Now that the school year is back in full swing, a lot of us are in the peak busy time of the year. Kids have school and then after-school activities or sports (shout-out to all the fellow soccer moms out there trying to keep their cars from smelling like hot cleats all the time!), parents are balancing jobs and trying to run errands, fit in a workout, and maybe even have a little thing called a social life, too. This is the season of life when keeping everyone fed and out of the hangry danger zone is crucial!
Nobody likes to get hangry and nobody enjoys dealing with someone else who is hangry, especially if that someone is a hangry and overtired 4-year-old (or, let’s be real, 40-year-old). Once we are approaching the hangry zone, time is of the essence. Blood sugar is getting low, tempers are getting short, and food needs to happen now! We get it — we’ve been hangry, too. We regret the things we said when we were hangry and are committed to eating some protein first before we tell our loving partners that they are the most annoying person on the planet.
So, we’ve rounded up 15 ideas that can get us from hangry to happy in under 15 minutes and that hopefully include food that most of us have around the house or can easily grab from the store and prep in advance for those extra busy days. And, yes, most of these are things that can get eaten in the car if needed!
Pickle Roll-Ups
The key to combating hangry vibes is protein! One quick and tasty snack idea that is high in protein and low in sugar is a pickle roll-up! Simply choose whatever deli meat is handy (ham is a popular choice), spread a thin layer of cream cheese (plain or garden veggie are both tasty options) and then put a dill pickle spear on one side of the meat slice and roll it up! These can be made a day in advance and can be sliced into smaller pieces for an easy car snack for kids on the way to soccer practice or swim lessons.
Pro-tip: the quality of the pickle makes a big difference. We love Grillo's dill pickle spears in either the original or spicy variety for these. A good crunchy pickle is key!
Fried Egg Sandwich
Starting the day off feeling hangry is never a good plan! And, no, a giant glass of iced coffee isn't going to help (it just makes us hangry and wired, which is not a better situation)! A fried egg sandwich is the prefect quick option that can be made, start to finish, in less than 10 minutes for the good multi-taskers!
Start by frying one or two eggs on the stove on medium to high heat. Make sure the frying pan has a little butter or oil so the eggs don't stick. While the eggs cook, pop some toast in the toaster. Once the eggs are ready to be flipped over, flip them and put a slice of cheese on top to melt. Butter the toast (or use cream cheese) and then pop the eggs and melty cheese on the toast. For those who have time and fresh produce, throw on some tomatoes, spinach leaves, or red onion for a little more flavor and some fiber.
Hummus & Dippers
Hummus is a hangry fighting super star, thanks to the mix of healthy fats, protein, and fiber. While homemade hummus is great, we're a big fan of some store-bought hummus (red pepper is our fave), paired with a mix of baby carrots, bell pepper slices, and some crackers as a quick snack or lunch on days when we are short on time.
Instant Ramen
Instant ramen is cheap, tasty, and quick to make. But we’re not in college anymore, so we want our ramen to be a little upgraded, even when we are in a hurry. Make it more of a meal by adding leftover rotisserie or baked chicken, a handful of baby spinach, and some shredded carrots to the soup as it finishes cooking. Drizzle some sriracha sauce on top to add some flavor and heat and enjoy that instant ramen made especially for hangry adults!
Yogurt Parfait
Here’s an option that might work to get a hangry kid fed on the way to school or sports practice: a yogurt parfait! Layer vanilla Greek yogurt, sliced fruit, and something crunchy like granola, cereal (Honey Nut Cheerios is a hit in our house), or nuts in a plastic cup or container. Easy to eat in the car, especially if the cup fits in a cup holder!
Charcuterie To Go
Somewhere along the way, we realized that those Instagram-friendly charcuterie boards are basically just fancy Lunchables for grown-ups, but they’re also a good mixture of foods containing protein, fat, fibers, and carbs. Make a quick version by filling a divided container (like a bento style box) with one section of deli meat (or a beef stick from Chomps), one section of sliced cheese, one section with nuts or fruit, and one with crackers. Perfect for lunch on a busy work day.
Protein Bar Combo
Sometimes we don’t even have 15 minutes. Sometimes the answer to being hangry is, “What can be shoved in a purse in the next two minutes?" A piece of portable fruit (apple, banana, or a clementine) and a protein bar are about as fast as it gets. But we can upgrade it by making sure the protein bar actually tastes great. The good news is that there are so many more options for bars than there used to be, including some interesting flavors like Churro or Mexican Hot Chocolate from a newer brand called Unite.
Smoothie
A smoothie can be a great option. A solid and satisfying smoothie recipe starts with ½ cup or so of Greek yogurt, 1 to 2 cups frozen fruit, a handful of spinach, a few baby carrots, and a banana. Add enough liquid to cover (vanilla soy milk works well or whatever juice is on hand) and blend. Some people may also want to throw in a scoopful of protein powder to hit their protein goals, but that’s totally optional. Start to finish in under 10 minutes!
Toaster Waffle PB& J
This one works as a quick breakfast or as an afternoon snack. Toast two waffles and then coat one with peanut butter (or favorite nut butter) and the other with jam (or honey) and then make a sandwich. This could also be made into an easy savory option by swapping out the PB&J for a fried egg or a microwaved sausage patty.
Avocado Toast
Avocado toast can be super quick to make, especially when we don't rely on avocados to be perfectly ripe! Having some of the packaged cups of smashed avocado on hand (Wholly Chunky Avocado Mini Cups work well) makes avocado toast a five minutes or less hangry buster. We love to top our with either a fried egg or some everything bagel seasoning (Trader Joe's Everything But The Bagel is a great option).
Egg Bites
We'll say it again: there's nothing as key to beating back gnawing hunger as protein. Egg bites are another quick protein fix, whether we prep a big batch on the weekend (there are lots of recipes online and most freeze well) or if we keep the freezer stocked with ready-made ones.
Lentils & Rice
Folks who want a tasty vegetarian option to fight hunger should try a quick meal of rice and lentils. Simply get a package of microwave rice (there should be plenty of options that cook in 90 seconds) and a package of microwave lentils (we like the madras lentils for this).
Cup of Soup
Once the weather gets a little colder, soup becomes an even more appealing option. There are microwaveable sipping soup options or canned soup that can get heated up in a mug for a more portable option. Perfect to pair with some crackers!
Loaded Oatmeal
We all know oatmeal can fill us up but, if we're honest, we can also admit that plain oatmeal tastes awfully … plain. Oatmeal loaded with toppings like fruit, trail mix, nuts, peanut butter, butter, and/or maple syrup gets the filling up job done with a lot more flavor!
Peanut Butter & Dippers
Anyone else ever been so hungry that they grabbed a spoonful of straight peanut butter? Yeah, we've been there! Level that experience up by having peanut butter with assorted dippers (we love a dipping option) like apples, bananas, carrots, celery, crackers, or pretzels to add some healthy carbs to the mix.
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