If you’ve made the switch to eating organic food exclusively or at least occasionally, we applaud your decision! People who are new to organic eating often think they need to avoid processed foods to stick to their newly adopted diet, but that’s not the case.

What Are Processed Foods

Regardless of whether you’re following an organic diet, it’s virtually impossible to avoid processed foods. That’s because nearly every food available at a given grocery store has experienced some level of processing. Processed foods are ones that have been altered from their original state through means like heating, freezing, canning, baking, drying or pasteurizing. Depending on who you ask, merely refrigerating a food may make it fall into the processed category of available foodstuff.

The key to finding great snacks for times when you’re on the go is to make the distinction between processed foods that are good for you and the ultra-processed ones that can cause problems like obesity, high blood pressure and cancer. Chopped vegetables and non-flavored milk are examples of healthy processed foods while frozen pizza and microwave popcorn are samples of ultra-processed fare. You can usually tell if a food is ultra-processed by looking at its food label.

Fruits and Vegetables

When it comes to healthy snacks, you can’t go wrong with rinsed fruits and vegetables. To ensure the produce you consume is as good for you as possible, make sure you buy organic fruits and veggies.

Nuts

Nuts like pistachios, walnuts, peanuts and cashews contain protein and fats that are heart-healthy. If you want to snack on nuts, avoid nuts that have been flavored with things like wasabi, soy sauce or toffee. Flavored nuts often have more salt and/or sugar than non-flavored alternatives and the additives can contribute to weight gain and diabetes.

Popcorn

You don’t have to go to the movies to enjoy popcorn as a snack. Although that’s true, you should avoid the processed kind you can pick up in a grocery or convenience store and you should definitely refrain from indulging in microwave popcorn.

To have healthy popcorn readily available as a snack, pick up a bag of organic kernels you can pop yourself. To make popcorn, put some kernels in a pan, cover the pan with some tinfoil, and turn on the burner. The kernels will start to pop within moments after you turn on the heat. Store your popcorn in sealed plastic bags or airtight containers you can grab when you’re heading out the door.

Zucchini Noodles

Let’s face it – few things are better than ramen noodles when you have a hankering for a quick snack. While pre-prepared ramen noodles are certainly tasty, they’re not particularly healthy. Luckily, you can make a healthy alternative to traditional ramen noodles, by substituting spiralized, organic zucchini noodles. 

If your grocery store doesn’t sell organic veggie noodles, you can make them yourself using a spiralizer. In fact, making your own zucchini noodles is a fun activity you can enjoy with your kids!

Contact Organic Restaurants

Would you like more ideas for organic snacks that are wonderful choices for when you’re on the go or do you have some organic snack ideas you’d like to share? If so, reach out to Organic Restaurants now.