Nutritionist approved snacks
Homemade trail mix
Snacking
Snacking is a contentious subject. Many say we shouldn’t snack, others say to snack. I think it is important to listen (with reason to your body). Why do you feel you need a snack?
Cravings and hunger can be both physical and emotional. Physical is true hunger pain felt in the stomach. It can also be from blood sugar dips and the need to raise them. Or maybe you’ve used all your fuel from the previous meal. It could be that your plate wasn’t balanced and didn’t contain enough protein. Emotional cravings come from the brain-they come hard and fast and demand attention. Maybe you are feeling stressed, emotional, bored or your last meal wasn’t satisfying enough. Pay attention and become in tune with your cravings, your body is trying to communicate and to tell you something.
As a general rule, it is a good idea to not snack between meals. When you eat 3 meals a day with no snacking you are doing a form of intermittent fasting and allowing the digestive system to fully process the food and to rest in between meals. However, there are times and certain conditions that mean snacking is beneficial, for example when you need to fuel busy days and there is a long gap between meals or you are convalescing.
Here is a list for protein based snack inspiration. Including protein and a healthy fat with the snack will help to balance blood sugars and increase satiety. Extra points for including a vegetable or fruit (always add protein with your fruit to balance the natural sugars):
Handful of homemade trail mix - nuts ( almonds, pecans, cashews), seeds (sunflower, pumpkin seeds), Fun stuff (dark chocolate, chocolate brazil nuts, pretzels, popped corn), dried unsulphured fruit (blueberries, apricots, cherries)
Homemade popcorn cooked in coconut oil with added cinnamon
Hummus and veggies
Yogurt and berries
Handful of nuts and seeds
Boiled eggs
Edamame
Seaweed
Roasted chickpeas - roast in olive oil, seasoning and choose a spice, eg. paprika, turmeric, garlic, and onion powder
1 square dark chocolate
Homemade protein balls
Sliced apple/pear with almond butter
Dates with almond butter
Cottage cheese
I hope this healthy snack list is helpful for you.
Katie xx