Grab and Go Snacks

Snacking can lead to better health and weight control 
With our fast paced lifestyle we often do not have enough time to eat three meals per day let alone the frequently recommended three meals and two snacks.  The following tips and tricks will not only help you to see why you should snack, but also how it can fit into your busy day.

Why Snack?
You may believe that snacking just adds extra calories and therefore leads to weight gain.  Well, that is a possibility.  But more likely, if done correctly, snacking can actually be a great opportunity to get in the recommended 10+ servings of fruits and vegetables per day and can even lead to weight loss.  If you aim to eat every 2-5 hours, you will never get so ravenously hungry that you will just grab the first food you see which is often something unhealthy.  With frequent snacking you have steadier levels of blood sugar and are less likely to overeat.

The right way to snack
The best way to snack is to have healthy food on hand in pre-portioned servings.  Ideally, each snack will contain a fruit and/or vegetable.  It is best to have a plan of what you will snack on so that you do not end up grabbing something unhealthy when afternoon hunger hits.  Everyone has different calorie needs, but a relatively good goal for a snack is between 100-300 calories.  The best snack will contain both complex carbohydrates and lean protein.

The wrong way to snack
Avoid opening something like a bag of popcorn or a can of nuts and eating from the container while distracted, like while working.  You will end up eating much more than you intended to due to being distracted.  Also, avoid snacking on high fat chips and candy bars, this will likely lead to weight gain and cause an energy crash later.  Instead keep some of the following options on hand for when a snack attack hits.

Healthy Snack Ideas (many of which are Grab and Go!)

• ¼ cup of trail mix. Make your own with dried fruit, high fiber cereal, and nuts or seeds
• A piece of fruit and a string cheese
• A half sandwich of lean deli meat on whole grain bread
• A piece of fruit and 10 nuts
• Veggies and 1 ounce baked pita chips with Hummus
• 15 Soy crisps and 10 green pepper sticks
• 4 triscuits and a slice of low fat cheese
• ½ cup cottage cheese and pineapple
• No added sugar yogurt plus high fiber cereal and berries
• Apple or pear with peanut or almond butter
• Make a smoothie with fresh or frozen fruit, milk or yogurt and ice.
• Peanut butter on celery
• 3 cups low fat popcorn with 20 peanuts tossed in
• ¼ cup edamame
• 2 oz tuna mixed with mustard and packed into a mini pita

With a little planning you can have healthy snacks on hand to increase your daily nutrient value and control hunger.