Snack Time!

Everyone has heard that you should eat 5 small meals a day.  And if you haven't heard it, then there you go.  Eating frequently throughout the day keeps your blood glucose levels stable, your metabolism burning, and decreases the urges to become ravenous the next time you sit down for a meal.  There have been plenty of times that I forgo my snack before dinner and end up consuming an EXCESSIVE amount of food (or become real good friends with the bread basket).  The times that I do make sure to have a snack in between lunch and dinner (closer to the time that I will be eating dinner), I make good choices and eat the right portions.  But hey...sometimes we blow it and that's OK!

The question I get a lot is "what type of snack can I have that is healthy, low in calories and of course, tasty"????  As I posted in my previous blog, you want to make sure that your snacks stay in the range of about 100-150 calories.  I would recommend that you have a snack in between breakfast and lunch, lunch and dinner, and if you eat dinner relatively early, have something an hour or so before bedtime (if you need it).

Here are some of my great snack options!

• Small piece of fresh fruit - apple, orange, pear, peach, nectarine, 1/2 grapefruit, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup mixed berries, 1/2 papaya or mango
• Low-fat Laughing Cow Cheese Wedge (any flavor) with Savory Thin Rice Crackers (Trader Joe's)
• Hummus with veggies of your choice (baby carrots, cucumber, celery, cherry tomatoes)
• Low-fat String Cheese with Pita Crisps
• 1/2 nutrition bar - Lara bar, Kashi TLC bar, Kind bar, Luna bar, Think Thin bar
• Nuts (Unsalted, Dry Roasted) - Pistachios, Almonds, Walnuts
• Low-sugar yogurt (Greek yogurt is the best!) and 1 Tbsp Bare Naked Granola
• Dried fruit (apple, apricot)
• Whole Wheat or Honey Wheat pretzels (Paul Newman) w/ 1 Tbsp Sunflower Butter (Trader Joe's)
• Low-fat cottage cheese with baked chips 
• Light popcorn or Pirate's Booty
• Raw veggies with light ranch dressing
• Corn tortilla chips with salsa
• Small frozen yogurt (no topping!)
• 1 small box raisins
• Fruit leather (Trader Joe's)

Make sure to look at the serving sizes when putting together your snack.

If you have any great snack ideas, feel free to post them!  I always love new ideas.

Jill