30 Easy Low Waste Snacks For Every Day of The Month

If you're reading this article, chances are you are the kind of person who brown bags your lunch everyday. Like me, you probably also experience decision fatigue when comes to deciding what to pack. Packing your own lunches and snacks cut down on single use plastic waste tremedously. When I first began bringing in my own food, I'm not going to lie, there were a lot of days grabbed a protien bar or bag of popcorn, but I quickly came to the conclusion that this method wasn't much better than ordering take out.

The waste produced by single-use snack packages in the United States is staggering. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), containers and packaging make up about 28.1% of the total municipal solid waste (MSW) generated in the U.S. In 2018, this amounted to approximately 82.2 million tons of packaging waste, with a substantial portion coming from food and snack packaging. Most single-use snack wrappers are made of non-recyclable materials like multilayer plastics, contributing significantly to landfills and pollution.

It's estimated that Americans discard around 100 million plastic utensils and food-related wrappers each day. With single-use snack packages making up a large portion of this waste. This translates to billions of discarded snack wrappers each year. Granola bars, chips, and other individually wrapped snacks are consumed so frequently, that millions of wrappers end up in the trash every day, contributing to the U.S.'s overall problem of producing around 42 million metric tons of plastic waste annually.

While it doesn't solve all our trash problems, switching to zero-waste snacks can significantly reduce this waste, helping to alleviate the environmental burden caused by single-use plastics.  By prioritizing packaging-free or reusable alternatives, we can drastically reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in landfills or oceans. As an added bonus, packing your own, zero waste snacks will likely save you money, be healthier food choices and reduce the amount of checmials and preservatives you are exposed to. It's a win-win-win!

Now that you have the facts, here are some easy low-waste snacks to last you for the next month:

1. Fresh Fruit

Examples: Apples, bananas, oranges, berries, grapes.

Zero-Waste Tip: Buy them in bulk without packaging and carry them in reusable produce bags. Eat whole or slice them for convenience.

2. Veggie Sticks with Hummus

Examples: Carrot, cucumber, celery, and bell pepper sticks.

Zero-Waste Tip: Buy veggies loose or from farmers' markets and make homemade hummus to avoid plastic packaging.

3. Nuts and Seeds

Examples: Almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds.

Zero-Waste Tip: Buy from bulk bins using reusable containers or bags. Keep a jar of mixed nuts for an easy snack.

4. Popcorn

Zero-Waste Tip: Buy kernels in bulk and make popcorn on the stove or in an air popper. Season with nutritional yeast, herbs, or spices.

5. Energy Balls

Ingredients: Oats, dates, nuts, seeds, cocoa powder.

Zero-Waste Tip: Make your own using bulk ingredients and store them in reusable containers. No plastic wrappers needed.

6. DIY Trail Mix

Ingredients: Nuts, seeds, dried fruits, dark chocolate chunks.

Zero-Waste Tip: Buy all ingredients in bulk and mix at home. Store in a jar for an easy grab-and-go snack.

7. Rice Cakes with Toppings

Toppings: Avocado, nut butter, hummus, or cucumber slices.

Zero-Waste Tip: Purchase rice cakes in bulk if available or choose brands with minimal packaging.

8. Apple Slices with Nut Butter

Zero-Waste Tip: Slice apples and dip in homemade or bulk-bought nut butter. Keep the core for composting.

9. Homemade Granola Bars

Ingredients: Oats, nuts, seeds, dates, maple syrup.

Zero-Waste Tip: Make your own granola bars at home to avoid plastic-wrapped store-bought ones. Store in reusable wraps or containers.

10. Roasted Chickpeas

Zero-Waste Tip: Roast chickpeas (soaked from dry) with olive oil and spices. Store them in glass jars for a crunchy, protein-packed snack.

11. Smoothie Jars

Ingredients: Frozen fruits, greens, almond milk, chia seeds.

Zero-Waste Tip: Blend a smoothie in the morning and store it in a mason jar for a low-waste snack or breakfast.

