Snack ideas!
why are snacks so important?
well, for one, they give us energy to make it through the day. most people eat lunch around 11-12, and then don’t eat dinner until anywhere from 5-9! that can be up to ten hours without fueling our bodies if we don’t eat in between.
snacks are a great way to get in extra micronutrients in your diet! I know a lot of people I work with don’t eat fruits with their meals. that’s okay…as long as you’re making it up somewhere else. technically, it’s true, you can get micronutrients from veggies. but a variety in your diet between fruits and veggies is important too!
now, most people when they think of snacks think of chips and cookies and “junk” food. I don’t. I think of those as fun foods, which we can definitely fit into our diets BUT they aren’t going to be something that gives us sustained energy or very many micronutrients.
one of the important things to remember when you’re making a snack is that you want more than one food group. so basically, make sure in addition to the carbs that are typical with snacks, you also get in some fiber and protein.
carbs + protein + fiber = a well balanced snack
snacks I love:
pita + hummus + tomatoes/cucumbers
banana + nut butter
parmesan crisps + pear
jerky + apple
roasted chickpeas
Chobani Complete + fruit
dates + nut butter
graham crackers + peanut butter + banana (+cinnamon)
apples + cheese + nuts
roasted pumpkin seeds + dried fruit