Mindful Snacking

Ok so, as promised, here are some things to consider when snacking. Do you ever grab a snack only to be shaky and hungry an hour later? Just because something is small in size and doesn’t fill you up does not mean it is low in calories. So many “snacks” are full of sugar, bad fats and very few nutrients. It is true that eating many small meals throughout the day will boost your metabolism and make it easier to lose weight, but it’s quite important to remember that those small meals should be nutritious, not just full of empty calories.

Here is a list of common snack problems I see:

• 100 calorie packs: These “all the rage” snack options may be low in calories, but they’re full of empty ones. What do I mean? Well if you’re eating 100 calories of simple sugars, processed flour and no real protein or substance those snack packs will leave you feeling hungry and you’ll be headed for a sugar crash. It is better to consume two or three hundred calories full of protein, fiber and nutrients to keep you running longer.
• Donuts or cookies: Have a cookie now and then- go for it. But here’s the deal, snacking on things like donuts or cookies is tricky. They may not have an overwhelming amount of calories a piece, but they will not fill you up. What will happen is you will casually grab another and another or you’ll end up eating again in no time because of the sugar crash or fatigue they leave you with.
• Fruit: Here’s a tricky one! Most people will grab a piece of fruit as a healthy snack when they are feeling hungry. It is true that your diet should have plenty of fruits and veggies in it, but consider this. An apple contains the equivalent of more than 5 tsp. of sugar and no protein. So even though it’s all natural vitamin packed sugar, you’ll still be left with a sugar crash in an hour! Be sure to pair fruit with protein to snack on.
• Cheese sticks: Cheese sticks are a popular snack that are pretty tricky. While they are not the worst for you (provided they’re not dyed orange) The all natural ones are pretty high in calories and it takes 2-3 to fill you up.
• Children’s snacks! Isn’t it strange that the demographic that requires the most nutritionally is getting the least from their snacks and food product? Friends, I simply cannot fit everything I have to say regarding children’s snacks into this blog, but please be advised that the snacks and food products for that matter marketed towards children are generally speaking loaded with sugar, corn syrup, white flour, artificial colors and flavorings and a variety of preservatives! These are empty calories made for the people who need their calories to be packed with nutrients in order to grow.

So here’s what you should be looking for in a snack:

• Healthy, natural, preferably few ingredients.
• Low sugar
• High protein 
• High Fiber
• High in nutrients

Examples of good snacks are:

• Carrots with hummus
• Apples with Almond butter
• Nuts
• Sunflower seeds
• Banana with walnuts
• Plain Greek yogurt with berries

Don’t spend hundreds of calories a day on unhealthy snack products! Don’t assume that children’s snack packets are healthy. Snack smart, friends and your body will thank you!

The Science Behind Snacking

So, do you ever wonder why you are tired for simply no good reason at all?!  Does your child seem lethargic in the middle of the day?  Do you have a snack and then just want to go to sleep?  Do you think it’s no big deal to have a cookie or a doughnut in the middle of the day?  Would you like to live and function at an optimum level?  Then, let’s talk about the science behind snacking.

This will make you think twice the next time you grab a plain apple! There are three macronutrients: carbohydrates, protein and fat. Today, for our snack purposes, we are going to focus on carbohydrates and protein.

Carbohydrates are the primary fuel source for your body. This is the macronutrient that we most easily break down for immediate energy.  It’s what keeps our bodies moving and our brains thinking. There are complex carbohydrates which digest a little slower such as sweet potatoes, oatmeal and whole grain bread. There are two different kinds of simple carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates break down very fast for immediate energy. The first one is refined simple carbohydrates such as candy, cakes and doughnuts. The second is natural simple carbohydrates such as fruit.

Next, we need to understand how protein works in our body. Protein is critical to the human body as 45% of the human body is protein! Studies have found protein to be the most satiating macronutrient.  The most important function of protein is to build and repair muscle. Some great protein sources are eggs, chicken, turkey, fish, nuts, and beans.

The magic happens when you combine a protein and a carbohydrate for the ultimate snack.  Aren’t you eager to have a magical day?  A snack that is only a carbohydrate will cause your glucose levels to spike up and then crash. This will leave you hungry and tired. This is why it is important to add a protein to the carbohydrate.  It slows the digestion of the carbohydrate and energy is released slower. This will give you and your children energy for longer periods of time and keep you full longer.

Some great protein and carbohydrate snack combinations are apples with almond butter, bananas and string cheese, fruit and nuts, peaches and cottage cheese or grapes and walnuts Basically, any fruit with a healthy protein is a perfect choice for a snack. It will give you sustainable energy all day long. Also, if you are dieting, this is especially important! If you always have energy and you are never hungry, you will stick to your plan!

Here’s the good news to a magical, upbeat, high energy day.  It is easier to grab for a healthy snack than locate unhealthy snacks.  What do I mean by that?  Keep fruit and nuts on hand in your office and home.  Keep apples and a bag of almonds in your car, office and home.  Keep cottage cheese and nonfat Greek yogurt in the refrigerator at the work.  Combine that with a banana and you’ll be feeling great.

Imagine how you feel after eating a cookie or a candy bar.  Do you really want to do that to your children?  Just imagine how productive they can be in school and in life with the proper food.  Don’t allow them to hinder themselves with the wrong choices of food.  Coach them in the early years when they are young and impressionable how the body requires the right kind of fuel to keep on chuggin’.  And of course, always teach by example first!  So, make snacking and planning for snacking a fun activity.  Make trail mix or cut up fruit with your children.

