My Favorite Healthy Grab-n-Go Snacks

I'm often in a rush when I leave for school or work or even for an emergency trip to the store. I appreciate a snack that is already prepared, packaged, and contained so that I can literally pick it up as I walk by without missing a beat and drop it in my bag without worrying that it will spill everywhere. If I don't bring a snack with me, I frequently buy something far less healthy and more expensive than anything I would have bought at the grocery store and made at home.

Here is what I've been eating recently:

• Baby carrots (I like the ones that come in single serving size bags. Someone once told me that baby carrots are washed with Clorox, so I buy the organic ones. I don't know if they're any better, but I feel safer.)
• Red bell pepper (Needs to be cut open and seeded at home, but at least it's not as sticky and juicy as most other fruits. My sister told me it is the most nutritious fruit there is! I don't know whether that lofty statement is true, but any produce with deep color usually is packed with vitamins.)

• Roasted chickpeas (A great substitute for crunchy, salty, and spicy junk food, because they're all that, minus the junk. I once ate a whole batch in one day. The recipe is here.)
• Almonds (I toasted them once, and they tasted like popcorn, but they're delicious raw)

• Chickpea cookie dough balls (I've made up a few variations of these: almond butter, cocoa powder...The original recipe is here. They're a little less clean, but I toss them in a small Pyrex bowl with a lid and take a napkin. They're best when they're chilled too. OK, so these are not really a good grab-n-go snack, but I keep making them anyway!)
• Dates (I love the bulk Medjool dates that contain the pit. The pit preserves the freshness, so they're sweeter and moister than the pitted ones. I really don't understand people who don't like dates. This is my ultimate sweet tooth satisfier.)

Sometimes (when I've not been managing my time very well) I will bring everything on this list and call it lunch!