Snacking between meals is a great way to boost your energy, and to furnish important nutrients that might be missing from your other daily meals.
Eating throughout the day has also been known to decrease late-day binge eating.
When planning/choosing your snacks for the day, always remember to:
● Plan Ahead - Pack fruit, trail mix (seeds, dried fruits, nuts), and yogurt. This will help you avoid relying on vending machines and convenience stores when you are feeling hungry.
● Snack Consciously - Mindless nibbling can lead to overeating. Try to eat a snack without watching TV, working or reading. Also, make sure that you plate out one portion at a time.
● Choose Nutrient-Rich Foods - Whole grain food items, vegetables, popcorn, fresh fruit, yogurt, low-fat cheese, peanut butter, nuts and seeds.
● Pay Attention - There is a major difference between hunger and eating out of boredom.
Make sure that you have non-food ways to manage stress, relax and/or entertain yourself.
Always try to combine a carb, preferably a complex carb with a protein or healthy fat to feel satiated and help regulate blood sugar.
Consider coconut yogurt with fruit and walnuts. Apple slices and almond butter, salsa, carrots/celery and hummus or baba ganush.
Keep a variety of nutrient rich ready-to-eat snacks at your fingertips. Plan out your snacks to help fill in any food-group gaps. Here are some healthful snacking ideas:
● prepare a daily “Veggie Bag”
● whole-grain cereal and milk
● apple slices with peanut butter
● trail mix
● raw veggies with a yogurt or cottage cheese dip
● yogurt and fresh fruit
● whole wheat pita bread with hummus
● peanut butter on whole-wheat crackers
● baked bagel chips with salsa.