Snacks can play a vital role in your diet if you make healthy choices. Some fill in the gap between meals to stave off hunger pangs so you don’t fill it with junk food. Others provide quick, healthy energy so you can complete your tasks with ease or stay awake during the afternoon office meeting. Healthy snacks often contain protein, fiber, and some carbohydrates. Unlike sugary snacks that spike your energy, only to have it drop just as rapidly, better options provide quick energy and help maintain blood glucose levels.
Have a snack before and after working out.
To improve your workout and boost your recovery, eat a snack containing 100 to 200 calories. Pre and post-workout snacks should contain both carbohydrates and protein. Some examples include apple slices with peanut butter, unsweetened applesauce or pineapple with cottage cheese, or yogurt and fruit. Don’t use the fruit-added yogurt you find at the store. It’s high in sugar. Instead, use plain Greek yogurt and add the fruit. Fruit, veggies, yogurt or hummus dips, or cheese slices are good options.
Consume a decadent snack that satisfies your hunger and cravings.
You might not think chocolate fits into a healthy diet, but it does. It’s not the milk chocolate you find covering most candy bars, but dark chocolate that’s 70% or more cacao. It has very little sugar and health benefits. You can’t eat a whole bar, but you can mix small bits with nuts to create a snack mix that’s delicious and nutritious. Dark chocolate-covered almonds are another decadent option to boost energy and satisfy your passion.
You don’t need something sweet to boost your energy.
A snack can be anything from trail mix to last night’s leftovers. It should be enough to curb your appetite and boost your energy but not fill you. A small salad in a jar with leafy greens, other veggies, and brown rice or quinoa topped with a light dressing is one option. Veggies and dip are another. A hard-boiled egg and whole-grain toast can boost your energy.
- Sometimes, water is all you need to boost your energy. If you’re also hungry, try juicy fruit like watermelon cubes, cantaloupe, or grapes sprinkled with feta cheese.
- Combine fresh or frozen berries with a half-ripe banana, Greek yogurt, and nuts. If you want a thick pudding-like treat, mix it together well. Make it ahead in a half-pint Mason jar, put the lid on, and store it in the refrigerator.
- Keep healthy snacks ready to eat. Make individual serving-sized baggies of trail mix ahead. Clean, cube, or slice fruits and vegetables, such as watermelon or celery, and store them in the refrigerator.
- If it’s hot, chocolate-coated frozen bananas topped with nuts are perfect. Slice a banana in half. Put a Popsicle stick in the cut end of each half. Freeze. Melt dark chocolate. Dip the frozen banana in the chocolate, then roll in chopped nuts before the chocolate hardens.
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