You know that feeling when you’ve gone past hungry? Your head hurts, your stomach is growling and you might even be a bit shaky. And if you don’t eat in the next 2 seconds, you’re bound to explode on anyone who speaks to you. Yep, you’ve Gone Badger, my friend.

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I’m familiar with that feeling. Much too familiar. And I’ve Gone Badger more times than I’d like to admit.

What exactly does it mean to Go Badger? Well, if you start hissing and scratching, that’s a sign that you’ve Gone Badger. But it also applies to any outburst that leaves people wondering if you are, in fact, human. Like the kind that happens when I’ve waited too long to eat.

The term was coined by my youngest daughter, AKA The Honey Badger, who acts like a badger when she gets upset (complete with growling, hissing and clawing). If you upset her, she glares and says in a very serious voice, “You had better watch out or I will Go Badger on you.”

It’s been very helpful to be able to tell the kids, “If mama doesn’t eat soon, she’s going to Go Badger on you.” They know exactly what I’m talking about and help me get a snack ASAP.

I’ve found that certain foods are much better to eat when I’m in Badger state. For instance, something that has a good amount of protein and fat, with a bit of something sweet to give my body the glucose it needs, is perfect.

Of course, prevention is best, so it’s best to keep these snacks on hand and eat them before you Go Badger. Because Going Badger is never pretty.

Here are my favorite snacks:

Apples and cheese

It doesn’t take much time to slice up some cheddar cheese and an apple or two. This snack travels well, too, so put some in a container and throw it in your car/purse if you’re going out. (I also love apples with nut butter or homemade yogurt, but those aren’t as portable. Maybe I need one of these.)

Trail Mix

Make your own by combining nuts, seeds and dry fruit. Keep some in a mason jar in your kitchen, in your purse and in your car. Here’s a great recipe.

Granola Bars

My kids love granola bars. I do, too, because they’re so portable and easy to wolf down when you feel your inner Badger coming out. Here’s an easy, protein-rich recipe.

Smoothies

Yogurt, kefir, nuts and seeds are great ingredients to give your smoothie the extra protein (and fat) it needs to keep you full longer without throwing your blood sugar out of whack with a bunch of sugar. I love throwing in all sorts of goodies in my smoothies, my favorite ingredients being:

• Orange juice
• Oranges
• Bananas
• Spinach
• Frozen berries (I love using frozen berries in lieu of ice)
• Creamed coconut
• Yogurt
• Fresh fruit that needs to be used ASAP

There’s so much you can put in a smoothie. Experiment a little and find the combinations you like best. And if you want to make a great high-protein smoothie, check out High Protein, No Powder.

Protein Bars

With more protein than a granola bar, protein bars are great for preventing those awful, Badger-beckoning blood sugar crashes. However, most (maybe all) commercial options are loaded with sugar and other additives you don’t want in your body if you want to stick to a real food lifestyle.

Protein bars are super easy to make and you can find recipes all over the interwebs, including this yummy one.

High Protein, No Powder

Which brings me to High Protein, No Powder, a new ebook by Tiffany at Don’t Waste the Crumbs (if you want to save money on real food, head to her site right now and join her newsletter so you can get her free ebook, 22 Days to a Fresh Start – it’s great).

High Protein, No Powder is a great resource for anyone who wants to make protein-rich smoothies and bars with nutrient-dense, healthy foods. It contains 14 protein bar recipes and 20 smoothie recipes that sound uh-mazing. First on my list to make is the coconut bar. Mmmmm, coconut.

The book also takes a close look at what’s in commercial protein bars and shakes, and offers helpful suggestions for picking the right tools for making your protein-rich snacks (I like that she keeps it simple.) Get the ebook here.

What are your favorite protein-rich snacks that keep you from Going Badger?