Snacks I've been loving lately
For most people, I usually recommend not going much longer than 3-4 hours without eating anything. This helps avoid a blood sugar crash, “hanger”, and potential overeating eventually (it’s really hard to feel satisfaction after meals if you absolutely starving by the time you start eating!). Enter: snacks. Snacks are the most helpful tool to help avoid any kind of hanger, keep energy levels up, and help meet nutrient needs. Snacks can also be incredibly unsatisfying if you’re missing a few key nutrients - mainly fat, protein and fiber (this is why those 100 calorie packs do absolutely nothing to quell hunger).
I recommend including at least two of these nutrients (protein, fat and/or fiber) in any snack to get the most bang for your buck and the feeling of satisfaction. Here are some of my favorite combos of late:
Trader Joe’s Omega Trek Mix - any trail mix is awesome, but I love that these come individually packaged and I take them with my absolutely everywhere. We’ve gone to a couple Broadway shows lately and they are my quick intermission snack of choice
String cheese + fruit - can never go wrong with this combo!
Turkey jerky stick with whole grain crackers - I like the Trader Joe’s turkey jerky with Mary’s Gone crackers or a handful of peanut butter pretzels. The jerky is great and non-perishable, which was helpful during my brief jury duty stint earlier this month
Greek or Icelandic yogurt with granola - this is probably my most used and favorite snack as yogurt is probably one of my favorite foods. One of the grocery stores near the hospital sells Siggi’s raspberry flavor, which for some reason I can’t find anywhere else and is by far the best.
Half a peanut butter sandwich - portable and delicious. I recommend this a lot to runners as part of their “second lunch”
Hard boiled eggs with grapes or apple sliced and/or crackers - I love that Starbucks and other places sells these little “protein” boxes and am a big fan of the hard boiled egg. Boiling a batch at the beginning the week can be helpful for a grab and go option, or getting frozen hard boiled eggs and thawing when you need them
Almond or peanut butter + crackers or pretzels - this is always a good, non-perishable option to have at your desk at work
Roasted chickpeas or edamame with a piece of fruit - I love this salty/sweet combination, and both the chickpeas and edamame are good sources of protein and fiber.
What about energy/protein bars?
I also get a lot of questions about energy bars and protein bars, which I think do have a place in a snack roster because they are so convenient. They are so many on the market right now, it’s hard for me to keep up with the latest and greatest. I will say, they are of course not all created equal. When it all comes down to it though, keeping is simple is the way to go. Just like the snacks above, a good bar should have a decent amount of protein and some fiber. And in my opinion, be free of sugar alcohols and other artificial sweeteners, and not have tons of prebiotic fiber (more “natural” fiber sources like dried fruit and nuts are much easier on the system). Some of my favorites:
RX bars
Lara bars
Kind bars
Go Macro bars
Happy snacking and thanks for reading :)