Just take a moment and read the short list of healthy snack ideas below.  In fact, we would love to hear from you.  Email us your family’s favorite snack ideas.

• Fruit with 10-12 almonds or walnuts.
• Yogurt with honey or nuts
• Apple slices with organic cashew butter
• Celery stalks with tuna salad
• Yogurt with granola and fruit
• Homemade protein bar
• Two slices of chicken or turkey
• Vegetables with hummus
• Hard boiled eggs and fruit
• Low sodium cottage cheese with raisins and nuts
• Low sodium cottage cheese with blueberries or strawberries
• Thinly sliced apples drizzled with honey and sprinkled with walnuts
• Small bowl of oatmeal with fruit and nuts
• Fried egg on one piece of toast
• Homemade trail mix
• Baked sweet potato sprinkled with maple syrup or agave nectar and nuts
• Small bowl of tuna mixed with any type of bean, extra virgin olive oil and a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar.
• One piece of whole grain bread with organic almond butter and honey
• Fruit salad topped with yogurt and generous amount of honey
• Cucumber slices with tuna salad
• Cannellini bean bruschetta on whole wheat crackers
• Small bowl of green salad with a piece of whole grain bread
• One piece of dark chocolate and a few nuts
• Bowl of Kashi Go Lean cereal with nonfat milk or coconut milk
• Fruit smoothie with flax seed
• Tropical fruit salad (extremely high in antioxidants) with chia seeds

I Love Lay’s Potato Chips

Pop Chips, can’t say that I will.  OK, so here’s the scoop.  Recently I heard a fitness expert who I respect and admire, therefore will not be named; recommend Pop Chips.  Many of you who have been reading my blogs for a while realize that I love potato chips as much as the next gal.  Actually my two favorite vices might be potato chips and ice cream.  Sometimes together in fact, just kidding.

I love potato chips, I always have but I mean real potato chips.  When this fitness expert recommended Pop Chips I immediately investigated.  As many of you know, I use myself as a guinea pig for you.  Pop Chips are marketed as being healthy, all natural, non-fried chips.  Well you can imagine my excitement.

Alas I must be candid.  I purchased a couple of varieties, ate a small bag on Saturday and on Sunday morning I had a stuffy nose, scratchy throat and of course I was sneezing.  This is a usual reaction of mine when a food item is not 100% clean and natural.  I must admit I am a bit confused, perhaps it has something to do with the dehydrated potatoes, I am really not quite certain.  Since I am not sure why I had this reaction the next day, here is my thought.  I think I’ll stick to Lay’s.  Yeah, you heard me, I said Lay’s.  Why?  Because I recommend the real thing.  It’s called moderation my friends.  So take it from me, if you have a craving, have a handful of the real thing and walk away.  In fact, when you’re thinking about snacking please oh please think about the real thing.  Don’t misunderstand, I am certainly not advocating eating fried food all the time, but if you love potato chips as much as I; choose one day a week and give in to your craving.  But remember, just a handful.

When you are thinking about snacking and decide you’re going to be a little naughty, just exercise moderation.  Allow me to remind you that there are many options of the real thing.  Some of my favorites are:

• Lay’s original potato chips (not baked)
• Terra Chips (all types)
• Blue potato chips (one of my personal favorites)
• Tostitos corn chips
• …and many more

Obviously you get the idea.  A little snacking is not going to harm you, so take my advice, reach for the real thing but take a handful and walk away from the bag.  Sorry Pop Chips, I really thought I was going to recommend you.  I did have high hopes.

Snacking, Omega-3′s and Fountain of Youth All In One

Everyone is always looking for great snack ideas.  We feel as if time is an issue, therefore we inevitably reach for poor snacks.  Let’s end that today.  Nuts, nuts, nuts!  Why so much fear about nuts?  You think they’re high in calories and that may be the case but raw nuts are so full of benefits that you simply should not go without them.  Did you know that the one most common denominator in all the centenarians studied around the world was…nuts.  Yes, should you want to live to the ripe old age of 100, while at the same time having beautiful, glowy skin; eat nuts.  In fact make sure you get your daily dose of them.

I make my own trail mix which is easy, healthier and of course, far more cost effective.  So, I make my own trail mix and I keep it in either large jars or bags in my office, home and anywhere else I may spend time.  Of course I have little bags that I carry around with me.  So here is the answer to your dilemma of what to snack on.

Trail Mix

• Raw walnuts
• Raw almonds
• Sunflower seeds
• Pumpkin seeds
• Bits of dark chocolate (70% cacao)
• Raisins (sulphite free)
• Dates (sulphite free)
• Cranberries (sulphite free)
• Raw cashews
• Raw Brazil nuts

Well, you must get the idea.  Purchase your favorite raw  nuts, dark chocolate, dried fruit and seeds; toss into a large bowl, combine all ingredients well; fill your bags and jars.  Easy, inexpensive and chemical free.  Can life get any better?  Well I’m sure it can but this is good.  Remember folks this is a great snack idea for you and your children.  Raw nuts are great for the heart, great for the skin and, might I add, great for the brain.  The next time you’re reaching for a snack, reach for your bag of goodies.  Don’t worry about the hot days, the trail mix is even better when the chocolate starts to melt and becomes gooey and ever so delicious.  Bon apetit.

Best Regards,

Vicky