It’s 3pm and you’re feeling a bit gnoshy (like you want to gnosh on something?), or as our British friends might say– peckish. Aww heck, you just want a snack!, it’s easy to grab what is near by. When our body is hungry or tired or… stressed, we tend to reach out to three specific things:
1) Salts
2) Fats
3) Sugars
These are three things our ancestors would seek out when they were in survival mode. They were harder to come by in nature but would
aid in quickly satiating them and giving them a calorie-dense form of sustenance. Nowadays our instincts are still in tact, but “lucky” for us we have salts, sugars, and fats everywhere we turn– vending machines, super markets, staff events.
One helpful way to avoid snacking on the wrong foods, is to make sure you are stocked with the right foods. That way, if your cravings come a knocking you are set up for success in the snacking arena. Here are some healthy snack options for you!
- Nuts: Nuts are one of my favorites to snack on because they give you the crunch you crave and are packed with protein and fiber. They will keep you fuller for longer! The best way to get your nuts is raw and unsalted. You also want to limit consumption to about a 1/4 cup a day (about a small handful).
- Fruit: Fruit give you that natural sugar when you’re looking for something sweet without the guilt. Any type of fruit is loaded with vitamins and fiber. Avoid dried fruits as they are extremely high in sugar and often contain harmful sulfites. Fruit is best paired with a healthy fat (like nuts or avocado), to help slow down the absorption of the sugar, and give you prolonged energy.
- Veggies and hummus: Veggies like peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, and cucumber just to name a few are great with dip. Hummus is a great alternative to ranch or any other type of high fat salad dressing. Also there are many flavors of hummus that you can choose from. Look at your label when choosing a hummus for artificial ingredients, added sugars, and I stay away from any hummus with soybean oil in it.
- Dark chocolate: We all love chocolate and there are actually several studies that show that dark chocolate does benefit our health. Dark chocolate is filled with antioxidants so having a piece of dark chocolate every day is very beneficial to you! Look for dark chocolate that is at least 70% cacao.
- Kale, apple, or radish chips (pictured above): You can buy these chips at the store, dehydrate, or roast them yourself if you would like! These are a great alternative to potato chips or doritos.
- Snap Peas: These are so yummy and convenient to take along with you in a container. They taste great raw and are easy to tote around with you.
- Green juice: Sometimes we need a surge of nutrients to give us energy at 3pm. Instead of reaching for coffee try keeping a green juice on hand. Raw green juice — NOT pasteurized– is filled with energizing enzymes and will tide you over until your next meal. Plus it has anti-inflammatory properties! Try Raw Generation‘s Skinny Cleanse, and stock up on some of my favorite raw juices.
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