Healthy snack ideas
Obviously this means having healthy snacks available. You need to be able to get your hands on something low in sodium, sugar and fat, while being high in flavor and energy. Ideally, some protein is a great thing for a snack and I often go for an ounce of cheese with a few nuts and some grapes. Works great for me and it’s easy. Planning is key. Keep a list of healthy snack ideas with you when shopping and make sure to include a few in your basket. Also, don’t buy unhealthy junk food and it simply won’t be an option when you go looking for a snack. It is important to have a properly stocked fridge containing only foods that will help you to maintain your healthy diet and that you find delicious and satisfying. And if you’re not at home finding a satisfying but healthy snack idea can be even tougher. So, don’t forget to plan for snacks for when you’re out of the house as well. If you fail to provide for the inevitable hunger pangs that will occur, you’ll end up standing in front of the vending machine or lining up at the coffee shop. Remember these two things: (1) protein is the first thing you want to reach for when you’re hungry, and (2) muffins and cookies are (generally) evil. They look innocent but commercially made baking products are full of refined flours and sugars and very high in fat. Avoid at all cost. Here is a list of healthy snack ideas to eat at home, or on the go.
-Energy bars are a great alternative to gorp. There are plenty of varieties on the market but read the labels carefully to avoid excessive salt or sugar. Find some you like and stash them in the car or in your desk. Better yet, make your own and control the ingredients. -Avoid commercially prepared muffins and cookies. They tend to be very high in fats and low in nutrition. Also, most of the time they’re just not that good which can lead to eating more of something else. Double loss. Instead, use a nice refrigerator muffin recipe which can be prepared once and then used over a period of weeks to bake up muffins as you need them. You can control the ingredients and they tend to be smaller and less calorie intense. -When buying bags of nuts try to get raw, unsalted and preferably with some dried fruit. If you find this is not satisfying, buy a small quantity of roasted and salted nuts to mix in. There is usually more than enough salt in a quarter cup of salted nuts to spice up a larger quantity of unsalted. -If you like raw veggies as a snack, consider making some yoghurt cheese as a dip. It can be seasoned or eaten as is. I also use it as a tart and tasty alternative to mayo on bread.
-As with all other parts of planning to maintain your healthy diet, identify your favorite healthy foods and keep them around. Eating food which is not satisfying to your taste will likely result in you continuing to forage for food far past when your caloric needs were met. Healthy snack ideas at work If you have a fridge at work, and it isn’t full of science experiments gone bad, use it.When you come into work on Monday, bring a chunk of cheese, a few trans-fat free crackers and lots of fruit. I love grapes, apples, anything that transports well and doesn’t take much prep time. Also, keep some nuts in your drawer. Raw, unsalted nuts like almonds and walnuts are great for curbing your appetite and virtuous at the same time, in moderation. Six to ten large nuts should be plenty to stave off hunger pangs.
Triggers can be a problem. I have given up coffee and find that many of the snacks I used to associate with a cup of java no longer “go” with a cup of tea. So that turned out to be an accidental discovery that has saved me from many unhappy run-ins with food I prefer not to eat. Not only am I not having the coffee, and cream, but I’m not indulging in the baked goods it helped to wash down. Double bonus. You might also remember that just because you can eat, doesn’t mean your have to. Although it’s a good idea to have more and smaller meals each day, that doesn’t have to mean eating every time an opportunity arises. If you’re not hungry, don’t eat. Use the break-time to do a bit of walking instead. Even if you’re trapped in a high-rise you can still hit the stairwell and climb a few flights. This has the added benefit of stretching out your muscles after sitting for prolonged periods.
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Snacks are good for you but you need some healthy snack ideas to help make good choices. Many nutritionists and dieticians recommend eating smaller meals every three hours. And in most cases they recommend having 300 calories or fewer at these sittings. This will help maintain healthy blood sugar levels and help you to avoid binging at the next sit-down meal.
-Keep bags of nuts with dried fruit 
-Just plain fruit! Go with whatever is seasonal and it’s bound to be a lot more satisfying, as well as cost effective. If you live in a warm climate you will likely have plenty of alternatives year round. Here in Canada we can certainly buy everything year round, but the quality often leaves something to be desired. That’s why I tend to stick to seasonal availability.
A favorite 10a.m. snack for me is green grapes, some feta cheese and walnuts. I find it completely satisfying and easily holds me over to lunch. You won’t even miss the pastry!
