Tag Archives: snacks

How To Pick A Healthy Snack

by drinks, protein, snacks,

Americans have a snack habit. We've become accustomed to eating multiple times throughout the day. Sometimes we snack because we're hungry. But more often than not it's because we are bored, thirsty, or possibly responding to emotional stimuli.

Occasionally we snack because we are on-the-go and are looking for something to tide us over until we can get to mealtime. While there's nothing wrong with an occasional small bite between meals, snacking can become a problem when it fills you up with empty calories. This means things like chips, crackers, muffins, or cookies. Another problem with snacking is if you eat so much that you are no longer hungry by the time you get to the real meal.

Snacks to avoid

When choosing snacks be sure to read the label. Don't choose one just because it says "protein" or "# grams of protein" on the front label. You need to turn the package over and read the ingredients on the label. You also want to avoid the following in your snack products:

  • excess sugar (more than 4 g per serving)
  • artificial sweeteners
  • artificial flavors
  • artificial colors
  • ingredients you don't understand
  • starchy things (tapioca, potato, rice flours, etc)

You may be wondering why things like rice cakes, popcorn, puffed quinoa, puffed chickpeas, etc are not on this list. Sure, I get that they taste good. The problem, however, is that these exploded grains are very easily converted to sugars by the body. This means they hit the blood stream relatively quickly. There's also not a lot of nutrition in those puffed grain snacks. It's better to stick with something that's going to provide more of what your body really needs, protein and healthy fat.

How to pick a healthy snack

Ideally, a snack should be small, just enough to blunt your hunger without filling you up, and balanced with protein and a little healthy fat. When snacking you want to make sure that you are eating clean, nutrient-dense foods rather than high calorie, low nutrition foods, sometimes referred to as energy-dense. Here are some great, non-perishable choices for healthy snacking:

  • Nuts – choose raw nuts as your best nutritional choice. Even better is if they are sprouted.
  • Nut butter – many of these now come in squeezable tubes and can be a quick grab-and-go non-perishable snack. Be aware that there can be a lot of sugar in some of these, choose the best option possible by reading the label
  • Canned fish – such as sardines are a great choice. These can be a nourishing snack and also provide some healthy omega 3 fatty acids
  • Jerky – this can be purchased or made at home. These days there's a wide variety of jerky products made from meats such as salmon, venison, lamb, bison, pork, turkey, and more. Check the label to be sure there are no added artificial ingredients
  • Energy bars – be sure to read the label and make check that you're getting a true protein bar, not a glorified candy bar with an excessive amount of sugar. Just like with the jerky, you want to make sure there are no added artificial ingredients (sweeteners, flavors, etc)
  • Dried and seasoned chickpeas – this can be a tasty way to get a crunchy snack on-the-go without having to worry about spoilage
  • Seaweed or kale chips – okay there's no protein in this one (so you may want to pair it with a handful of nuts or some jerky), but if you're looking for a good veggie-rich crunchy snack these can really hit the spot

How does protein boost energy?

Proteins are a far different energy source than carbohydrates. When a person eats carbohydrates they are broken into sugars, which provide quick energy. However, this energy only lasts a short time, eventually leaving the person feeling tired. Proteins provide a much longer source of energy than carbohydrates do. The energy from proteins is a more consistent fuel that powers the body. In addition, adequate protein in the diet guards against fatigue, disease, and moodiness. If you want to know your body's protein requirements, Georgetown University provides a helpful table for determining how many grams of protein men and women need each day.

Choosing protein for snacks

It's important to understand that there are two main types of protein; complete and incomplete. A protein is considered to be complete if it contains all of the essential amino acids necessary for body growth and function. In general, animal products contain complete proteins while plant-based products are incomplete. However, consuming a variety of plant-based products can still give a person all the amino acids they need by combining to form a complete protein.  As an example, combining grains and legumes will form a complete protein.

Protein-rich snack ideas

These suggested protein-filled snacks can provide long-lasting energy boosts. So you'll get the nutrition you need and won't feel depleted.

