What comes to mind when you think of the word “snack”? Society and mainstream media feeds us images of ultra-processed convenience foods. Unnaturally colored “cheese” crackers that leave a powdery residue on our hands, dessert cakes that could outlast WWIII, syrupy sodas, and empty carbs galore. Here on our little health-conscious corner of the internet, people might answer with something like, “apple and almond butter”, or “turkey jerky and carrots with hummus”. So, what do we make of snacks? Are they all bad? Should we stick to three square meals a day? If we do find ourselves hungry between meals, what can we eat that will satiate us while keeping our blood sugar in balance?
Be Done With Demonizing Snacks
Many studies report that incorporating 1-2 snacks into your daily eating cadence can actually alleviate digestive and metabolic overload that can occur with fewer, larger meals throughout the day. We also can’t ignore the fact that by avoiding extreme hunger that often leads to overeating throughout the day, we are doing ourselves a massive favor in terms of blood sugar balance. By strategically implementing well-planned, balanced snacks, we can maintain healthy blood-sugar levels, which positions us well for avoiding insulin resistance over time.
The Bright Side of Snacking
Now that we know snacking isn’t necessarily a bad thing if done thoughtfully, let’s talk about the elements needed to build a snack that gets the job done! Something interesting to keep in mind is that snacks can often help us meet our goals for daily nutrient intake, like protein and fiber! When we keep in mind our meals for the day, we can snack smarter. For example, if you know that you are going out for dinner with your girlfriends at an Italian restaurant and will not necessarily have the most protein or fiber-dense meal, we can plan ahead throughout the day to incorporate those elements into your day via BKFST, lunch, and snacks! Being present and enjoying meals with friends is a huge part of overall health, so enjoy knowing you’ve set yourself up for success long before you sat down at the dinner table!
How to Build the Perfect Snack
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends raw, cut up fruits and vegetables for snacks. They are certainly onto something here with at least one element that should be included in smart snacks - fiber, along with protein and health fat! Fiber is something that traditional, processed snacks often lack, but is abundant in whole foods and helps to slow digestion. Protein, a macronutrient many Americans struggle to get enough of, can be increased if we incorporate it into our daily snacks and is important for satiety and cellular function. Healthy fats are the third piece of the snack puzzle, helping to slow digestion and keeping us feeling full longer!
Check out the lists below and mix and match to build an ultra-satisfying snack!
Protein:
Greek yogurt
Hard-boiled eggs
Beef or turkey sticks like Chomps
Almonds
Roasted chickpeas
Cottage cheese
Chia seeds, could be delicious as a pudding!
Fiber:
Raw fruits and veggies, especially berries!
Chia seeds
Crackers with whole grains/seeds
Fat:
Avocado
Nut butters
Nuts
Flax seeds
Hemp seeds
Full fat dairy like yogurt
So Now That You Know the Truth...
Building our snacks around fat, fiber, and protein ensures we will not only be satiated by the snack, but also that we will avoid a massive spike in blood sugar. Overall, with a little planning and foresight we can build snacks that help us toward our nutritional goals rather than leave us feeling sluggish, dissatisfied, and ultimately - still hungry! So, ditch the naked carbs, reach for something balanced, and snack on knowing you’re doing something good for your body!
CITATIONS
Hess JM, Jonnalagadda SS, Slavin JL. What Is a Snack, Why Do We Snack, and How Can We Choose Better Snacks? A Review of the Definitions of Snacking, Motivations to Snack, Contributions to Dietary Intake, and Recommendations for Improvement. Adv Nutr. 2016 May 16;7(3):466-75. doi: 10.3945/an.115.009571. Erratum in: Adv Nutr. 2017 Mar 15;8(2):398. doi: 10.3945/an.117.015198. PMID: 27184274; PMCID: PMC4863261.
Marangoni F, Martini D, Scaglioni S, Sculati M, Donini LM, Leonardi F, Agostoni C, Castelnuovo G, Ferrara N, Ghiselli A, Giampietro M, Maffeis C, Porrini M, Barbi B, Poli A. Snacking in nutrition and health. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2019 Dec;70(8):909-923. doi: 10.1080/09637486.2019.1595543. Epub 2019 Apr 10. PMID: 30969153.
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