Snacking can be an enemy…choose snacks wisely!
Snacking is something that I have never really understood because I am not a big snacker. I don’t love chips or candy bars or have cravings that I feel like I need to fill, but I do know that a lot of people do have snack urges and feel the need to satisfy their snack tooth with something. Snacking, as long as controlled, can be a great way to provide energy to your mind and body. It may be just what you need to give your mind and body a mid-morning or mid-afternoon boost, so do what works best for you based on your lifestyle. While I don’t encourage myself to snack because I feel that snacking is often carried on throughout the day or ends up adding up to an additional meal, I do have a few pointers that I utilize in my daily meal preparations that can also be used when preparing and eating snacks.
The best way to include snacks in your day, and I cannot stress the following enough: measure them out AND place the measured amount in baggies or containers so you will NOT be able to continue snacking until you decide to stop. It is best to give yourself a specific amount of food, which is why measuring out portions is important. So rather than taking a bag of chips to work to snack on throughout the day (or all week), measure out single serve portions so you don’t overeat and add additional unnecessary calories throughout the course of your day.
Another quick tip is if you know you are going to be out during a meal such as running errands around lunch or dinner time and may find that you want to grab a bite to eat by going through a drive-thru window, take some veggies or a snack that will hold you over until you get home to fix your lunch or dinner. Not only does this save you money, it saves you calories, and can help you from feeling starving by the time you eat next!
Here are a few options for snacks that I often eat with my wrap or sandwich at lunch:
-hummus with veggies
-trail mix of craisins, dark chocolate chips, and almonds
-popcorn single serve bags
-swiss cheese and whole grain crackers
-apple slices and peanut butter
Try to keep snacks to 100-125 calories so you aren’t consuming the amount of calories in a meal as a snack. While I won’t say happy snacking because I am not going to encourage it, I will say happy healthy eating and making choices that will allow you to feel more energized!
~jj