Healthy Snacking Made Easy
Snacks. For those of us who enjoy eating, they are a god send. For those of us who need to get more calories into our system, they are functionally fantastic. For those who are fighting a past of binging, they are scary as hell. Let’s make snacking less scary.
Healthy Snacks You Want To Eat
Fruit
Dried or fresh, fruit are a great way to get fiber, unrefined sugar, and flavor into your day. Look for produce as local as you can get for the freshest and fullest taste!
Pros:
- Can eat without special preparation
- Handy to stick in bag
- Fiber
- Simple carbohydrates aka unrefined, naturally occurring sugar
- Vitamins
Examples: bananas, berries, dried apricots, apple slices, orange slices, grapes, kiwi, pomegranates
Vegetables
I bet you never saw that coming after the fruit, eh? Well here’s what’s nice about veggies: you can dip them in things! Ranch dressing, any dressing really, cream cheese, and hummus are great ways to make raw veggies more tolerable for the veggie impaired. With the dressings, keep it more about the veggie than how much dressing you can fit on it. Also, veggies help with motility.
Pros:
- Vitamins
- Fiber
- Can be cooked or raw
- Dress up with sauce or dressings
Examples: carrots with hummus, celery sticks with peanut butter, cucumbers with dressing, leafy greens, baked squash, sautéed eggplant, sautéed spinach with onions or leeks
Nuts, Beans & Seeds
Great for protein, low in carbohydrates, and full of healthy fats. Nuts and seeds have all kinds of great stuff in them, though be wary of the amount of salt they may contain. Check your labels to make sure they don’t have added salt to keep your heart happy. They have a crunch to them. Beans generally get cooked after being soaked in water if you get them dry and have a thick mushy consistency.
Pros:
- Protein
- Healthy fats
- Long shelf life
- Crunchy is fun to eat
- So is mushy
Examples: unsalted cashews, unsalted peanuts, cooked black beans, cooked pinto beans, chickpeas, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, macadamias, roasted or raw almonds, pecans
Granola (with Yogurt)
Our complex carbohydrate friend, granola often comes mixed with dry fruit and has a touch of sweetness via honey or sugar! Check your ingredients to find what flavors will satisfy you. Yogurt comes from cow or goat’s milk! Look for Greek yogurt; the naturally occurring bacteria found in your yogurt is good for your tummy.
Pros:
- Flavorful
- Complex carbohydrates for energy
- Calcium from yogurt
- Granola has long shelf life
- Fiber
- Can have different varieties based on the mix
- Can be eaten together or separately
Examples: Kind Bar granolas or granola bars, Liberte yogurts, Greek yogurt, granola bins at your local grocery or hippie store, oat blends
These are broad sweeping generalizations of the snacks that can work for your lifestyle. Like with any new thing in your life, start slow. Try adding one piece of fruit to your day for a week or two, then add something else. Maybe start with a veggie and a sauce, or a can of unsalted nuts!
Need more help? Contact Steph, whether it’s for finding a food that works for you or finding a dietitian or nutritionist who can help you can on track.
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Sources:
Does the Body Process Fruit Sugars the Same Way That It Does Refined Sugar? SF Gate
The Foods to Eat for a Healthy Gut by BEST HEALTH Reader’s Digest Best Health
Nuts and your heart: Eating nuts for heart health by Mayo Clinic Staff Mayo Clinic
Probiotics & Greek Yogurt by Rose Erickson LIVESTRONG
