Smart Snacking

It's mid-afternoon and you find yourself tired, bored, and a little hungry. When our blood sugar gets low, we tend to reach for foods that will give us energy immediately. Sugar is almost immediately absorbed into the blood stream after consumed, so our bodies crave it! To our bodies, sugar = energy. The trouble with this is, it doesn't last long. Sugar is a quick fix, but we are usually not satisfied after a bag of potato chips or a cookie from the break room. 

The key to smart snacking is a balance between protein, complex carbohydrate, and healthy fat.

To keep energy levels going (and avoid weight gain) steer clear of foods with lots of added sugars like candy bars or soda. Look for foods that contain fiber like whole-grain breads, cereals, fruit, and vegetables and combine them with protein-rich snacks such as peanut butter or low-fat yogurt or cheese.

Now, most of us begin the week with the intention of eating healthy, but in the midst of our afternoon at the office, under stress, exhausted, and so on, we are not craving carrot sticks or celery. So, how do we override what our brain tells us we crave and want? How can we resist those temptations in the moment and save those unnecessary calories for a better indulgence at a later time, or even better, omit them all together. 

Plan Ahead!

I cannot stress this enough. If you have 30 minutes to watch a TV show at any time during the week, you have time to pack some healthy snacks! Next time you are at the grocery store, grab some small reusable containers that you can keep full in the fridge, ready to be thrown into your bag! I also recommend to my clients, GET A LUNCHBOX! Long gone are the days of worrying what your friends will say when you show up at the lunch table with a lunchbox! Get one! Still worried that the office folk will poke fun at your box/bag? GET OVER IT! Your health is more important than their opinion, AND take a look at what they are eating for lunch. Are they making the same healthy decisions you are? Does that show? So, head to Target or Ross and buy one! They make nice insulated ones that work great for a few hours out of the fridge AND just look like a small tote bag.

Choose wisely! 

Always include a vegetable in your snack. Although fruits are important, fruits do contain sugar, and that can add up quickly during the day. (There is pretty much sugar in everything you eat...milk, yogurt, cereal, bread, coffee creamer, the list is endless. If you don't already count calories and sugars, I challenge you to one day to tally up how many grams of sugar are in everything you eat in one day). Make a plan to prepare all your vegetables after you get home from the grocery store! Immediately wash and portion out those veggies you are going to snack on during the week. A giant bag of carrots in the vegetable crisper doesn't do you any good when you open the fridge with 30 seconds to get in the car! You won't see it and you won't grab any to take with you! CONVENIENCE IS EVERYTHING!

Always include protein in your snack in addition to that veggie! A laughing cow cheese wedge, string cheese, a few pieces of lean deli meat (don't go overboard on sodium), Greek yogurt, peanut butter, almond butter, a small handful of almonds or walnuts, etc. I always encourage my clients to eat at least 15-20 grams of protein at a snack, because protein will help you feel satisfied longer than carbohydrate alone, carrying you from mid-afternoon all the way to dinner time!

Get Exotic!

The options for healthy snacking are endless! Explore new veggies you might not have eaten raw before. It doesn't have to be the old "ants on a log" celery and peanut butter, although that would be a great option! Try edamame, bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans,  radishes, etc. Branch out and try something new! 

Don't Sabotage Your Healthy Snack!

DO NOT dunk those gorgeous veggies into store bought dressing! No ranch, creamy Italian, blue cheese, etc. Try making a healthier veggie dip at home. Greek yogurt is a great alternative to sour cream based dips, and can be doctored quite well with a little effort! 

Try this recipe for tzatziki, a take on the greek cucumber and dill yogurt dip.
It went over GREAT at a happy hour I held recently!

But, if you absolutely CANNOT live without your ranch (although I strongly urge you to break this habit), try mixing a teaspoons of Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning into a cup of Greek yogurt. You can avoid all the unwanted saturated fats and still enjoy that ranch dressing taste.

Do A Little Research!

Having trouble thinking of something healthy to eat? Or trying to figure out how to incorporate Greek yogurt into your snack? There are endless blogs, Pinterest boards, recipe sites, etc.! Instead of pinning that Nutella Creme Puff, try searching for some healthy ideas instead! Hop on over to my Pinterest board Healthy Eats for some ideas!

Happy healthy snacking!

-Whitney