Let’s face it, life is busy, whether you’re scrambling from meeting to meeting, to appointments, to gym sessions, to school runs…You get the idea. So, how do you stay happy and healthy, without a grumbling stomach or a chocolate daydream on the treadmill?
Healthy snacking habits don’t happen overnight, and they don’t have to be painful either. No one is saying you can only eat broccoli and hummus (unless you love that). There is enough variety to keep even the keenest taste buds happy.
Understanding Healthy Snacking
The ideal snack is rich in nutrients, containing little sugar or unhealthy fats. This may look like whole foods, such as fruit, nuts or yoghurt—apple wedges with peanut butter, a few handfuls of trail mix or even Original Beef Chief biltong. It combines complex carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats to keep your body in a nutritional balance.
Portion control is critical even for the healthiest snack, but there is no set rule for everyone (more on that later). Healthy snacking keeps your energy up, focuses the mind and curbs hunger, preventing dreaded blood sugar peaks and troughs. This helps your mind and body’s natural productivity and appetite control, reducing the need to consume more later. Proper portioning, alongside healthy snacks, satisfies the body efficiently and enhances general health.
Choosing the Right Snacks
Nutrient-dense snacks like strawberries, walnuts, Greek yoghurt, cucumber slices with hummus or whole-grain crackers with almond butter deliver fibre, protein and healthy fats, stabilising blood sugar and sustaining energy. Research has also found that these high-fibre snacks (e.g., fruits, vegetables) slow digestion, reducing blood sugar spikes.
Protein-rich snacks like meat or hard-boiled eggs can even make you feel fuller, because of peptide YY. Nuts are one of my favourite snacks, and research has shown that the unsaturated fats in nuts can actually enhance brain health and lower inflammation–of course, it depends on the nut in question.
The trick with any diet is variety, which makes sure you get the nutrients you need, like antioxidants from berries, calcium from yoghurt or protein from biltong. The trick to long-lasting energy is low sugar, high protein snacks, with carbs at the right time, like before a gym session.
Planning and Preparation
The first, and easiest, item on the agenda should be to plan for proper meals. It’s easy to get caught up in the day and skip lunch, dinner or even breakfast, but a little strategic planning can make sure you get two or three good meals a day.
Meal planning has to start with your nutrition needs, lifestyle and goals. It’s not a bad idea to sit down with a pen and paper, think about your daily calorie needs, activity level, food preferences and start planning. That way you could plan to meal prep at the weekend, stock up the fridge for those busy nights or even schedule takeaway nights, why not.
Okay, so you aren’t one of those people who eat two or three meals a day and fast in between—don’t worry, most of us aren’t. That’s where planning your snacks comes in. Be sure to stock nutrient-dense snacks like fruit, nuts or yoghurt to keep energy up. A 2018 study in nutrients shows that high-fibre, protein-enriched snacks can enhance satiety and regulate blood sugar.
Just like with your main meals, try using a meal planner to organise your snacks around meals, with variety for nutrients like fibre and omega-3s. Batch prep on weekends and store in take-along containers for busy days. There is plenty of evidence to show that planned eating reduces junk food craving, of course, adding the occasional treat to stay in balance won’t hurt.
Mindful Snacking
The first step to avoid over- or under-eating is mindfulness. Research has shown that if you are conscious about what you are eating, it actually suppresses impulsive snacking. Portion snacks at 150-200 calories using small containers to restrict serving sizes. You could try pairing snacking and drinking to overcome false hunger. Time snacks around your schedule—mid-morning or pre-workout—to aid energy. Maintain a food diary to monitor selections and plan for variety, including nutrients such as fibre and protein. Implementing, or trying out, just a few of these tricks could be the key to developing good snacking habits.
Healthy Snack Recipes
These are purely suggestions so that you can get some inspiration, or discover:
1. Chia Seed Pudding
Mix 3 tbsp chia seeds with 1 cup almond milk, 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tbsp maple syrup. Refrigerate for 4 hours. Top with berries. (140 calories, 8g fibre, 6g protein)
2. Spicy Roasted Chickpeas
Toss 1 can (15 oz) drained chickpeas with 1 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp paprika and ½ tsp chilli powder. Roast at 400°F for 30 minutes. (150 calories, 6g fibre, 7g protein)
3. Greek Yoghurt Fruit Parfait
Layer ½ cup Greek yoghurt, ¼ cup granola and ½ cup mixed berries. Drizzle with 1 tsp honey. (180 calories, 3g fibre, 10g protein)
4. Veggie Sticks with Hummus
Blend 1 can of chickpeas, 2 tbsp tahini, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 garlic clove and 2 tbsp olive oil for hummus. Serve with carrot and cucumber sticks. (160 calories, 5g fibre, 4g protein)
5. Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
Blend 1 banana, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 cup almond milk and a pinch of cinnamon. (190 calories, 4g fibre, 5g protein)
Overcoming Common Challenges
At the end of the day, making healthy snack choices does not have to be a struggle. Start small by swapping processed snacks for nutrient-dense ones like fruit, nuts or biltong. Pre-measured containers help manage portions, and snack timing can be planned to your
Schedule, whether that’s a snacky second breakfast, mid-arvo boost or pre-workout power snack.
Slowing down to savour each bite can help to prevent mindless eating, while stocking the pantry with useful ingredients for quick recipes like chia pudding or hummus dips makes sure snacks aren’t far away. With balance, variety, and planning, healthy snacking becomes second nature, stimulating energy, focus and overall well-being to keep you happy and productive.
Images: Web Oracle
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