Snack Attack!

(Yummy, fast, easy, portable, whole food snack! Yeah Larabar!)

Yesterday I had a 12-mile training run. Sometimes on the day after long runs I am hungry, like all day long. Today is that kind of day. This morning I planned on that and packed a morning snack, apple and peanut butter. I also packed a yummy lunch, leftover couscous salad with veggies and garbanzo beans. I also threw in some grapes and snap peas to munch on in the afternoon. Yum! Around 10:30 I am ready for my apple and peanut butter and I reach for my lunch sack and…I forgot my lunch! So much for all my planning…

I’m a snacker. I always have been. Jon tells me that I need to carry a bag of nuts with me at all times. I get hungry between meals and if I don’t eat something I get really hungry. Then when it comes time to eat, I binge. Everyone does this, and the best way to avoid it is to snack. When we make healthy snack choices, it’s easy to make a wise decision at mealtime about what to eat and how much. When you go into a meal feeling super duper hungry because you haven’t eaten in 6 or 7 hours, you are likely to eat WAY too much. I have been seeing a lot of clients in my sports nutrition rotation that are interested in weight loss. The first thing that they do, before talking to a dietitian, is cut calories by cutting out snacks. Bad idea. First of all, when you are exercising more, you need a steady stream of calories throughout the day to balance your blood sugar and to give you fuel for your workouts. Second of all, everything I just mentioned.

(Watch out. It's easy to eat the whole bag of trail mix. Portion out 1/4-1/2 cup before you start munching!)

Not sure what to snack on? Here is a list of healthy “real food” snacks between 100-200 calories to get you through your day full of energy! Carry one with you in car, bag, or purse for when hunger strikes.

Snack ideas

1 medium apple and 1 oz cheddar cheese

½ banana and 1 tablespoon peanut butter

6oz, 2% Greek yogurt and 1 cup strawberries

1 brown rice cake and ¼ avocado

¼ cup 2% cottage cheese and 1 cup diced cantaloupe

1 slice of deli turkey, one slice Ezekiel whole grain toast, 1 tablespoon yellow mustard

1 string cheese and 1 Wasa cracker

¼ cup trail mix

1 hard boiled egg and 14 baby carrots

Lara bar

1 corn tortilla, 1 oz pepper jack cheese, and 2 tablespoons salsa

½ whole wheat English muffin, 1 ounce part skim mozzarella cheese, 2 tablespoons marinara sauce

3 celery stalks and ¼ cup hummus

10 whole wheat pretzel sticks and 2 tablespoons low fat garden vegetable cream cheese

2 whole wheat graham crackers and 1 cup of applesauce

Small bowl of miso soup with tofu and seaweed

1 oz smoked salmon, 1oz goat cheese and 2 Ak Mak crackers

1 stalk of “ants on a log” celery with peanut butter and raisins 1/2 cup pistachios with the shells on 2 tablespoons chia seeds in 4 tablespoons milk of your choice with a couple drops of stevia What did I end up eating today? 1/2 a Lara bar that was in my bag (thank god), and a so so sandwich from Au Bon Pain. What is your favorite healthy snack?