If you're anything like me you can't help it but to snack... especially when you're trying to be productive doing homework or even just at work. For me it's the worst when it comes to sitting down and trying to bang out a paper in a couple of hours or cramming for the next exam. My mind just always goes to food! Some of my go to snacks used to always be things like chocolates left over from whatever the most recent holiday was or some sort of crackers or cookies... whatever I could find in the cupboard! And don't get me started on candy. If it was there, I'd be eating it. Literally zero will power. Now in spite of my non-stop desire to snack, while I still love snacking throughout the day, I have been able to develop a much healthier relationship with food than I once had in the past, but that doesn't mean I've stopped snacking what so ever!
Are you a snacker like me? Here's why that might not be such a bad thing!
So say you're really craving something sweet but you're thinking.. "No I can't, I'm on a diet and trying to lose weight and eating that chocolate/muffin/(whatever your sweet of choice may be) is just going to ruin my progress". So you pass on the snack and wait until you get home. Suddenly you're starving and reach in the cupboard and go to town on all of the foods or maybe you wait until supper but eat until you're stuffed and feel sick. Did you know that snacking throughout the day can actually help to prevent things like this from happening?? Now not to say that everybody goes home and binges on all the food in the house but it's super common for people who are restricting their food intake to experience episodes like this!
Is Snacking Good or Bad?
Snacking throughout the day can actually help to curve cravings like chocolates and candies and encourage healthier food choices. Now this doesn't mean I'm recommending you go eat a handful of Oreos everyday, but when snacking is done right it helps you to reach your daily nutrient needs while also contributing to weight loss/maintenance. A lot of weight loss plans out there will actually recommend that people consume several smaller meals throughout the day as opposed to the typical 3 main meals a day because more frequent and smaller meals helps to boost the bodies metabolism, reduce overall hunger, and help to control levels of glucose and insulin. Snacking will also help give you more energy and help prevent over eating at mealtime!
There are actually even more added benefits to snacking for older adults because this population is less likely to be reaching their required daily calorie needs as well as their micro/macronutrient needs (macro referring to fat, protein, and carbohydrates and micro referring to the vitamins and minerals). According to Denise Webb on Today's Dietitian, snacking makes up anywhere between 7-38% of an adults daily caloric intake and contribute a significant amount to those needed nutrients!
So if I can't have Oreos.. what should I be snacking on?
So here's the tough part... what CAN you snack on? Let's refer back to those sweets you've been craving. If you're craving something so much it's all you can think about and you eat a pretty balanced diet... just eat the cake! Or cookie or muffin or whatever it is! If you continue to restrict yourself and never give into those cravings you're probably going to be worse off in the end and more likely to experience a binging episode followed by feelings of shame and defeat. Life is too short to restrict yourselves my friends. Now that being said, remember that saying that everybody knows and often use out of context: all foods fit in moderation. That means that yes, have the cake, just don't do it every single day. Life is all about balance in just about every aspect. So instead of reaching for the chocolates stashed away in your desk drawer (yes this is me I do this) or sitting down with a bag of chips, try reaching for a more healthy alternative!
Snack Ideas
Here are a few of my favourite go to snacks that make satisfy my cravings while also letting me feel great about my food choices!
1. Popcorn
Popcorn is a great low-calorie and easy go-to snack!
Try popping it yourself or choosing a low fat microwave popcorn. These options are much lower in calories than the typical movie theatre popcorns that are loaded with salt and butter. You can also opt for a pre-popped popcorn like SmartFood of Boom Chicka Pop.. just make sure to check the nutrition facts and be aware of any unwanted additives! Popcorn is great because you can eat a significant amount of it while keeping the calories under control. A typical serving size is about three cups which may not sound like a lot but will definitely fill your bowl!
2. Fruit
I absolutely LOVE fruit! Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, grapes, kiwi, watermelon, pineapple, you name it! Fruits are an awesome snack to grab during the day. They're low in calories while also being jam packed with micronutrients like the vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, potassium, and most are high in antioxidants as well! They're also a great source of fibre to help things moving along and also contain natural sugars so they help satisfy that craving for sweets! Fruits are great because they taste fantastic on their own, but you can always add to the awesomeness by mixing them up with a variety of other fruits, maybe throwing them in a smoothie (you all know how much I LOVE smoothies... check out my previous post on juicing for some super yummy smoothie recipes!). I also love eating my fruit with just a little bit of dark chocolate (dairy-free of course!) or with some almond butter!
If that's not enough for you, try mixing your fruit with some Greek yogurt to make it more filling, while also adding in a great protein source! Be careful not to reach for a Greek yogurt brand with too much added sugars or too high of a milk fat percentage... stick to something more plain with 0 or 1% fat then enjoy the natural flavours from the fruits you add in!
Following the plant-based diet like me? There are some really awesome yogurt alternatives out there that are Vegan friendly and give the same effect as yogurt. Try the Chobani non-dairy yogurt alternative or Daiya Yogurt alternative.. they're a bit more pricy than regular yogurt but definitely worth it!
3. Apples with Almond/Peanut Butter & Nuts
Another way to spice up your fruit is by adding in some nut butters like almond butter or peanut butter. I personally love adding nut butters to my apples for a more filling and protein packed snack. You can then add to this by adding various toppings like granola, nuts, hemp, chia seeds, flaxseeds, or one of my personal favourites... cinnamon.
Not a fan of nut butters or maybe have an allergy?? Just try adding cinnamon alone. It's every bit as delicious!
4. Hummus
If someone would have come up to me like two years ago and told me I should eat hummus I probably would have curled up my nose and walked in the opposite direction. Once I decided to actually give it a shot I learned that it's actually super tasty and pairs with so many different sides like baby carrots or carrot sticks, pita bread, naan bread, nacho chips, or just about any other veggie out there. Ben and I have been loving the red pepper hummus from Costco, or you can but the mini packs that are perfect to take on the go. Want to try making it yourself instead? As long as you have a food processor you're good to go! The main base of hummus is chick peas which are super high in protein while also providing a source of iron, potassium, B vitamins, magnesium, and a great source of dietary fibre! My recommendation... go with the baby carrot option! Super easy since they're already bite sized and easy to grab if you're in a hurry!
5. Trailmix
Growing up we always made our own trail mix at home and just threw in all our favourite nuts and treats like chocolate chips, M&Ms, yogurt cranberries and raisins! It was always so yummy and easy to take on the go whether we were cooped up in the car taking a family road trip or just taking a day trip to the park. Trailmix is a great way to get easy protein and healthy fats and is also a pretty filling snack! Now the one thing to watch out for with this one is portion control and making sure you choose ingredients that are on the healthier side. While nuts are awesome because they again are an excellent source of protein as well as those much needed healthy fats, they are also higher in calories than some of the other snacks I've talked about so for this one less is more.
There are lots of great mixtures out there already to go on the shelves, or you can make your own at home and throw in what ever you want! You could throw in whatever nuts you like, I usually just use a mixed blend that contains cashews, almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, Brazil nuts, and peanuts. Then from there add in whatever else you like. Maybe some coconut flakes, granola, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, maybe some dark chocolate chocolate chips and/or yogurt drops. You can also throw in some dried fruits like cranberries, raisins, bananas, and mixed berries for added flavour and nutritional value.
There are lots of great nutritional snack options out there that will help curb your cravings and boost your energy throughout the day! Want more snack ideas?? Be sure to keep an eye on my instagram page @alouise.nutrition where I post all kinds of snacks I eat throughout the days and stay tuned for more blog posts to come!
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