Snack time!

I like to munch. Frequently. My mouth likes to stay busy. I am very aware that I am not alone in this. When people think of snacking it's generally thought of as a negative thing...not necessarily! To keep your metabolism continuously working at a quick pace it actually needs to be fed frequently! SCORE for us snackers! How often is appropriate? You shouldn't go more than 3 hours or so without some sort of fuel. This equates to about 6 meals a day so have your 3 main healthy clean meals and then work to incorporate a mid morning, mid afternoon, and post workout or evening snack. If you make it a priority to eat small frequent meals you will not only find that weight loss comes easier, you'll be less hungry and less likely to over eat, AND you will have a more sustained level of energy throughout your day! Triple SCORE! Your blood sugar levels stay nice and even with minimal spiking and dropping which gives you that sustainable energy and even speedy metabolism.

Keep in mind that the type of snacking I am talking about does NOT involve Cheetos, Doritos, or any other type of O's. Ideally these snacks should be under 300 calories, low in sugar, high in fiber. For those on a lower calorie diet than stick to about 200 calories snacks. My top choice of snack is fresh fruits and veggies of all varieties (apples, oranges, grapes, mangoes, strawberries, blueberries, cucumbers, carrots, broccoli, ect) often dipped in Greek yogurt or hummus. Dried fruit and nuts, small salads, smoothies, homemade granola and granola bars top my list as well. All of which are relatively quick and convenient to grab and go and all of which are appropriate for kids to snack on too! I have tried several organic, vegetable, and black bean chips from the health food store that have been great but they still need to be consumed in moderation along with any other snacks you might not be able live without. 

Here are some sample snacks I am known to keep on hand.

Sliced up some kiwi, strawberries, bananas, and tossed in some raisins and chia seeds. Glass of almond milk on the side.

I like to slice a variety of fruit, I was out of blueberries so I threw in some raisins and topped it all with a few chia seeds. A glass of almond milk or yogurt on the side.

To curb my sweet tooth I go for a banana with raw almond butter, raw honey, and again with the chia seeds. This on a slice of whole wheat toast, or replacing the banana with thinly sliced apples, are yummy alternatives too!

These are a few of my favorites I like to make weekly and keep handy. They are easy to grab and go and I feel like I am eating something naughty but in reality it's guilt-free! They are also fiber-ful, protein punched, and filling! On the left is a PB&J bar, and to the right are energy balls!


PB&J bar throw 8 oz of unsalted peanuts, 8 oz of pitted dates, and 2 tablespoons of no sugar added strawberry jam in a food processor, then roll and shape into saran wrap and refrigerate for an hour. If you don't have a food processor you can put nuts into a blender first, then once crumbly add dates (you might have to stop the blender a few times to stir until dates are chopped and sticky), then scoop mixture out and spoon in your jam then form into bars as stated above.

Energy bars: THANK YOU PINTEREST FOR THIS ONE! 1 cup oatmeal, 1/2 c peanut butter, 1/3 c honey, 1 c unsweetened coconut flakes, 1/2 c ground flax seed, 1 tsp vanilla, (1/2 c choco chips is optional)...combine ingredients, roll into balls and refrigerate in Tupperware.