For the last 15 weeks I’ve been doing a fairly intense work-out program. (Circuit training, for anyone curious). Not that anyone could tell by looking at me, psh. Sooooooo I’ve been a little ehhh on the food plan. I’m slim already (by nature and the fact I’m in constant motion all day long) and don’t have plans to compete in a bikini contest (ummm, more like I’ll NEVER compete), but eating healthy is still important. And I do enjoy eating healthy, whole foods. I like to keep healthy foods prepped and ready for the kids to grab. If you have kids, you know they don’t plan out their meals…they just rush in all frantic and hungry in that very moment.

Anyway, one morning this week when I was running out to an organization job, I grabbed 3 items from the kitchen to throw into my work bag. I was working in a closet for 4 hours and needed a few snacks. Moments like these solidify why I’m so happy to be organized in our kitchen. Otherwise, I would have stopped at a local spot for a quick, unhealthy snack after work.

Here are the 20 foods I can’t live without. Nothing gets easier than the foods I’m sharing. No fancy kitchen experience required!

Tuna salad with chopped celery: This can be eaten alone with a spoon, in a lettuce bowl, on top of a salad or with crackers. I drain and rinse tuna (packed in water), add a ton of chopped celery, and mix in very little light mayo. Sometimes I add a little lemon juice too. This bowl has 4 large cans of tuna and lasts a good week…

Hard-boiled eggs: Take advantage of this product and always have a healthy protein on hand! I love these prepared hard-boiled eggs. Sometimes I have one after a work-out or as an afternoon snack with apple slices and peanut butter…

All-Whites liquid egg whites: These are my favorite! Almost every morning I make a quick egg scramble with all-whites. I add chopped onion along with whatever leftover veggies are hanging around in the fridge. Sometimes I just add some salsa and wrap it in a whole-wheat tortilla. Easy!…

Salad mixes: I do generally have regular bags of mixed greens or baby spinach, but I enjoy having a salad like these a few times a week. I add grilled chicken or the tuna I mentioned from above. These are great to grab on the go and I love their convenience…

Speaking of grilled chicken…this is something you will always find in my fridge. I buy organic chicken breasts in large packages, season with olive oil, salt & pepper and cook them all at once. Then they are in the fridge and ready for salads or just as a snack…

Cut up veggies: This is probably my absolute all time favorite right here…

These are my go-to’s and you’ll find me snacking on these during the day and many nights this is my dinner along with a chicken breast. They are good with hummus too…

Speaking of hummus…this is another favorite…

Great with those veggies or with healthy crackers. Love love hummus!

Dry roasted and unsalted whole almonds: These are a great, healthy snack. I keep them in my car because that is usually when I remember I forgot to eat and these help get me by until I can get home to some healthy food choices. A couple small handfuls a day…

Greek plain yogurt: My favorite way to eat greek yogurt is by mixing it with other things like fresh fruit and cereal…

Frozen edamame, quinoa and rice packets: Again, I love these because of the convenience factor but they are good for you! I love the brown rice and quinoa packets. They are an easy way to have something healthy that’s hot. I eat it with veggies or chicken. The edamame is a great snack anytime of day…

Fuji apples and peanut butter: Apples are a great snack to grab on the go, but I love to slice them up at home and eat them with a little peanut butter (or Nutella if I’m pms’ing – let’s just be honest ladies!)…

Prepared chopped onion: I know, this one seems odd…but does anyone like to chop onions? I do cut a whole onion for cooking, but in terms of the day to day (like my egg whites every morning) I love having these around. They make adding flavor to my food a whole bunch easier…

Pretzels and pretzel thins: These are great with hummus, peanut butter or on their own if I’m craving something salty / crunchy…

Coffee: If you know Sam, you know I must have hot coffee in the morning and an iced coffee in the afternoon. I love that Starbucks now has prepared iced coffee that is unsweetened and available for purchase at your local market. So easy! Occasionally, I do make my own iced coffee, but this sure helps yet again with the convenience factor…

Dark chocolate chips and dark chocolate covered blueberries: This is a no-brainer but it’s for the sweet tooth. Which usually shows up around that time of the month, ahem. I keep a small container of each and dark chocolate is actually good for you so I don’t feel as guilty when I indulge…

With kids in the house, it’s not always easy to stick to healthy eating…their little meals look and smell so much yummier (like grilled cheese and french fries). But having these foods in the house at all times I have found keeps me on point in the food dept. And they are easy to grab on my way out the door to work or errands or kid activities.

Please feel free to share a list of your own favorite, easy to grab or prepare foods! Have a great weekend guys!