There are some things in life that are inevitable.
- We age
- We sleep
- We complain
- We want to be loved
- We snack
We can’t do anything about aging. We might want to fool others into how much we have aged, but that is just the wrapping paper. We sometimes are sleep deprived, sometimes sleep until noon, but eventually, we sleep. We try not to complain, but…., well we just do. We all want to be loved on one level or another. For some it is by children, some its lovers, for others, it is four-legged and slobbers, but love is part of life. Finally, snacking.
I have touched on snacking before and as long it is done right, just do it.
Mom used to say “it will ruin your dinner” Well it might, but as long as you are still eating in a healthy way, and watching WHAT you are eating, the ‘when' is not as important. There is a real trend toward fasting right now, and to be brutally honest there are as many people supporting the latest thing as there are opposing it. So, let’s just not touch that and if your body is telling you to eat something, let’s see if we can find some healthy choices that won't give you a guilty conscience.
These are not going to appeal to everyone, but there hopefully are a couple for you to consider the next time you just can’t wait until the dinner bell rings.
- Eggs- Hard Boiled
- These are easy to make, easy to take and are really, no muss-no fuss. They had been thought of as too high in cholesterol and then the truth came out, nope, they are good for you. 6 g protein, 5 g fat, no carbs.
2. Greek Yogurt
- This has become a favorite snack for me in the last few years. The trick is to avoid the flavored and heavily sweetened kinds. You can buy it in the large container for cost efficiency, or individual sizes for convenience. One cup of full-fat Greek yogurt generally contains 18 g of protein, but this may require a little label reading to make sure you are getting the best one for you.
3. Apple with Peanut Butter
- This combo works because you get the fill factor of the fiber in the apple and the protein in the peanut butter. Again easily transportable, and you can go for lots of options. Crunchy or smooth peanut butter and so many varieties of apples.
4. Mixed Nuts
- I love having a tub of these in the pantry. The only thing to be careful of is the quantity. It is really easy to take a larger portion size than you should have. Use either a scale or a measuring cup to be able to memorize the right portion amount.
5. Oatmeal
- This will seem strange to anyone who knows me because I actually don’t like oatmeal. But I actually eat it a few days a week, because it is good for me. Ugh! It is really hard to argue with the nutritional values; By weight, raw oats are 66% carbohydrates, 17% protein, 7% fat and 11% fiber. I don’t cook mine the way most people do, I get hot water for a cup of tea, and when it has sat for a few minutes, that works for me. No mushy porridge, sorry Mom.
There are all sorts of snacks that can and will work for most. But, for me, it needs to be simple, tasty, portable, and most importantly satisfying. These will work for late night snacks as well as any time of the day.
A few more options but without the protein component, but definitely the satisfaction factor are raw veggies, frozen berries, bananas, and my fave popcorn.
One more thing to consider before snacking, are you really hungry? You may be bored or even thirsty. Listen to your body before you chow down, but if you do choose to snack, snack healthy.
There's no better feeling in the world than a warm pizza box on your lap. – Kevin James
