Livin' Lean Topic Tuesday: Two Smart Ideas for Healthy "On-the-Go" Holiday Snacking

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the holidays have officially begun. Aisles in grocery stores and entire sections of Target have been transformed into magical, winter wonderlands full of fun decorations, adorable gift ideas and of course, tempting holiday treats. Cookies, candies, crackers and cheese. It's like the entire snacking industry was taken over by elves! Almost any regular snack food you can think of has been made to look like Santa Claus, a snowflake or a Christmas tree. And what does this do? Well, exactly what those geniuses behind it all want it to do. We buy it, then we eat it. Why not? Look how cute those Christmas Tree cakes are! Oh, and the snowflake crackers! I absolutely need 5 bags of holiday M & M's  just 'cause it's the holidays and they come in red and green. We end up buying and eating things we would normally have the strength to fend off. I know, friends. It happens to the best of us. I'm right there with you.
Luckily, the great people at Bear Naked and Stretch Island Fruit Co. were kind enough to share some of their delicious and nutritious all-natural snacks with me. They sent me some great samples to try and  I am now a huge fan of these two brands. They are two great companies (Go to their sites and read their stories. Cool stuff!) with excellent products. Let me tell you a little about both.

First Up: Bear Naked Fruit & Nut Granola Cookies

These cookies are wonderful. You know from the second you bite into them that this is no Chips Ahoy! Loaded with whole grains, berries and nuts, you are sure to get the energy boost you need, while even calming the occasional sweet-tooth. These cookies contain no preservatives, no cholesterol, no high fructose corn syrup, no hydrogenated oils and 0g trans fat. Only 100% pure and natural ingredients.  A packaged snack couldn't be any closer to nature. They are yummy and can easily be thrown in a Zip-loc for a take anywhere snack. They also come in a Double Chocolate. Just a little FYI to all you chocolate lovers out there!

To learn more about this cool company and all their products, visit http://www.bearnaked.com/.

Serving Size: 1 cookie   130 calories; 6g fat; 18g carbohydrates; 2g protein

Last, Yet Certainly Not Least: Stretch Island All-Natural Fruit Strips

Think about when you were a child. Who didn't like fruit snacks? Fruit Roll-Ups! Fruit By the Foot! Oh yeah! I remember loving to go to my neighbors house to play because they had all the good snacks. My mom wouldn't buy that stuff. Now I know why. However, had she known about Stretch Island Fruit Snacks, I am sure fruit snacks would have been in the pantry. These fruity snacks are made completely out of real fruit purees meaning that there is no added sugar. All the sugar is found naturally in fruit. They come individually wrapped and in a variety of flavors. A very quick, convenient and mess-free way to get 1/2 serving of fruit.

To learn more about Stretch Island Fruit Co. and their products, please visit http://www.stretchislandfruit.com/.

Serving Size: 1 strip  45 calories; 0g fat; 12g carbohydrates; 0g protein

So during this busy holiday season, be sure to prepare yourself for hunger by stocking up on healthy, on-the-go snacks such as these. They are perfect for helping us stay on track, even with all the tempting treats of the season around us. I plan on keeping both the Bear Naked and Stretch Island snacks in the house, Kimber's bag and in the car. You never know where you will be when that snack attack hits. Be ready!

Happy & Healthy Holiday Snacking to You!

***Disclosure: Bear Naked and Stretch Island Fruit Co. provided me with samples to taste for this review. All the opinions in this review are my own. I was not paid to make them. Thank you!