Top 3 tips to get your snacking on point!
Thank you to California Strawberries for sponsoring this post all about snacking!
Snacking is something I discuss with each and every one of my one-on-one clients, snacks can contribute to a big piece of the nutrition puzzle. I like to think of myself as a detective when I’m working with these clients because I’m trying to find small clues into their life that could potentially be adjusted. Unlike what you might expect or see represented in popular media, the action experts take is rarely to remove the snack or cut out a food group, sometimes we need to adjust portions, swap to a healthier choice or introduce more snacking throughout the day.
Since not all foods are created equally, it’s important to consider the density of foods when you’re planning out your day. As a general rule, if you’re moving towards a healthier lifestyle you will want to look for foods that are nutrient dense without being calorie dense, what does that mean? Find foods that are high in fibre and where the portion or serving size seems large for the number of calories. For example, a serving of California Strawberries is 140g or 8 berries and 50 calories whereas an old favorite of mine, the banana bread from Starbucks, is smaller (115g) and 380 calories.
Here are my best tips when it comes to choosing your snacks:
Adjust your meals to your snacks or vice versa: If you’re eating large meals you might want smaller snacks and if you’re having small meals you definitely don’t want to be skipping your snacks. It’s important that our body feels comfortable and although it’s good to feel hungry I don’t want you to feel like you’re starving.
Get back to the basics: choose snacks that are minimally processed. I know this can be a challenge when you’re on the go or if you’re traveling somewhere but let those be infrequent and include your basic snacks more regularly. Look for foods that are 1 ingredient, yes, fruits and veggies are a great option, berries are one of my favourites! When is the last time you had popcorn? Popcorn is 1 ingredient, contains fibre and can be a great replacement for crackers or chips. I recommend keeping the seasonings to a minimum, but this is something you can work towards over time.
A twist on your usual treats: when I talk about baked good and sweets with my clients I usually refer to these as treats. Treats don’t have to be an infrequent choice if you change your definition a little bit, now let me explain. I often think of tropical fruit as a treat, it’s not something we had a lot when I was growing up and it’s naturally sweet and delicious! My favourite is probably mango, not only is it sweet but it’s also pretty expensive here so I don’t have them often. I want you to be able to find something that’s more accessible and available all year round, which is why I partnered with the California Strawberry Commission to recommend California strawberries as your next favourite snack (#snackon8) that’s also a treat! Since fruits are nutrient dense without being calorically dense, they’re a great choice to include as a regular snack.
Thank you for reading and supporting my journey to help you improve your health, one healthy snack at a time! Please share in the comments which tip is your favourite or if you have any questions.
Talk soon,
Megan
P.S. If you’re looking for a strawberry recipe that’s a whole meal check out my delicious PB&J Smoothie Recipe
