Happy Monday, Fit Foodies! Today we’re talking about a topic we’re very passionate about—snacking. Snacking tends to get a bad rap, but we believe if you’re actually hungry + mindfully portioning, snack time it is.

Courtesy of the ever-evolving and trend-spitting IG, we’ve recently discovered our new, handy-dandy snacking tool: a muffin tin! #MuffinTinMonday

On IG, the muffin tin snack tray seems very popular for kids’ snacks and lunches. But we think it’s great for adults, too! You can keep it casual and throw a tin together for you and a friend, or even just yourself, as you’re getting things done around the house on a Saturday. If you’re flying solo, just don’t worry about filling all the cups…or fill ’em all…no judgment! The reasons we love the muffin tin method is because it lends itself to portion control and variety of snacks—two snacking essentials, if you ask us!

To make your muffin tin snack plate (or any snack plate) a healthy success, make sure you are packing in the nutrients and varying macronutrients. Depending on your dietary needs and preferences, you might want to balance the three (protein, carbs, and fat), represent one more than others, or if you’re like us, we try to keep protein and carbs represented more than fat. Regardless, picking quality sources of varying macros will nourish and satisfy you, in addition to keeping you full—snack goals, right!?

The possibilities for creating a healthy snack plate/muffin tin are truly endless. The one pictured above came together in minutes and contain the following (starting top left): Trader Joe’s Almonds, Chocolate & Cashews Trek Mix, sharp cheddar cheese, oven roasted turkey, organic rainbow carrots, a hard boiled egg, Cuties (clementine mandarins), blueberries + raspberries, Sunset Wild Wonders tomatoes, Beanfields pico de gallo bean chips, Enlightened sriracha roasted broad bean chips, honeycrisp apples, and almond butter.

Here are some more ideas for building your healthy snack plate:

Protein

• jerky
• lean deli meat
• eggs
• Greek yogurt

Carbs

• fruit
• veggies
• crackers
• popcorn
• chips

Fat

• nuts
• nut butters
• avocado
• cheese
• dark chocolate

Happy snacking, to all! You could even throw one of these together for an easy weeknight dinner when you don’t feel like a big meal/cooking, or maybe you fell behind on your prep…because, life. If you make a muffin tin healthy snack plate, post it and tag us—we’d love to see! Have a great week, everyone!