Our Favorite Go-To Healthy Snacks
That’s like… totally a protein cookie Dane is eating.
You’re starving, and there’s a tub of chocolate covered raisins whispering your name in the pantry. Do you open the cabinet and grab a handful (or 7), or reach for that cucumber you think you bought 2 weeks ago in the bottom of your frig that you might need to cut the mold off of?
I’m speaking about myself here. Our brains, and stomachs, are smart. They try to seek the path of least resistance. In our house, it’s out of sight, out of mind. But if it’s in sight, you best believe it’s gonna get eaten. And when I tell my husband we should just throw away that pint of Ben and Jerry’s because we don’t need it? His response is he’ll get rid of it quicker if he eats it. Oh husband!
Before we give you our favorite Go-To Healthy Snacks, let’s talk about convenience, because that’s what we’re looking for. Here’s our 3 tips to keep the junk away:
Don’t allow yourself to get starving. Hungry is ok, but if you allow yourself to go too long without eating (5+ hours for most people) chances are you’ll eat anything, including your arm. Eat before you get too hungry to stay on track.
Keep snacks with you, everywhere. In the car, in your purse, backpack, office (if you’re still going to the office), and keep a stash at home. Make the good stuff convenient and you won’t want to reach for the junk.
This might be the simplest tip of all… don’t buy it! Don’t go to the grocery store hungry and you’ll help get rid of the temptation!
Now before we get to what our healthy snacks are, let’s talk about why we’re snacking in the first place. Are we truly hungry? Or are we bored? Thirsty? Eating our kid’s leftover Mac N Cheese? We suggest if you’re getting hungry in between meals, to add more protein and fat to your meals, they’re more satiating than carbohydrates, which means they fill you up faster, and keep you fuller for longer.
Now onto the snacks! We love these healthy snack ideas from Rebel Dietitian. They’re so simple and so easy, you literally can’t fail!
Need even more ideas? Here’s 50 snack ideas you can have anywhere, anytime to take the edge off, and stay away from that tub of chocolate covered raisins!
Our last piece of advice is to eat your more carbohydrate based snacks (fruits, anything with bread) earlier in the day, when your body needs the most amount of energy. Your body burns carbs as a quick source of fuel. And any snacks that have more protein and fat (specifically fat) save for the later portion of the day or even nighttime. Your body burns fat as a slow source of fuel, perfect for when you’re sleeping!
Try one, or try all 50 of these snack ideas to keep your fitness on track and your health in check. Remember, it’s not just what you look like on the outside, but what’s happening on the inside that counts. What you put into your body creates it! So snack smart.