, I've got even more meal prep ideas in my four-week meal plan. Prep your snacks, then set yourself up with the other three meals of the day. I've linked to my free meal plan in the description of this video below. Now let's get into these snacks. We'll start with our homemade beef jerky, which is both healthier and cheaper to make than buying the packaged version. It takes a while to make this recipe start to finish, but luckily most of that time is hands-off, and you'll be left with all the jerky you need for the next few weeks, or even months if you freeze it. You'll want to freeze your 16 ounces of top sirloin steak for at least one hour first so that it's easier to slice into thin pieces. You can also use top round or bottom round steak. Along with top sirloin, those are the most tender cuts of meat that are perfect for making jerky with. Pork and venison can also make good jerky, but I don't recommend using raw poultry for this recipe. While your steak is in the freezer, you can prep the marinade by mixing together three quarters of a cup of soy sauce, a quarter cup of Worcestershire, two tablespoons of honey, two teaspoons of hot sauce, two teaspoons of black pepper, one teaspoon of onion powder, one teaspoon of garlic powder, one teaspoon of paprika, and half a teaspoon of red pepper flakes. This is a basic seasoning combo, but you can totally experiment with different flavors here. The easiest way to do that is to add different spices such as cumin, coriander, or curry powder, or you can also use spice blends such as jerk or Cajun seasoning. Even for the sauces, you could swap out the Worcestershire for lime juice or try adding maple syrup in place of the honey. The options are endless. When your steak is semi-frozen, take it out of the freezer and slice it as thinly as possible against the grain, trimming away any fat. Add your marinade to a freezer bag and then add your steak strips. I love using these Ziploc bag holders for mess-free marinating. They're linked to in the video description below. They come in handy anytime I'm marinating something. Now you're going to let the beef marinate for at least half an hour. You can technically make the marinade the night before making your jerky and let your beef sit overnight for deeper flavor, and this is an easy way to cut up the prep because I know this recipe is a long one. When your beef is almost done marinating, lay some aluminum foil on the bottom rack of your oven to catch any juice that drips from the meat and then preheat your oven to 170 degrees. You'll also want to soak some bamboo skewers in a bowl of water to make them more pliable and less likely to splinter. Place your steak strips on a paper towel-lined plate then squeeze any excess liquid out of the strips with paper towel until dried. Add your steak strips to the bamboo skewers, leaving about an inch of space between each strip for even cooking, then hang them along the highest rack of your oven. If you happen to own a dehydrator, you can use it to make your jerky, though it will take about eight hours, which is nearly twice as long as it takes in the oven. Once your steak strips are in place, close your oven door, keeping it propped open slightly with an oven mitt to allow moisture to escape and cook for five hours. Check on it approximately every hour to monitor progress and remember, don't leave the oven unintended just in case. See, I told you this recipe was mostly hands-off. At the end of your cooking time, you can go ahead and remove the strips from the oven and take them off the skewers. You're going to eat them within three to four days, so you can keep them at room temperature. Any longer and you should pop them into the fridge. This jerky doesn't have as long of a shelf life as store-bought versions, and that's a good thing because that means less preservatives, but the jerky will stay fresh in the fridge for up to two weeks, and I consider that pretty darn good. Since this jerky recipe is such a long process, I like to make a bunch of it and then freeze it since it'll last for at least three months that way. Make sure to get as much air as possible out of the container or freezer bag you're storing it in. And that's it. This beef jerky is perfect for adding protein to a midday snack and keeping you full between meals. Next, we're going to whip up one of the simplest snacks ever, which is my nut-free chocolate fat bombs. These amazing keto treats are gluten-free, dairy-free, and paleo-friendly. You'll start by adding 3 1⁄4 of a cup of sunflower butter and 3 1⁄4 of a cup of coconut oil to a large bowl. Microwave the mixture for one minute. You can totally sub out the sunflower butter for your preferred nut butter of choice, like peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter. I use sunflower butter to keep these fat bombs nut-free. I recommend you stick with the coconut oil, though. Because it's solid at room temperature, it helps bind these ingredients together in the fridge. Other oils are liquid at room temperature, so they don't work as well. After microwaving your sunflower butter and coconut oil, stir in two tablespoons of cocoa powder, mixing until well combined. I usually stick with these three ingredients, but if you want them a little sweeter, you can add a powder texture sweetener. Monkfruit is a great option for those on the keto diet. It's also super easy to change these fat bombs up by adding some other ingredients, like adding a drop of peppermint, almond, vanilla, or orange extract, or adding other seasonings like cinnamon, ginger, or coconut flakes. Now that you've got your easy three-ingredient filling, you're going to divide among a silicone chocolate mold. Remember to add your mold to a baking sheet for some stability, so the filling doesn't spill everywhere while it's setting. The 30-cup chocolate mold I use as a silicone dishwasher safe version, which you can check out in the video description below. I use it for all sorts of things, and it's reasonably priced to boot. It's up to you which molds you use, but you want the serving size to be fairly small. These snacks are still treats after all. So pour your mixture into the molds and freeze them for 30 minutes so the liquid solidifies. Leftover fat bombs can be stored in the fridge for up to 30 days, which means you can make a big batch and always have some on hand when a craving hits. To keep them for a longer period of time, you can freeze them, but be sure they are firm before you pack them together in a container so that they don't stick. Once frozen, fat bombs will last for up to three months in the freezer. Et voila, bite-sized yumminess that works as a high-energy snack or a healthier dessert. With no carbs and very little sugar, these will help you feel full and satisfied until your next meal. Moving right along to my three-ingredient peanut butter protein balls. These are the perfect protein-packed snack. All you need is oats, nut