No matter what, the #1 most common question I get from clients, in Instagram DM’s and even from friends in general: snacks. That wasn’t even a question… but you get the point. Because it’s so commonly requested, I’m breaking down every single thing you need to know about snacking: when to snack, what to snack on and healthy snack ideas. Read on – happy snacking!
Why and when to snack
In general, it’s a good idea to eat something about 3-4 hours. For example, if you eat lunch around noon and then don’t plan to eat dinner until 7 or 8pm, it would make sense that you’d be hungry between lunch and dinner. Having a snack around 3 or 4pm would be perfect timing to help hold you over until dinner.
Think about it: have you ever been in the above situation, but without the snack? Maybe you ate lunch at noon and weren’t having dinner until 7pm, and also didn’t have a snack in between. Chances are, you were probably starving by the time dinner rolled around. And when you’re that hungry, it’s harder to determine what you’re actually in the mood to eat, harder to eat slowly and harder to figure out how much to eat. When you’re that hungry, it’s easier to overeat and then end up not feeling so great. While overeating is normal and will happen occasionally – in this situation, it’s easily preventable: by having a snack.
Snacks also can you give energy. The idea of the “3pm afternoon slump” didn’t come from nowhere. The word “calorie” literally means energy. So, a proper snack can you give you much needed energy in the form of calories to fuel you through the afternoon.
Use the 3-4 hour idea as a general guideline. If your meals are spaced far apart, or if you’re eating dinner early and not going to sleep until much later, a snack is usually a good idea. But above all, try to listen to your hunger and fullness signals. If you ate lunch at noon but are starving again at 1pm, please have a snack, even if it’s only been an hour (important note: in this instance, it also might be a good idea to re-evaluate lunch and try to make lunch more substantial and filling!). After time, you’ll start to be able to recognize your hunger and fullness levels much more easily. (And if you need more help with that – there’s an entire module on hunger and fullness in All Foods Fit!).
What to snack on
With anything, I always look at: what can we add to make this as filling and satisfying as possible? Ideally, your snack should contain two things: protein + fiber. Together, protein and fiber are the winning combination that help with fullness. They also regulate your blood sugar to help keep your energy levels feeling stable.
Have you add had just an apple alone in the afternoon? Chances are, you were probably hungry about an hour later – which means that snack didn’t hold you over long enough. So, while an apple has plenty of fiber, that snack needed more protein in order to really keep you full.
If you’re thinking, “okay, but what has protein and fiber,” I wouldn’t leave you hanging like that! Read on for a few easy, concrete examples.
Snack ideas
I’m a big fan of snacks that are easy to grab and go. I love ones that you can buy ready to go ahead of time or pick up at any convenience store during the day. These are a few of my favorites:
- A piece of fruit with nut butter: easy to grab and go and always tastes good.
- Greek yogurt with whole grain cereal or granola: if I don’t eat this for breakfast, I usually end up eating it for a snack.
- Carrots and whole grain crackers with hummus: I love the grab and go containers of hummus and baby carrots that make this super easy to throw together.
- Single packages of dried edamame or dried chickpeas: these can be found at most grocery stores and convenience stores. These have both protein and fiber – so easy!
- Popcorn with string cheese: both come in individually packaged containers that are easy to grab and go, and I mean, who doesn’t love cheese and popcorn?!
Snack recipes
If you want to take it up juuuust a notch and prep a few snacks that are more than grab-and-go, I’ve got ya covered. These are some of my favorites:
- Banana Chocolate Chip Oaties: they’re easy to make, packed with protein, fiber and healthy fats and are delicious.
- Chocolate Chip Chickpea Cookie Dough: this is abnormally good! I love it on its own or with apple slices for dipping.
- No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bliss Balls: I feel like this title does all the talking itself – no bake, chocolate and peanut butter. The end.
And, because there are so many amazing recipes not just on my site, you can also try these awesome snack ideas from RD friends of mine:
- Healthy Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip: my friend Alexis of Hummusapien makes some of the best recipes I know – this dip is no exception! Try it with fruit or crackers for dipping.
- Butternut Squash Bites: if you want something a little more savory – I was pleasantly surprised by how easy this amazing recipe is from my friend Tawnie of Kroll’s Korner. These are next on my list to make!
- Low Sugar No Bake Brownie Bites: this recipe description says it all. These are from my friend Mary Ellen of Milk & Honey Nutrition. You can’t go wrong with any of her recipes.
Want to learn more about snacking? Check out All Foods Fit, my membership program with 12 lessons, including an entire lesson dedicated to healthy snacking.
