Assemble a do-it-yourself snack box by combining a variety of different foods for a balanced collection of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats.
I’ve been in a weird food mood lately, where I rarely want real meals for lunch. As a result, I usually end up just snacking frequently between breakfast and dinner. Since wanting a quick snack often means we grab not-so-great options (junk food, why are you so convenient?!), it can really help to do some food prep to ensure you have at least a few nutritious items on deck.
This anti-meal mood is what inspired me to create a DIY snack box for myself. I’ve seen pictures of at-home bento boxes full of random items. And Starbucks has what they call “Bistro Boxes,” with combos like a Cheese and Fruit Protein Box and an Eggs and Cheese Protein Box. I really love the concept of these boxes that combine various snacks to create a meal. They work so well when you don’t have time to make a real meal, aren’t in the mood for one, or don’t have good options to create a legit meal.
In my mind, these snack boxes can be used for an actual meal OR snacking between meals. They include a variety of nutritious foods, so you have a balanced box of food—no matter when or how you choose to eat it.
When assembling a snack box, try to hit the three main macronutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, and healthy fats. I’ve found this to be a somewhat simple way to make sure I have a balanced combo of items. It also forces me to be more creative by looking through the fridge and pantry. To help you do this yourself, check out the macro lists below for some ideas.
- Carbohydrates: crackers, fruit, veggies, muffins (e.g., Banana Bran Muffins or Greek Yogurt Blueberry Muffins)
- Protein: hummus, nut butter, nuts, seeds, hard boiled egg, yogurt, cheese, lunchmeat, veggies, chicken or tuna salad (e.g., Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad)
- Healthy Fats: hummus, nut butter, nuts, seeds, trail mix (e.g., Harvest Trail Mix), veggies
Obviously, certain items will apply to more than one category. My tip would be to just make sure your box has items that hit all three categories.
For those of you who like visuals like I do, I’ve created four different DIY snack boxes. You don’t have to pack yours as full as I have, but I’m all about variety when it comes to food, so I just ran with the glorious haul of produce we stocked up on during our latest healthy grocery shopping trip.
DIY Snack Box #1 (Hard Boiled Egg, Apple Slices, Celery Sticks, and Almond Butter):
DIY Snack Box #2 (Ham, Cheddar, Whole Wheat Crackers, Almonds, Green Pepperss, and Applesauce):
DIY Snack Box #3 (Hummus, Whole Wheat Crackers, Broccoli, Carrots, Cucumber Slices, Ham, and Kiwi):
DIY Snack Box #4 (Greek Yogurt, Strawberries, Almonds, Sugar Snap Peas, Grape Tomatoes):
DIY Snack Box #5 (Hummus, Carrots, Celery Sticks, Hard Boiled Egg, Clementine, and Trail Mix):
If you don’t have fancy containers that have separate compartments built-in, I highly recommend using little jars (I love my 4-oz. mason jars (affiliate link)), cupcake liners, or resealable bags (when necessary). Pro tip about that last one: if you’re combining wet and dry items (like cut fruit and crackers) in the same box, make sure to separate them so the dry items don’t get soggy or soft.
And that pretty much covers it! I hope this post has inspired you to try your own box of random food stuffs. It’s a nice change of pace, and the possibilities are endless.
