Hellobee

Han·gry: A state of anger caused by lack of food; hunger causing a negative emotional state.

This is a real issue, my friends. It’s when you get so hungry that you become angry, irritable, and darn right cracky. You’re unpleasant to be around and you need food ASAP. Mr. Macaron knows to be quiet and get to food immediately when I fall into hangry status. When I get hangry I lack the mental ability to even come up with an idea of what to eat, or make any sort of decision. I get so hungry that my mind goes totally blank. This is a bad situation to be in since the only thing that will resolve the hanger is food, yet I cannot seem to think or make decisions.

During my pregnancy, I definitely got hungry; however, as I’ve been breastfeeding I have been ravenous. I get hungry so often, it drives me nuts (see what I did there…nuts). Needless to say, there have been times when the hungry turns to hangry. Poor Mr. Macaron has to deal with me, but he’s a champ and always knows the signs and helps me get to food.

Given the constant need to feed, I like to have a list of possible snacks at my disposal. Here are some of my favorite go-to snacks for the times I become a hangry (or just hungry) mama:

– Luna Bar – I’ve been eating Luna Bars for years and they are my favorite bar. My favorite flavor is Honey Salted Peanut. Runners up are Nuts over Chocolate, Lemon Zest, and white chocolate Macadamia. I always have one of these in my diaper bag or purse since it’s great for those on-the-go hungry moments.

– Toast + Avocado – This is a new found love. Toast has been quite trendy recently, or should I say artisanal toast. I find them quite tasty, but unfortunately at the shops they come with a high price, too. Luckily, toast is easy to make. Just toast some yummy bread and use a fork to mash up some avocado. Then spread it on the toast, and add a little sprinkle of salt. Boom! Oh, and the Kitchn had some great ideas for enhancing your avocado toast even more if you want to go the extra mile.

– Toast + Ricotta and Jam – Yes, toast again but this one is different – so creamy and sweet with a touch of tartness. You assemble it just as you would think: toast some bread, spread some ricotta, and top with jam. My favorite is Bonne Maman Wild Blueberry jam (or home-made FTW!). Lately I’ve been into make my own ricotta. It’s so good and so easy, and sooo much better than store-bought (but store-bought if fine, too). The recipe I use is from my Sprouted Kitchen cookbook. This combo is dynamite! And if you like the toast idea, Pioneer Woman has some great ideas that are both savory or sweet.

– Apple + Cheese or Peanut Butter – Such is a classic snack, and for a good reason – it’s tasty! The protein from either cheese or peanut butter balances out the sugars from the apple to make you fuller longer. Not to mention, it’s delicious. My favorite apple is Honey Crisp, but they are expensive, so the runner up is Pink Lady. An easy cheese to grab are the mini Babybel cheeses, but my favorite is Beechers Flagship. As for peanut butter, I love Justin’s Honey Peanut Butter.

– Biscotti + Latte – I love coffee especially lattes. However, I need a little something extra to make it a snack that fills me up. In walks biscotti. It’s crunchy and dip-able. I just made a lovely banana bread biscotti, but this cornmeal and cranberry recipe is quite delicious as well. Dip and enjoy!

– Quick Bread – Do you have overripe bananas? Make some banana bread! Quick breads are pretty easy to pull together during the baby’s nap. My go-to is banana bread, but the sky’s the limit – try blueberries or peaches. Toast it up and add some cream cheese or butter. Yum!

– Yogurt + Granola – Just pour some granola into a bowl and top with yogurt. Voila! My favorite granola is Marge’s Granola – it’s the best.

– Cereal + Milk – Cereal is not just for breakfast anymore. Make it a snack! I have a sweet tooth and so the Special K Chocolatey Delight hits the spot. Be a kid again and grab something fun or go healthy…or mix them together (it’s a thing).

And that’s not all, I am full of ideas. Try mixing and matching some of these: corn chips, cottage cheese, carrot sticks, pudding, trail mix, crackers, and hummus. Bam, snacks are served.

I hope this inspires you to have a snack. If you have any brilliant snack ideas, please share!