No pantry is complete without a few munchies, particularly for us gluten-free & food allergic folks. I like to keep food on hand that can be grab & go so that when I show up to a work lunch with no safe food options, I can save my coworkers from seeing me hangry by having backup in my bag. I also like to fend off the weekend afternoon snack cravings, but when they come, I like to be prepared with something quick and easy or I’ll likely end up with a batch of cupcakes. (And while cupcakes are delicious, they aren’t always the best option…) So here’s a peek at what I like to keep on hand.

Crunchy + Salty

This is my preferred kind of snack. Something quick and satisfying. Something that pairs well with red wine and chick flicks or gluten-free beer and football.

• Way Better Snacks Sweet Chili & Sriracha chips
• Snyder’s Gluten-Free Honey Mustard & Onion Pretzels
• Majan’s Bhuja Snacks Crunchy Peas
• The GoodBean Roasted Chickpeas In Chili Lime

Bars

There is an assortment of bars in just about every bag I own so that I am never without a safe snack, but there are a few bars out there that just taste so much better than the others. These are the ones I buy most often.

• TrueBar Apricot Chai
• Lara Bar Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
• Enjoy Life Cinnamon Roll Decadent Bars

Spread it on

No pantry would be complete without some sort of nut (or nut-free) spread. And no list of essential spreads would be complete without Nutella. Nut butters are great multi-taskers. You can add a dollop to a smoothie or dip your apple slices. You can add them to toast or for pairing with plain cookies. The lack of peanut butter on this list is intentional – I don’t particularly like it. I don’t mind it in things like Reese’s cups (actually, I like it in things), but it’s not something I crave putting on a sandwich or on an apple, so I don’t keep it on hand all the time.

• Sunbutter (particularly the little to-go packets)
• Justin’s Maple Almond Butter
• Nutella

Just keeping a few of these options on hand keeps me from showing my hangry side while I make dinner or deter me from ordering takeout because I just want something right now and don’t feel quite like cooking. (It happens, some times you just need a snack).