Smart Snacking

We all do it - - we grab a handful of this, or a handful of that, between meals because we’re a little hungry. Snacking is actually a great thing to do to curb hunger, increase concentration, or increase our energy levels, but only as long as you choose healthy nutritious foods and plan ahead.

Let’s take a look at how you can transform your fridge and pantry into a haven of healthy snacks that will keep you from eating an entire box of cookies at home, or a trip to the vending machine for chips or cookies when you get hungry at work!

Get Rid of The Temptation
Start by getting rid of the “bad” snacks from your kitchen. Toss or give away the cookies, chips, and the cheesecake. Get rid of those over-processed chicken nuggets and pizza bagels. It will be much easier to choose healthy snacks if you remove the temptation of high-fat and high-sugar snacks lurking in your cupboards. I don’t even purchase “bad” snacks at the grocery store to ensure that I am never tempted at home, but I understand that is not always possible for everyone.

I don’t mean to imply that you absolutely cannot ever have a candy bar or chips once in a blue moon, if you like them, but I will continue to encourage you to make more nutritious choices more often in your daily life.

Healthy Nutritious Snack Foods To Stock Up On

Now that you are staring at your partially empty pantry and fridge, it’s time to talk about what nutritious foods you should stock up on:

Simple Healthy Snack Ideas

- Raw vegetables, such as celery, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, green pepper, green beans, cucumbers, mushrooms or zucchini may be served with a low-fat dip.
- Fresh fruit in season, such as apples, oranges, bananas, peaches, grapefruit, grapes, melons, pears, plums or strawberries.
- Low fat Popcorn
- Almonds
- Oatmeal
- Lowfat quick breads and muffins, such as pumpkin, zucchini, banana or bran.
- Non-sugared cereals
- Snack mixes made with whole grain cereal.
- Low fat yogurt with fresh, frozen or canned fruit.
- Shakes with low fat milk or yogurt and fruit.
- Unsweetened fruit juices.

Prep These Healthy Nutritious Snack Foods
Having all that healthy food on hand still won’t do the trick if it’s not ready to eat when you want it. Here are some easy snacks that you can prepare ahead of time and store, so they are ready to munch on:

Cut Up Fruit and Veggies
You can have all sorts of veggies and fruit sitting in your fridge, but your family won’t grab it for a snack because it would involve peeling and cutting. Make the choice easy for everyone by cleaning and cutting up the fruit and veggies, and keep it in plastic containers ready to eat.

Trail Mix
Make your own trail mix from low sugar cereal, almonds and dried fruit. It’s a great snack to grab and go, or something to munch on while watching TV. Make a homemade batch and store it in an airtight container in your pantry.

Granola Bars
Unfortunately, most of the granola bars you buy in the grocery store are nothing but candy in a clever disguise. Homemade granola bars are a great snack alternative to boxed bars or cookies. They are sweet and crunchy, but when you make your own, you control the ingredients. Use whole grains and dried fruit, and keep the amount of sugar or honey you use on the low end for a healthy treat. Here is a great recipe!

Cooked Chicken Breast
Keep cut up cooked chicken breast in the fridge for a quick protein rich snack. You can make a quick chicken salad by adding a little low-fat mayonnaise and some raisins. Toss the chicken with a little lettuce for a quick salad, or wrap it with some fresh veggies in a tortilla. Make a fast chicken quesadilla with tortillas and low fat cheese.

All it takes is a little preparation and trying some new ideas to get yourself, and everyone in your family, eating more nutrition-rich snacks.

~ Live Well ~
Trinity Fitness
"Harmonizing your mind, body and soul for total Trinity Fitness"