Everyone can say that they have had a craving for something between meals every now and then! It can be a sweet, savory, crunchy, or even something to drink that puts you in the mood to look into the cabinets and refrigerator for a between meal munch. It is easy to grab a donut or chips , but we all know those are not healthy and many of us regret eating them after the deed is done. There are healthy, tasty ways to get over these food cravings without feeling remorseful after their consumption! Here are few tips that may help.

*Look for nutrient dense snacks– These will help keep your energy levels up throughout the day. Plus you will not have consumed empty calories that can later put your mind and body in a “slump.”

*Be whole-grain and fiber friendly– Whole-grains and fiber will keep you feeling more satisfied until your next meal without consuming overbearing amounts. They allow you to snack then stop because a feeling of satisfaction comes along with these snacks, helping you from eating an entire package of cookies or chips.

*Split your favorite snacks into portions– If you like to snack with an item that can be considered a meal in itself such as popcorn, divide it into different small bags. This will help you from over consuming, as well as, give you a feeling of control that you have not consumed an entire bag. This works for all items that can be separated!

*Choose wisely-Focus on fruits, vegetables, and low fat dairy products. They are the best calories that you can consume with your whole-grain and fiber to make the snack last. They also are nutrient dense. Fill your counters and refrigerators with these to make the choice easy!

*Do NOT buy “junk food”– You cannot eat it if it is not available! Keep the junk out and replace it with you healthy snacks. Your healthy snacking will automatically replace your empty calorie snacking and you will feel better throughout your day!

Below are healthy choices of snacks that can help with satisfying your cravings!

Crunchy:

• Apples

• Carrot and celery sticks

• Green pepper sticks

• Zucchini cirdes

• Radishes

• Broccoli spears

• Cauliflower

• Unsalted rice cakes

 

Munchy:

• Unsalted sunflower seeds

• Whole-grain breads or toast

• Cherry or grape tomatoes

• Low-fat or fat-free cheese

• Plain low-fat or fat-free yogurt

• Unsalted almonds, walnuts and other nuts

 

Sweet:

• Unsweetened canned fruit

• Thin slice of angel food cake

• Baked apple

• Raisins

• Dried fruit gelatin gems

• Frozen bananas

• Frozen grapes

• Fresh fruit

• Low-fat or fat-free unsweetened fruit yogurt

 

Thirst Quenchers:

• Fat-free milk

• Unsweetened juices

• Low-sodium tomato or mixed vegetable juice

• Water

By Lakisha Laster

In today’s world of fast food restaurants and dollar menu items it can be nearly impossible to make good nutritional choices.  With a few of these “dollar menu” items, an individual can almost reach half of the daily recommended caloric intake of 2,000 calories.  So what is the answer to break free of the ease of fast food and start feeding your body so that it is no longer nutritionally starving?  The answer is to snack your heart out!  The key to making this work is to simply snack on healthy, high-nutrition snacks.

Since we were children, we’ve always heard that breakfast is the “most important meal of the day”.  Why is this?  This mentality was formed because of the fact that people who ate breakfast tended to consume less calories throughout the day!  So why don’t we just start eating right first thing in the morning?  Here are a list of easy snacks that may cut the calories, but are full of flavor!

Morning time snacks:

• cereal with yogurt (your flavor of choice) and a handful of blueberries.
• boiled egg whites with fat-free cottage cheese.
• sliced apple pieces with peanut butter.
• yogurt with a handful of roasted almonds.
• oatmeal with raspberries/blueberries and a teaspoon of peanut butter.
• WATER WATER WATER.

Making a choice like one of these early in the morning can kickstart your morning and influence you throughout the day to make healthier dietary choices.  Never be afraid to break out of your old routine!  And always remember, the brighter the color of the food, the better it is for you in most cases!

Lunch time snacks:

• any 2 fresh fruits of your choice (the original “fast food”)
• slice one whole cucumber and lightly salt or dip in fat-free ranch (in place of the usual bag of chips).
• grab a handful or two of almonds or walnuts (great unsaturated fats).
• celery sticks with peanut butter (even with a few chocolate chips)
• pita chips dipped in guacamole or hummus. (avocados are a super food!)
• 25 frozen grapes.
• WATER WATER WATER.

Remember that your body’s feeling of “hunger” is its way to tell you that it needs nutrition, not junk food (empty calories).  The next time you are thinking about what you should grab before you run off to your busy life, slow down and snack your way to better nutrition!

• Malaki Bolton
• Blog Bros