Peanut butter is a huge staple in my room. (I was thrilled to snag a free jar of Teddie's natural PB from the Fox 25 News event on Friday at 6am!) Paired with Nature Valley granola bars, or any other energy bar, peanut butter makes a great on-the-go breakfast, or pre-practice snack. Sometimes I even like peanut butter on carrots - don't knock it 'til you try it! And if I don't have anything good to spread peanut butter on, I'll just eat it straight from the jar... hey it's got protein right?
At home, my parents always have chips in the pantry so that we have some for watching the game, or as an appetizer before dinner- or even after dinner for a night time snack. So after growing up eating chips (probably more often than I should have), of course I keep them in my room at school as well. What better way to enjoy chips than with dip! Newman's Own makes some of my favorite salsa - pictured is their "Farmer's Garden" veggie variety. Another good dip that's fairly healthy is Trader Joe's spicy black bean dip- highly recommended if you've never had it!
Another one of my favorites is hummus. A great addition to any snack, I can eat hummus on almost anything! I'll put it on veggies, chips, crackers, rice cakes- you name it. A healthier alternative to other cheesy dips, hummus is guilt-free (except for when you accidentally eat it all in one sitting...). This one is especially good for after a night practice, when the dining options are oh-so-limited to grill food at Chase.
In the end, snack "spreads" greatly improve my food-life while I'm at school. Why eat carrots, rice cakes, or chips alone when you can dip them in something that is not only delicious, but filling? Whether I'm looking for a quick breakfast, a snack after an unfulfilling dining hall meal, or something to munch after practice, I know that these foods will always satisfy my stomach. Snack spreads help to fill the void in my Aramark diet, by adding yummy flavor and substance whenever I need it.
I relate to this post so much, I could have written it myself. I, too, find very limited options at the Wheaton dining halls and find myself eating the same breakfast, lunch and dinner every day (omelets and salad bar, anyone?). The snack shelf in my room is my best friend, but can also be my worst enemy as I shamelessly eat a whole bag of chips at one time. Because of my low protein diet from Chase and Emerson, I find myself overdosing on peanut butter, hummus and protein granola bars in between meals in order to get the sustenance before practice or a game that I'm lacking in my dining hall meals.
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