butter, and protein powder. Don't you just love the short ingredient list of all these snack recipes? Begin by adding two cups of rolled oats to a food processor or blender and blend it into a flour. Oats are a great source of energy to keep you going throughout your day, and they're a great source of fiber, which helps with digestion. If you don't have rolled oats, quick oats or large flake oats will also work well. Steel-cut oats are not a great option here. You're also welcome to skip this step and use pre-made oat flour instead. Mix your oat flour in a large bowl with one cup of vanilla whey protein powder and one and a half cups of peanut butter. Protein powders are a popular nutritional supplement that is filled with amino acids. It can add upwards of 35 grams of protein per cup. Protein repairs your muscles for continuous growth, which is perfect for post-workouts. Meanwhile, peanut butter is a wonderful source of healthy fats and calcium that promote strong bones. Roll your dough into 24 even-sized balls and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Chill in the fridge for at least two hours before serving, and that's it. If peanut butter isn't your thing, you can substitute with almond butter, cashew butter, or your other favorite nut butter. You can also make these nut-free by using seed butter like sunflower or pumpkin seed butter. Now, some tips on finding a good protein powder. First, you'll want to choose a whey protein for this particular recipe. I haven't tried it with soy, rice, pea, or any other type of protein powder. Unfortunately, they're all so different that plant-based ones may not work here. Choose the protein powder with the fewest ingredients. Protein should be the first ingredient. From there, select a powder that has 25 to 35 grams of protein per serving. Make sure it is low-carb with preferably less than five grams of carbs, and make sure it doesn't have any added sugar or artificial sweeteners. Finally, always choose protein isolate. This means that it contains more than 90% protein. I'm linking the protein powder I use in the video description below. These protein balls will stay fresh in a large container in the fridge for up to two weeks. If you want them to last longer, you can put them in a freezer bag and then store in the freezer. They'll last up to three months that way. I like to use silicone freezer bags to reduce my plastic use. You can find those linked to in the description below. When you're ready to enjoy one or two, take them out of the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes. If you're in a rush, you can microwave them for 10 to 20 seconds and they'll be good to go. There you have it. Quick, simple, delicious peanut butter protein balls to get you that boost that you need for the rest of your day. I've got one more snack for you, the best ever meal prep green smoothie. This vibrant, nutrient-rich drink is ready in less than 20 minutes and contains some of the healthiest and tastiest fruits and veggies. Start by peeling and slicing one mango. You can use frozen mango as well to save time on prep and even save money to boot. From there, you'll core and slice one green apple and slice up one cucumber. You can add other fruits and veggies as well. Some amazing additions to this green smoothie would be pineapple, avocado, kiwi, berries, or kale. Using frozen fruits and vegetables whenever you can will give you more texture to the smoothie, but you may need to add some water depending on how much frozen fruit you've used. Add your sliced mango, apple, and cucumber to a blender along with two bananas, two cups of spinach, and a half a cup of ground flax seeds for extra fiber and protein. There are plenty of smoothie additions that will give you an extra nutritional boost as well. Some options include nut butters, Greek yogurt, silken tofu, and protein powder for protein. Chia, sunflower, or pumpkin seeds are all a great way to add healthy fats, and cinnamon can be added for sweetness. While this smoothie is a fantastic start to any day, I don't recommend using this recipe to replace meals. Smoothies are a great way to get a variety of fruits and veggies in one sitting, but you do need to actually eat those items in order to get the full health benefits. That's why I never recommend doing any sort of smoothie detox or cleanse. Your body does a great job of naturally detoxing on its own. You can easily meal prep these smoothies by dividing about four mason jars with lids. Yes, you actually can meal prep smoothies. As for what type of blender you should use for this recipe, there are a few factors to consider. You'll want to try to find one that has a minimum of 600 watts so that it's powerful enough to cut through frozen fruit and tough greens like kale. A wide bowl-shaped bottom is efficient for combining ingredients, and a large container is helpful if you plan to use this for meal prep. Blenders don't come cheap, but they're worth the investment. Beyond smoothies, you can use them for blending soups and making salsa and other dressings. I absolutely love my Vitamix, and the one that I have even has a self-cleaning feature. I'm linking to it in the description in case you're looking to up your smoothie game this year. Note that your smoothies may get a bit discolored after a day or two in the fridge, but it's nothing to worry about. This doesn't mean that it's gone bad, just that it has been exposed to extra air. It'll still taste great. Just give it a stir and consider adding some water to it to revive it. If you're not sure how soon you'll consume this smoothie, you can freeze it. Separate the smoothie into individual portions and put it in the freezer. You can take one out and pop it in the fridge the night before you plan on drinking it, and it'll be good to go in the morning. They can also sit out for a few hours on the counter to thaw. This smoothie is absolutely one of the best ways to start your day and makes one of the best snacks. It's packed full of fresh, whole foods that will give you the energy you need to power you through the day. And there you have it, four healthy snacks to keep you going and keep your taste buds happy. In addition to the four easy recipes I just showed you, don't forget that there are even more healthy snacks up on my blog. I've linked to many more simple, protein-rich snacks all in one blog post for you to take a look at in the description. And don't forget to download your free four-week meal plan in the description as well. It's packed with meal prep tips and tricks so that you can build a healthy habit that will last. If you're as obsessed with snacks as I am, be sure to give this video a thumbs up, share it with friends and family, and tag me on Instagram when you try the recipes. Now, I'm dying to know, which one are you trying first? All right, I've got a lot of snacking to do. Thanks for hanging out in my kitchen today, and I'll see you in the next video.