Healthy snacks are the topic of today’s show. We are shifting into the nutrition science piece of the Empowered Eating puzzle. This is where the practical tools come in. Mindset first, then tactics my friends! This entire week I will be dropping mini-episodes with tactical nutrition tips. As for today- we are talking about the snack attack!
Should we be snacking?
How often?
And on what?
Your life will be better after you tackle this one… because those who snack are less hungry. And the world needs fewer hungry people. Let’s break this down!
Should we be snacking? YES! The eat-digest-reset cycle takes about 2-4 hours. So if you are hungry every 2-4 hours later… Congrats! You are doing it right! You ate an adequate amount that allowed you to fuel your body, digest the food, and your body is now ready for the next one!
This answers the next question: How often should we eat? The secret here lies in how close you pay attention to your biofeedback. Tuning into your hunger can guide you on your appropriate time interval at which you need to eat! If you have more than 4 hours between meals, plan to have a snack. This will keep your energy up, prevent extreme hunger which typically leads to overeating, and overall allow you to feel better!
What should we be snacking on?
When you are building a snack there are two things you will need:
#1 Some form of carbohydrate
Be it from fruit, veggie, grain, this is the energy piece of your snack. You will want to adjust the type of carbohydrate you choose depending on your day. Are you going to work out later? Grab a starchy carbohydrate! Is this a mid-day snack while sitting at work? Aim for higher fiber carbs from fruits and veggies. Are you tired and looking for a boost? Incorporate high antioxidant carbs with lots of b-vitamins from foods like sweet potatoes or berries.
#2 Some form of protein
The second piece of your perfect snack puzzle is including some form of protein with a goal of 10-20 grams. This is an adequate amount to keep your energy high, replenish your protein pool, and keep your muscle repair process turned on all day long.
When you build a snack you really need both these pieces. For example, have you ever eaten just an apple and felt more hungry after eating it? That is because you were missing the protein piece. Try this snack again but add a cheese stick and you will find your energy lasts quite a bit longer!
My favorite snacks are:
- 1 oz beef jerky with an apple
- 1 cup of unshelled or 2 cups of shelled edamame with a cup of coffee
- Polar Joe Protein Powder (don’t forget to enter “FUELHERAWESOME” for a discount at checkout.
- Greek yogurt with berries
- Dried apricots and pistachios— this one also boosts your potassium!!
Let me know what you come up with! Happy snack-attacking friends! Be sure you tune in every morning this week for mini episodes on Empowered Eating! And if you are ready for more there are 3 ways I can support you:
1) 1:1 Coaching
2) Food Foundations, a self-paced e-course. If you want to learn more about my methods check out my free workshop and additional info at jessbrownrd.com
3) Next Level Nutrition LIVE Group Coaching Mastermind! Next Level Nutrition kicks off in a couple of weeks so snag your spot today! This is a 10-week program where we use the Empowered Eating model to build our nutrition skills with accountability.
It is going to be an incredible year sisters! And I can’t wait to cheer you on.
Cheers, and happy eating!
