Ever get a sudden urge to eat and eat after you have already had a meal?  Snacking occasionally is a good way to keep your stomach from rumbling until dinner and to keep your energy from droppping down. More often than not, we opt for the easiest and worst choices to fullfill our snacking needs. It’s more convenient to run to the vending machine or nearest store and grab a bag of chips or candy bar, rather than choosing and peeling an orange.
Choosing healthy food as a quick snack doesn’t have to be boring or seem like a chore, and will always leave you feeling better than indulging in a chocolate king size bar or bag of chips. For some women, a few weeks prior to it being that time of the month occasional cravings and an unsatiable need for chocolate can throw you off balance; but having the right snacks at hand will help fight over-indulging.
A few helpful tips:
- Drink a glass of cold water. Sometimes we mistake thirst for hunger and end up ruining that mornings workout by eating twice as much calories as we burned. Drinking water will hydrate you and give you a burst of energy, as well as fill up your tummy.
- When buying veggies at the grocery store, wash and cut them before putting them away. Store them in ready to go bags, or tupperware. This will make it easier to grab those to snack on, without the excuse of having to wash and cut each time.
- Add some flavor to your veggies! Take some peanut butter for your celery, or make ham wraps out of lettuce. There are also many spice/seasonings you can purchase to add to your fruits and veggies.
- Stock up on sugar-free jello or those low calorie dessert puddings by jello. They have a delicious tasting chocolate mousse pudding which goes great when paired with peanut butter!
- Make pre-made healthy snacks for the week and put them in your fridge so they are ready to go.
- Eat a yummy salad like the one in this recipe to keep you going until dinner if you work late hours. Or hard boil eggs and put them in your fridge for a quick fix and a protein burst on the go. Another good snacking tip, is to cut up a block of cheese into slices and grab 1-2 slices with a couple multi-seed crackers. Cheese and crackers are a good snack choice since it will help keep you full.
- Mix walnuts, almonds, cashews and even a bit of chocolate chips to keet at work; on those days when you must have chocolate it’s ok to indulge if you don’t overdo it and mix it in with healthy options.
Yummy Very Berry smoothie under 200 calories
This smoothie is delicious and under 200 calories with no extra sugar added! It’s a good snack choice or even an option when you feel like having a very light dinner. I love drinking smoothies on the weekend and this little recipe has saved me from eating junk and kept me full without all that extra sugar.
ingredients:
- 1 cup of frozen berries
- 1 1/2 cup of non-fat milk
- 1 light & fit strawberry yogurt (only 60 cals)
- ice
Preparation steps:
- Put ice in blender
- Add cup of berries and yogurt.
- Pour milk in until it reaches the 2 cup mark
- Use the ice crush setting first, then blend until you get a thick smoothie texture.
- Keep blending until you are satisfied with your drink.
If you’d like you can also add a banana to your smoothie for a berry-banana blend 🙂
