Sharing Snacking Love

• September 26th, 2010
• Posted in Health, Nutrition
• 5 Comments

As any of my clients will tell you, I’m a huge proponent of snacks … for good reason! First and foremost, snacks help keep your metabolism humming along efficiently. If you were to go for six to seven hours between meals with no food, you would dim the lights on your calorie-burning engine. Not the direction you or I want to go! We want our bodies to expect food, not worry about the next “dry spell” and hold onto what we’ve got!

Furthermore, healthy snacks help keep blood sugar even-keeled, so you feel balanced and energized and are less likely to give into your sweet tooth. You’re also able to pack more nutrients into your day, such as calcium, fiber, whole grains, antioxidants, and lean protein when choosing healthy eats. This is particularly key for growing kiddos. Quite possibly, the biggest factor in my snack love is that they prevent you from eating too much at the next meal because as common sense would have it, if you’re not ravenous by the time you sit for that meal, no matter what—you will eat less! A win-win deal, if ya ask me.

So, when should you snack and on what?

Don’t go longer than four hours without eating a meal or snack. It’s just not setting you up for the success you deserve. For example, if you eat lunch at noon and dinner at seven, you need a snack in-between the two meals. And that snack should have some protein and a high-fiber carbohydrate, such as fruit, veggies, or whole grains. This carb and protein combo will help you feel satisfied and keep your blood sugar normalized, which will make you feel better. Additionally, if you’re trying to watch your weight, keep your snacks to about 200 calories.

Good examples of snacks include: one tablespoon of natural peanut butter or almond butter with an apple or whole-grain crackers, 1 cup of non-fat Greek yogurt with berries, two tablespoons of hummus on carrot or celery sticks, turkey rolled-up with lettuce and sprinkled with low-fat grated cheese, air-popped popcorn with Parmesan cheese and spices, edamame, low-fat string cheese with fruit, a small baked sweet potato topped with Greek yogurt, and when you’re in dire need—a bar of choice (it’s better than nothing!). My fave bars are Cliffs,  Laras, and Lunas. YUM!