Healthy Habits: Snacks

If you’ve just started reading my blog, welcome! Please refer to my previous posts Healthy Habits: Breakfast here and Healthy Habits: Lunch here.

Healthy Habits is a series where I share some healthy food options, alternatives, and tips for meals and snacks! These ideas are great for when you’re busy, running short on time, (or if you’re simply curious!) for some quick and easy yet delicious and nutritious options.

Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that these are only suggestions made by me. While I am not a dietitian or nutritionist, I am currently majoring in applied nutrition at a university. These are simply some healthy alternatives that I wanted to share to inspire you if you are ever stuck deciding what to eat, if you’re on the go, or if you are simply curious of what I have to offer. Also, I am in no way saying that foods other than those that I have mentioned are horrible for you, these are simply ideas I came up with and are much healthier choices than, for instance, Cheetos in a vending machine, or a Big Mac from McDonald’s. This information is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your pediatrician or family doctor. Please consult a doctor with any questions or concerns you might have regarding your or your child’s condition. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s dive into it!

Nowadays, between your job, school, homework, extracurricular activities, and hanging out with friends, it may feel like there’s no time for healthy eating. So when you get hungry, it seems like it’s so much easier to just grab chips or candy from the vending machine or stop by a fast food restaurant to order a burger, shake, and fries. But you know what? It doesn’t have to be that way.

It IS possible to eat healthy and treat yourself to a satisfying, delicious yet nutritious snack. And guess what, healthy snacking CAN be quick and easy too.

But why should you snack in the first place? These days, it seems like there’s a popular idea that one should not snack because it’s equated to consuming “extra” calories in the day. Or that it is too hard to find a snack that’s nutritious and delicious so you’d rather just starve and just wait until your next meal.

If you have any of these thoughts or perform any of these actions, you may want to reconsider. In fact, studies have shown that nutritious snacking can keep your energy levels high, raise your blood sugar levels, and boost your energy and concentration.

As I have mentioned in my Healthy Habits: Lunch post, simply getting food into your body when you are hungry will keep your metabolism active and help you feeling sharp and refreshed. I know I have said this before but I am going to say it again–studies have shown that if you overdo your diet and restrict yourself by cutting out too many calories from your overall caloric intake, you may very much be sabotaging your metabolism. Your body will be put into starvation mode so it will slow down its calorie burning–and in many cases, your body will break down muscle tissue for energy. In the case of individuals who severely restrict their overall calorie intake, every time they do eat something, their metabolism slows down as much as possible to conserve any fat that was previously consumed for future use, and those individuals may even start gaining weight. The key is to eat enough so that you’re not starving or hungry, and eat smaller, more frequent meals and snacks throughout the day. That way, you’ll more likely be satisfied, maintain a healthy diet, and if you are indeed trying to shed a few pounds, still lose weight!

Also, during adolescence, teenage, and the growing years, you feel hungry—quite a lot! While you are growing, it is imperative that your body gets the nutrients it needs for optimal health. Hence, snacking is a great way to get all of these vitamins and minerals to ensure that you grow as you should, or if you are no longer growing, maintain good health!

If you struggle with finding good snack options or don’t even know where to begin when it comes to healthy snacking, no worries. I am so happy you’ve discovered my blog and I am here to help you out! Please feel free to ask any questions. Good luck, you truly deserve great health!

Snacks

• Fruit: One of my all-time snack favorites is fruit. Fruit contains dietary fiber, which helps you feel fuller, longer throughout the day. Most fruits are naturally low in sodium, fat, and calories and none have cholesterol. They also contain good sources of many essential nutrients, including vitamin C, folic acid in the form of folate, and potassium.

• Still not so appealing to you? Add fun spreads like peanut butter (or any favorite nut butter of yours) to your fruit! That makes for a tasty and still nutritious treat (nut butters contain healthy fats and protein that is great for overall health). My favorite is 2 tbsp of peanut butter + 1 serving of an apple.