  • A hard-boiled egg with some fresh veggies
  • A can of sardines with lettuce or endive
  • A cup of yogurt
  • Half a cup of cottage cheese with some fresh veggies
  • 2 Tbsp almond butter and an apple
  • A small handful of nuts and seeds
  • Beef jerky
  • A stick of string cheese and some fresh veggies
  • 2 T. hummus with raw veggie sticks

Of course, protein should be consumed in moderation. While protein is vital for all individuals and moderate amounts of protein make excellent snacks, consumption of excessive amounts may eventually begin harming the kidneys.  Protein is a good choice for busy days when adequate stamina is vital.

Iliana Spector, a health writer for Assisted Living Today, contributed to this article

road snacks

Eating On The Road

by health, Uncategorized,

I'm off unexpectedly off on another trip.  Thanks to my friend Trudy Scott I found out about Author101 in Las Vegas and was able to work it into my schedule.  I'm so excited to be going to this conference and thrilled to be learning more of what I need to know as an author to help get the word out about my book and it's important message.

One of the not so fun parts of traveling is trying to figure out what to eat when you're on the road.  As someone who eats gluten free and is very mindful of additives and GMO it's not always easy to find good food on the road.  Especially in an airport.  There are small changes happening though.  There appear to be more salad bars, some with organic greens, there are options for fresh fruit, and I was pleasantly surprised to find a veggie juice bar in Philadelphia on my last trip.

I was walking toward my gate in Philly.  Next to the Dunkin Donuts and across from the Philly Cheesteak count I saw a display of veggies and a juicer!  I was amazed and delighted.  I stopped and spoke with the woman behind the counter, telling her how excited I was to see a veggie juice bar (instead of the all-fruit-added-sugar smoothies that seem to be everywhere).  She smiled and told me I was the third person that morning to tell her that.  I ordered a carrot, cucumber, celery, greens and lemon juice.  She asked me if I wanted a little ginger (I hadn't seen the ginger), I said yes and off she went to juice it all up.  While some of those veggies would have been best quality if they were organic (to avoid pesticide load), it's important to remember that we don't want to get over-stressed about things like that.  Just the ability to have fresh juiced vegetables in an airport is a big deal as far as I'm concern.  It's a great start and one which will hopefully catch on and keep growing.  I happily paid for my juice and went to my gate to wait for my flight.

So here I am one week later, back at gate 16 heading out, this time to Las Vegas.  When I travel I look at my trip and decide how much food I'm bringing with me.  Because I'm loaded down with conference supplies this time there's not much room for while-I'm-in-town-food, but there's definitely always room for on-the-road food.  Here's what I'm taking with me this time:road snacks

Seaweed snacks are great.  I find them mildly addictive, salty, great flavor, and just a little crackle.  When I was in here last week several people saw me eating this "green stuff" and wondered what it was.  I was engaged in reading my book when first one person and then a few more asked me what I was eating.  I told them and offered them a taste.  Two people actually tried it and decided that they liked it!  That was kind of fun.

A hard boiled egg.  A great source of protein easy to eat and in it's own protective container.

Mixed nuts and seeds that I've roasted in coconut oil and seasoned with Kelly's.  This is an amazing seasoning which is made from organic garlic, hawaiian sea salt, and organic nettles.  It's mouthwateringly delicious and I use it on my snack mixes but also on salads, greens, roast meats, baked potatoes and more.

Carrot and celery sticks.  Wrapped in a damp paper towel (to prevent them from drying out) this is a great crunchy food for on the road and helps me get at least a little more veggie into my day.

A Raw Crunch Bar.  These are my new favorite snack bar.  Made from raw ingredients they've got some sweetness to them but are not overwhelmingly, cloyingly sweet like many protein bars.  They're still a treat food as far as I'm concerned but I wouldn't go so far as to put them in the candy-bar-masquerading-as-protein category.

Coconut water powder.  I know, it's kind of funny.  Coconut water, just add water.  I haven't tried this yet but plan to once I'm on the plane.  I find travel to be very dehydrating.  But you can't bring liquids on the plane with you.  And aside from plain water or tea they don't sell any liquids that I want.  I'm not a gatorade fan and certainly not interested in all the juices, power drinks and more.  So I'm going to give this a try and see if they electrolyte balance helps and how it tastes.

If you plan ahead it's possible, and less expensive, to eat healthy when you're on the go.  I'd love to hear your travel food tips, please share them below.