Healthy Snack Boxes: Four Different No-Cook Combos

Healthy Snack Boxes

One 25-minute prep session makes four different snack boxes, not four copies of the same snack. The combinations pair strawberries with yogurt and oat bites; apple and grapes with an egg and roll-up; tuna-avocado salad with greens; and raw vegetables with hummus.

Using a ready-cooked egg and prepared hummus keeps assembly no-cook. Keep the yogurt and hummus sealed, give the oat bites a dry spot, and chill the finished boxes promptly.

Ingredients for Four Different Snack Boxes

• 1/4 cup rolled oats (20g)
• 1 tablespoon sunflower-seed butter (15g)
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 1/2 cup hulled, cut strawberries (75g)
• 1 sealed individual cup plain or lightly sweetened yogurt, about 4 to 5 ounces (140g)
• 1 medium red apple, thinly sliced and divided between two boxes
• 1/2 cup grapes, green and red if available (75g)
• 1 ready-cooked hard-boiled egg, chilled, peeled, and halved
• 1 slice mild cheese
• 1 slice deli turkey
• 1 small can tuna in water, about 5 ounces, drained (about 100g drained)
• 1/2 medium ripe avocado (75g)
• 1/2 lemon, for juice and a packing wedge
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 1 ounce mild cheese, cubed (30g)
• 1/4 cup roasted red pepper hummus (60g)
• 1 celery stalk, 1/2 cup baby carrots, 1/2 green bell pepper, and 3 button mushrooms
• A few fresh cilantro leaves, optional

How to Assemble the Snack Boxes

1. Prepare the containers: Set out four rectangular food-storage containers and a small lidded cup for the hummus. Wash and thoroughly dry the produce. Drain the tuna, and keep the egg and other perishable ingredients chilled while you work.
2. Make three oat bites: Mix the oats, sunflower-seed butter, and maple syrup with a fork. Press firmly into three small balls. If the mixture crumbles, add a few drops of water and press again; the bites should hold together while retaining their oat texture.
3. Mix the tuna salad: Mash the avocado with a little lemon juice, then fold in the drained tuna. It should be thick enough to mound without liquid pooling. Reserve a lemon wedge for the box.
4. Cut the produce: Slice the apple thinly, leaving the red peel visible, and cut the strawberries, celery, bell pepper, and mushrooms. Prepare the carrots as needed for the eater.
5. Pack the fruit-forward boxes: Place the strawberries, sealed yogurt cup, and all three oat bites in one container, keeping the bites away from the fruit. In the second container, fan out half the apple slices beside the grapes and egg halves. Roll the cheese slice around the turkey and add it alongside.
6. Pack the savory boxes: Mound the tuna-avocado salad on the spinach in the third container. Add the remaining apple slices, cheese cubes, lemon wedge, and optional cilantro separately. In the fourth, place the hummus in its closed cup and arrange the celery, carrots, green pepper, and mushrooms around it.
7. Chill: Close the containers without crushing the food and refrigerate promptly. Keep them at 40°F (5°C) or below until serving.

Keeping the Snacks Fresh and Separate

Leave the yogurt sealed and use a snug, lidded cup for the hummus so the soft foods cannot leak onto the other snacks. Dry produce before packing and keep the oat bites away from wet fruit. Slice the apple and mix the tuna-avocado salad close to packing time for the best appearance; a light coating of lemon juice can help limit apple browning.

If a refrigerator is not available during transport, use an insulated bag with frozen cold packs.

Adjusting Cuts and Allergens

The four boxes are different assortments, so adjust portions to the eater. For young children, quarter grapes lengthwise and adapt or omit firm raw vegetables according to their age and chewing ability. Check packaged ingredients for fish, dairy, egg, sesame, and seed-butter allergens.

Storage and Make-Ahead

Wash and dry produce, portion the cheese, and have cooked eggs ready in advance. Cut the apple and mix the avocado salad closer to serving rather than relying on a multi-day storage window for the assembled boxes.

Refrigerate promptly. Do not leave the perishable boxes unrefrigerated for more than 2 hours, or more than 1 hour when the temperature is above 90°F (30°C). Serve chilled without reheating. Do not freeze the assembled boxes; the produce, yogurt, egg, and salad will lose their intended texture.

Nutrition

Approximate nutrition, averaged across the four different boxes: 285 calories, 18g protein, 13g fat, and 25g carbohydrates per box. Approximate values per 100g: 105 calories, 7g protein, 5g fat, and 9g carbohydrates. Individual boxes differ substantially, and values vary with the packaged ingredients used.