My last blog was all about breakfast cereals, as I am regularly asked what is the healthiest cereal. You can read my response here.
Following closely behind this is the question “what are some healthy snack ideas?” Finding appropriate snacks is often something we struggle with - and this is because most convenient snack foods are generally not that healthy. We have our trusty favourites like fruit and nuts but a lot of the time these suggestions seem a bit too basic or bland for most people.
I work with my clients to create efficient metabolic control – meaning it is easy for them to go 4-5 hours without food and there is a minimal need for snacks. This is because their body becomes efficient at burning fat for fuel and is not reliant on a constant source of energy or glucose from food.
If you feel you are starving every two to three hours, get “hangry” (angry when hungry) or find you carry around snacks “just in case”, this is a sign you might need to add more healthy fats and/or protein to your main meals. But enough of that, I’ll save that for another post.
Here is a list of some snack ideas to keep you going throughout the day.
· Boiled eggs with good quality sea salt
· Tin of tuna in spring water with avocado
· Tin of tuna in spring water with cottage cheese
· 200g of Greek yoghurt with berries, cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of nuts or seeds – for an added protein boost, mix a tablespoon or two of good quality protein powder into the yoghurt
· A handful of shredded roast chicken
· A simple protein smoothie with clean protein powder, a banana and almond milk (or milk of choice)
· Small pack of sashimi with a miso soup
· A mug of bone broth with sliced ginger
· Green apple with a tablespoon of almond butter
· Veggie sticks (carrot, celery, capsicum, cucumber) with 2 tablespoons of good quality hummus (with an olive oil base)
· A slice of sprouted toast or sourdough rye with avocado, tomato and goats feta - or for a quicker alternative, almond or peanut butter
· Celery sticks with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter (just peanuts and salt on the ingredients list please)
· A piece of fruit i.e banana with a ¼ cup of natural almonds
· A piece of fruit with a matchbox size of hard cheese
· A protein ball or coconut cranberry slice
· Stewed cinnamon apples with ½ cup greek yoghurt
· For chocolate cravings, have 2 squares of 70%+ dark chocolate or make yourself a healthy hot chocolate:
Recipe // 1 cup of coconut milk (or milk of choice), 1 tablespoon of raw cacao powder, ½ tablespoon of coconut syrup, honey or rice malt syrup and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Heat in a saucepan and enjoy!
Remember to make your main meals well balanced with plenty of protein and healthy fats to keep you full in between meals. By doing this, you will find the need for snacking a lot less necessary.