Running and walking with Ollie is staple in our everyday lives. While it's true that I could go to the gym and leave him at the incredible daycare there, which I might do eventually, there is no substitute for getting outside with my son.
I'll admit that it is harder to jog and push a stroller than to run without it, but having Ollie by my side, watching him take in the world with his foot up on the hand bar, practicing hydration and intuitive eating with him on our jogs, and the million other things that babies learn by simply being outdoors is irreplaceable.
In our family, I advocate for eating real foods as much as possible. I stray from processed foods when I can, as they are usually much lower in nutritive value. When it comes to snacks, I look for foods that are easy to transport, have simple clean ingredients, and add to my personal well-being.
I'm not always perfect with my nutrition. If I was, I would be concerned that I was being too strict on myself and setting unrealistic health goals. But I do have high nutrition standards that I aim for every day. (I don't count calories or macro/micro nutrients, I just try and pack in as much nutrition and outdoor adventures as possible).
Here are four of my top real-food snacks with simple ingredients that I continuously reach for. I love that these foods support me in getting outside with my family every day, and they make me feel consistently great in mind and body:
1. Dark Chocolate Coconut Almond Pumpkin Seed Bars: Vegan, have a great source of plant-based protein from the pumpkin seeds, contain about 35% of your daily recommended value of magnesium. Use code "PrettyBrave20" for 20% off entire Health Warrior purchase. Trick: Freeze this bar in the summer to savor the flavor or keep it cool while you're on the go.
2. Banana and mixed nuts: Bananas have lots of potassium and help restore your body's levels of glycogen, rebuilding damaged muscles. I add in some mixed nuts to fill me up with some fat (brain health) and protein (muscle repair).
3. Organic Greek yogurt (I'm loving almond milk yogurt recently): I love eating yogurt as a summer snack. It's high in protein and fat and offers glycogen from fruit which is essential for muscle repair.
4. Apple and string cheese: This is an easy snack to throw in my diaper bag on the go. The apple is sweet and hearty with a ton of nutrients--apples are one of those miracle fruits! I love to pair it with string cheese because of the fat and protein the cheese offers. This satisfies not only my craving for something sweet but also my hunger levels. Also, Ollie loves string cheese!
