Snacks often get a bad reputation because most people choose
packaged snacks that are packed with sugar, salt and artificial ingredients, adding energy dense and nutrient poor calories to the daily diet. Additionally, it's easy to snack out of boredom and stress.
But if you choose your food wisely, snacking can give you energy to survive the day, help stabilize blood sugar, decrease hunger and fill in nutritional (or energy) gaps. While reducing mindless, boredom snacking will reduce unwanted calories, going too long without eating may slow your metabolism – making it difficult to lose weight, particularly if that was your intention by not eating between meals - and may lead to overeating at your next meal.
But if you choose your food wisely, snacking can give you energy to survive the day, help stabilize blood sugar, decrease hunger and fill in nutritional (or energy) gaps. While reducing mindless, boredom snacking will reduce unwanted calories, going too long without eating may slow your metabolism – making it difficult to lose weight, particularly if that was your intention by not eating between meals - and may lead to overeating at your next meal.
Snack tips:
- Change up your snacks based on appetite, energy, mood and meal options.
- Keep non-perishable snacks on hand for all situations (ex. meeting, traffic, errands)
- Snack with reason and purpose - hold you over until the next meal, fill in nutrient gaps or control blood sugar?
- Don’t go more than 3-4 hours without eating.
- Snacks should look like mini meals - carbs + protein/fat.
- A snack should satisfy you. Avoid grazing throughout the day.
Comfort food
1/3 cup instant oats + 1/2 cup milk or water + 1/2 large apple (chopped) + 1 tsp cinnamon (more to taste) + 1 pinch salt. Heat in microwave and top with 1 spoonful dark chocolate chips.
Sweet Heat
1/8 cup cashews
Mixed sliced bell peppers
1 ounce/slice Pepper jack cheese
Crunch attack
3 tbsp air popped corn
1 brown paperbag
Roll down the top of the bag three times and pop in 30 sec intervals until the popping stops to one pop every 3-4 seconds. ~90 seconds.
Standard and Simple
1 plan Greek yogurt
1/2 cup frozen or fresh berries
2 spoonfuls granola
Quickie
Banana
Spoonful of peanut butter
Sprinkle of chopped nuts or drizzle of honey
Hodgepodge
1 Apple or pear
Small handful pistachios
3-4 dried dates or figs
Ten easy-to-digest pre-workout
carbohydrate-rich snack options (~25g carbs each)
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¾
cup cooked rice
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½
cup cooked oatmeal
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1
English muffin
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1
slice sourdough bread
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½
cup applesauce
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6-ounce
yogurt
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1
small potato
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10
saltine crackers
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1
cup grits
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1
medium banana
- Bulky salads (dark leafy greens)
- Foods with bran
- Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, onions
- Sugar alcohols, artificial flavors, sweeteners
- Beans