One of the most common questions I come across, probably daily from my clients is…
What is a healthy snack?
Snacking can be so beneficial for our health, but can often be our downfall if it’s not done right. Here are 4 tips to ensuring you’re snacking right for your health!
1. Are you really hungry?
You’ve had a nice big lunch and then a couple of hours later you feel like maybe you need a snack pick me up? Before you go to the kitchen, check in with yourself to see if it’s hunger? Thirst? Or just that same time each day…maybe a habit?
Start by having a glass of water or a herbal tea, and if you’re still hungry after 15 minutes, then go and grab yourself a nutritious snack (some ideas for you below).
2. Protein is key
Protein increases our satiety, and will really satisfy any hunger you’re experiencing. The biggest mistake I see is snacking on what we call “empty carbohydrates,” like plain crackers, biscuits or popcorn. These carbohydrate snacks will only satisfy your stomach initially, but leave you feeling hungry again later and probably craving more carbs (i.e. sugar craving).
Always include some source of protein with each snack, as this is what keeps you full, energised and balances your blood sugar levels (reducing those sugar cravings). Healthy protein consumption is also correlated with maintaining a healthy weight and metabolism.
3. Come prepared
Like anything in life, the key to a healthy diet is always preparation and planning. Prepare 1-2 snacks a day, and take them along with you to work or have them ready in the kitchen and stick to those allocated snacks. This will help you to avoid those impulsive snack purchases or late afternoon office snack binges, which often involve a whole lotta sugar!
4. Plan your meals
If you are a snacker and prefer smaller sized meals, then plan your day for 5 smaller meals so this suits your body and its needs. If you are someone who prefers 3 staple meals a day, then you want to avoid excess snacking between meals, so try to fill the gaps with fluids, herbal teas, fresh vegetable juices or limit yourself to one snack a day when needed. I normally recommend an afternoon snack around 3-4pm, to avoid any slumps and sugar cravings which are common around this time due to blood sugar drops.
To help get you started, here are some basic snack ideas which are rich in protein:
* 20 raw almonds or 8 raw walnuts
* 1/2 cup Natural Greek Yoghurt with 1 tbs LSA (linseed, sunflower & almond meal)
* Carrot & celery sticks with turmeric hummus or cottage cheese
* 1 x Chocolate Salted Bliss Ball
* 1 boiled egg
* 1 x green apple with 1 tbs almond butter
* 1 x mini flavoured ‘Inside Out’ Almond milk
You can also download my free Healthy Snack Guide which includes more healthy snacking tips and delicious recipes for you week!