• Raw veggies and low fat ranch dip or hummus + pita bread

• Celery with 2 tbsp peanut butter and raisins

• One cup of yogurt with sliced fruit on top

• Cheese stick and 1 cup of grapes

• Nuts: almonds, walnuts, peanuts, cashews, chestnuts, more!!

• ½ cup of sunflower seeds

• Air popped popcorn or whole wheat popcorn

• Cup of cherry tomatoes

• Cup of carrots

• 1 slice of whole grain bread and 1 tbsp of peanut butter on top

• Fruit and yogurt parfait: ½ cup of yogurt, ½ cup of berries, granola on top

• 1 cup of carrots with/without hummus

• 1/2 cup of oatmeal + 1 cup of low fat milk with fruit on top

• Homemade trail mix: nuts, dried fruit, dark chocolate chips

• Graham crackers with peanut butter and sliced red grapes

• Granola bars (Because there are so many different types/brands/options, it really depends on the nutrition label. A tip is to pay attention to the ingredients list—if there is something you don’t recognize, or there is an ingredient you’ve never heard of before, most likely it is artificial and not that great for you. Usually I find KIND Bars as one of the more nutritious granola bar options… I suggest looking into them!)

• 1 cup of whole grain cereal with low fat milk and fruit on top

• Fruit & whole grain bread

• Frozen fruit (ex. frozen mangos–Trader Joe’s are great!, frozen grapes, frozen berries, etc.)

Open-faced Sandwich Ideas:

If you know me, I LOVE eating sandwiches and toast…so much in fact that I eat it for snack as well! Do give these a try!

• 1 slice of bread (100% whole wheat bread, multigrain, rye, Ezekiel, etc.)

• Combos:

• Cream cheese and cucumber

• Peanut butter and sliced banana

• Peanut butter and sliced apple

• Sunflower seed butter and sliced almonds

• Any nut butter and fruit (blueberries, apple, strawberries, etc.)

• Cream cheese and ham

• Cheese (toast it and dip in marinara sauce)

Please Healthify My Cravings:

• I am really craving French Fries…so it sounds like you’re craving salty, greasy foods. While I do admit that French Fries taste pretty darn good, you could be craving this because you’re dehydrated—salt helps your body hang onto every bit of water it has. To help satisfy this craving, make sure to drink at least a cup of water and try for pretzels instead! While pretzels are not the healthiest foods ever, it will help satisfy your sodium cravings.

• Chocolate chip cookies sound SO GOOD right now…I hear you, my friend. While I am a believer in giving into your cravings sometimes, if you crave this all the time, it’s time to try something new. Try a healthier version of cookies instead! In a blender, mix 1 cup of quick oats + 1 banana + 1 tbsp of chocolate chips + 2 tbsp of chopped dried fruit. Bake 10-15 minutes in the oven, set at 350 degrees. This will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth! If not, I’d say to opt for a “mini meal.” This could be a combo pizza that will be sure to satisfy you with its variety of flavors and foods—1 whole wheat pita, 2 cooked turkey meatballs (the ones from Trader Joe’s are my favorite), ½ cup marinara sauce, 1-2 tsp. of basil, ½ cup cheese of choice; bake in oven until cheese is melted, use basil as a topping after baking. Too much? Eat half!

• I scream for ice cream…okay, it’s hard to say no to ice cream but if you are looking for a healthier alternative, try this: freeze 1 banana overnight, the following day toss it into a blender and blend it until it becomes a creamy-like texture like frozen yogurt. Top with your favorite nuts, granola, fruit (ex. blueberries, strawberries, etc.) and/or a few chocolate chips. Eat with a spoon!

The possibilities for snacks are endless. Please keep in mind that these are just ideas! Feel free to customize these recipes and snacks to your liking, and I hope you found this helpful. As always, do let me know if you end up trying any of these. Good luck and have a great day!

Note: All of these images were found online using the Google search engine except for the first/top image (which cannot be “clicked” because I took that image). Please click on images for source.

#health #healthyhabits #nutrition #snacks