12. Avocado on Whole Grain Crackers

Zero-Waste Tip: Use crackers that come in minimal packaging or make your own. Spread mashed avocado, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

13. Dried Fruit

Examples: Dried mango, apple slices, apricots, or raisins.

Zero-Waste Tip: Buy from bulk bins or dry your own at home. Store in reusable containers.

14. Overnight Oats

Ingredients: Oats, almond milk, chia seeds, fruit.

Zero-Waste Tip: Prep in a glass jar or reusable container the night before and top with fruit, nuts, and seeds in the morning.

15. Cucumber Slices with Guacamole

Zero-Waste Tip: Make your own guacamole and serve with sliced cucumbers or other veggies. Compost the avocado pits and skins.

16. DIY Fruit Leather

Ingredients: Pureed fruit, like strawberries or mangoes.

Zero-Waste Tip: Spread pureed fruit on a baking sheet and dry in the oven to make your own fruit leather.

17. Homemade Muffins

Ingredients: Whole wheat flour, bananas, oats, and fruit.

Zero-Waste Tip: Bake a batch of healthy muffins using unpackaged ingredients and store them in reusable wraps or containers.

18. Celery with Nut Butter

Zero-Waste Tip: Spread almond or peanut butter (bought in bulk or homemade) on celery sticks for a filling, low-waste snack.

19. Hard-Boiled Eggs

Zero-Waste Tip: Buy eggs in reusable or recyclable cartons and boil them at home. Compost the eggshells.

20. Baked Kale Chips

Zero-Waste Tip: Make your own by tossing kale with olive oil and baking until crispy. Store in an airtight container for a crunchy, waste-free snack.

21. Homemade Applesauce

Zero-Waste Tip: Cook down apples (including slightly overripe ones to avoid waste) and cinnamon to make applesauce. Store in jars.

22. Nut Butter and Banana Bites

Zero-Waste Tip: Slice a banana and sandwich nut butter between slices for a quick, no-waste snack.

23. Edamame

Zero-Waste Tip: Buy edamame in bulk or fresh, steam them, and store them in a reusable container.

24. Vegetable Chips

Examples: Sweet potato, beet, or zucchini chips.

Zero-Waste Tip: Slice veggies thinly, toss with olive oil, and bake until crisp. Store in glass jars or reusable containers.

25. Pickled Veggies

Examples: Carrots, cucumbers, radishes.

Zero-Waste Tip: Pickle your own veggies at home with vinegar and spices. Keep them in glass jars for snacking.

26. Seaweed Snacks

Zero-Waste Tip: Buy seaweed in bulk if available or look for brands with minimal packaging. You can also make your own baked seaweed crisps.

27. Sliced Bell Peppers with Hummus

Zero-Waste Tip: Slice fresh bell peppers and dip them into homemade hummus for a crunchy, nutrient-rich snack.

28. Dark Chocolate with Nuts

Zero-Waste Tip: Break off pieces of a large, minimally packaged dark chocolate bar and pair with bulk-bought nuts for a satisfying snack.

29. Coconut Yogurt with Granola

Zero-Waste Tip: Buy coconut yogurt in bulk (if available) or make your own, and top with homemade or bulk-purchased granola.

30. Mashed Avocado on Rice Cakes

Zero-Waste Tip: Mash avocado and spread it on rice cakes, seasoned with salt, pepper, and chili flakes for a simple, zero-waste snack.

The Takeaway

These easy, low-waste snacks are not only nutritious and delicious but also help you stay sustainable by using whole foods, minimizing packaging, and reducing food waste.  The environmental benefits of zero-waste snacking go beyond waste reduction. Taking advantage of bulk shopping stores, fair trade and sustainably sourced ingredients, you also support many other environmental and social causes.

A hearty round of applause to you for taking a step in the right direction and helping to chip away at a big problem! As always, here's a little reminder that it’s the small changes and everyday choices we make that add up to a big impact.  Let’s favor progress over perfection!

In the meantime, keep being you and check back often for more Sustainably Savvy living tips and tricks.  Do you love what you just read?  Join us on social media and share it with your friends!