The lovely Heather of Get Healthy with Heather is stepping in today 🙂 Thanks, Heather! I love the post! As someone who is needing to decrease meal sizes and adopt a regular snack schedule, it’s perfect timing!
I also wanted to take a second and thank each and every one of you for your support in my recent PCOS discovery. I have received so many heart-felt emails and comments from people suffering from PCOS or those who have someone near to them suffering from PCOS, or just all you sweethearts out there. All of your comments and emails and support and advice have made my heart smile. 🙂 I will get back to regularly scheduled blogging and blog-reading after the weekend. Promise!
Lots of love,
Hey there PreventionRD readers! I’m Heather of Get Healthy With Heather and I am very excited to be here on Nicole’s blog. I love reading about her creations in the kitchen, and learning nutritional info from her. What an inspiration she is!
A bit about me – I love all things food and fitness. When I’m not running, biking, swimming, strength training or doing yoga, I’m in the kitchen creating new, tasty meals and snacks for my husband and I. Today I’d like to share some of my favorite snack ideas with you.
I’m a huge snacker. There’s not one day that goes by where I eat just breakfast, lunch and dinner. I’d get way to grouchy if I went without my snacks. Snacks keep my energy levels steady throughout the day, and help me not feel deprived and overly hungry at my next meal.
I try to always be prepared with snacks on hand. You never know what might come up at work, or when you’re out running errands, and I don’t like to be stuck with a hungry belly yelling at me.
Today I’d like to share 9 snack ideas with you – 3 for at home, 3 for at work and 3 for on the go.
At home
Smoothies are a nice, quick and filling way to hold your tummy over. I like to combine 1 cup soymilk, 1 tbsp hemp protein powder, 1 small ripe banana, 1 tbsp peanut butter, a handful of spinach and a few ice cubes in the blender. Whirl away until it’s all combine and enjoy. Don’t let the green color scare you away; you can’t even taste the spinach.
Surprisingly salads have become an energy snack for me. I like to mix spinach and spring greens with pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries or cherries and my zesty orange dressing. Once you try a salad as a snack you’ll be blown away by how energized you feel.
Oatmeal doesn’t have to always be a breakfast thing. You can quickly make a mini bowl of chocolaty oats by cooking 1/3 cup of oats with 2/3 cup water (or milk choice) and adding in 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder with ¼ tsp vanilla. Sweeten your bowl of oats with some agave or even maple syrup if you want.
At Work (where most of my snacking happens)
One easy way I bring a small amount of peanut butter (or any nut butter) to work with me is in a ziplock baggie. I’ll put in 1-2 tbsp peanut butter and when I need to use it I just snip off a corner and squeeze it out onto my apple as I munch away.
Have you ever combined pumpkin puree with your favorite plain greek yogurt? It’s such a treat! Try mixing ½ cup plain greek yogurt with ½ cup pumpkin puree. Top it off with 1 tbsp each dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds.
Try out my easy Southern Black Bean and Salmon Spread on crackers or in lettuce cups. This spread keeps in the fridge for 1 week, so it’s ready to use whenever you need it.
On the go
Power up trail mix: Mix ¼ cup each almonds, walnuts, plain roasted soybeans, dried raisins, dried blueberries, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and dark chocolate chips. Put 1/3 cup of the mixture in ziplock baggies to grab and go.
Sunrise Chia Bar – this bar isn’t very sweet, which is how I like it. You can add some sweetener to the wet ingredients to make it perfect for you.
Wraps are great on the go snacks too. Take a small whole wheat tortilla, spread it with ¼ of a smashed avocado, and add a handful of spinach and ¼ cup thinly sliced red bell pepper. Wrap up in foil or plastic wrap and it’s ready to go.
I hope you enjoy some of these snack ideas. Tell me, what’s your favorite snack at home, work or on the go?
Heather of Get Healthy With Heather
Great post, I love the on the go ideas and the chia bars. Thanks Heather!
Sometimes my favorite snack is just an apple. Pranabars and Larabars are so much better when you need a little fat to hold you over.
Love the idea, the chia bars look especially good 🙂
Heather, those sunrise chia bars look really good!! Thanks for sharing the recipe!! 🙂
I am going to have to try those Chia Bars. One of my favorite snacks is the plain greek yogurt and pumpkin puree. I add some cinnamon and all spice. Tastes like the inside of a pumpkin pie, YUM!
Nice guest post, awesome healthy snacks…thanks for sharing
Im always snacking. My favorite is apple and peanut butter. Its like they were made for each other!
Glad you like the snack ideas! I’m so glad I could share them. Hope you get to try one of them out soon and hope you’re having a great weekend!
Apples & peanut butter or yogurt topped with fruit are my favorite snacks!
Nicole – I hope you’re having a good weekend! You’re in my thoughts and prayers.
Heather – What a great guest post! I love all your snack ideas, especially that pumpkin & Greek yogurt…I’ll definitely be trying that!
That bean and salmon dip looks really good.
I snack a lot on yogurt with some sort of mix-in.
I LOVE that salmon and bean spread idea!! I have to try that (with some Beano of course!). Apples and PB are a great snack. I also like PB with carrots or bananas. Those are some of my favorite on the go snacks. And the Kashi TLC bars, yum.
I just love Heather, so great to read her great snacking ideas over here! xo
too funny! 🙂 I just did a post about snacking! 🙂