I love food, probably more than the average person should. I have 3 Pinterest boards dedicated to food related things, as well as a (secret) Instagram account exclusively used for stalking, staring and posting about food.

For someone like myself, the absolute worst feeling in the world is when I haven’t eaten for “X” number of hours and my stomach, hysterical and upset with me for not feeding it, decides to consume itself. For me, this “x” factor is about every 2 hours. And let me tell you, when I’m hungry, I’m hangry.

Hangry (adj.) – (hang-ree): The state of being so hungry you become angry.

When I’m hangry it’s best not to talk to me because I pretty much turn into an evil gremlin. In fact, I usually advise those close to me not to even look in my direction unless they have food, want to get food, or are willing to share their food; after my hunger’s been satisfied though, I’m pretty much non-life-threatening.

However, life doesn’t have to be a constant battle between Dr. Happy and Mr. Hangry. No matter your schedule, whether you’re a busy student or full-time worker, there are tons of easy, healthy snack options to keep your stomach happy and you sane. Here are a few of my favorites:

Sweet Potato Fries*

Total Prep & Cooking Time: 30 min

What You Need:

• 2 sweet potatoes 
• 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• dash of salt & pepper

Instructions:

• Pre-heat oven to 450°
• Cut sweet potatoes length wise into 1/4 – inch strips
• In a medium sized mixing bowl, coat strips with olive oil and toss with salt and pepper
• Transfer strips to a lined baking sheet and spread out so they are in a single layer
• Bake for 20 minutes, or until sweet potatoe strips are golden brown and tender. Turn occasionally

Apple Slices with Peanut butter

This is a great snack for when you’re super busy and don’t have time to pause for lunch. Peanut butter is packed with protein, which will give you energy.

Rosemary Roasted Almonds*

Almonds are a great on-the-go snack. Just a mere handful can give you a boost of energy and subdue hunger, for a bit. The following recipe is a great one to use and is from My Recipes.

What You Need:

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 (10-ounce) bag whole almonds (about 2 cups)

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 325°
• Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl; toss to coat. Arrange nut mixture in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake at 325° for 20 minutes or until lightly toasted. Cool to room temperature.

*Fun fact: Both Sweet Potatoes and Almonds have positive effects on hair health! Sweet potatoes are loaded with beta-carotene, the precursor for Vitamin A, which promotes healthy scalp nutrition! And Almonds can make your hair shiny and silky! Additionally, olive oil (used in both recipes) is great for hydrating hair – When I don’t feel like using olive oil (as a moisturizer for my hair), I pick up a bottle of Everyday Maintenance Cream which does the same work as sweet potatoes, almonds AND olive oil combined! Check it out HERE