Years ago, I was so unorganized with my eating. Thinking about preparing snacks or even lunch when I was away from home were unheard of. Yes, I was one of those who would be off to the closest fast food place to pick up lunch and snacks when I was working full-time. It never occurred to me to pre-plan or to have healthy snacks ready to go.
People who see me now have a hard time believing I was ever 60 pounds overweight…and since I am only 5″2″ and small-boned, that was a lot of extra weight to carry. But the sad fact is, I was what the doctors termed in my medical records “grossly obese”…..and with my yo-yo dieting, and following all the latest crazy diets out there, I was up there at that high-end weight quite a lot……up and down; up and down. I was so overweight and unhealthy – and what was worse, I had no clue that this was damaging my health. I didn’t know what yo-yo dieting or unhealthy eating did to one’s body. So believe me when I say that if this is where you are at now, I SO understand where you are coming from.
My best piece of advice to you is, don’t fall into the same pitfalls I did. What we eat matters – not just in the short-term but long-term as well.
Here are a few suggestions for you when it comes to eating healthy snacks so that you don’t go down the same road I did.
When it comes to meal planning, it’s likely that you have your meals at home or for lunches pretty much nailed down. The problem comes when you want a snack and nothing is readily available. This can lead to eating the wrong things, reaching for the wrong snacks, and derailing your entire healthy eating plan. Before you start down that path, consider these methods of having healthy snacks ready to go when you or your family want them.
Plan out Equal Snacks
One of the key steps to having healthy snacks ready to go is to plan them out. The trick to this is planning out equal amounts of healthy salty and sweet snacks. You may have days when either would be great, so having equal amounts on hand will cover that without having you run out of one or the other. This means if you are planning for the month, you will need a month’s worth of the snacks. This may sound like common sense, but when you start the planning process it may be forgotten easily. Remember some snacks can dual, like granola or trail mix.
Make To-Go Snack Options
When you plan your snacks, you likely consider that you will be at home to have them. For example, you may pre-make your popcorn for the week with the flavorings that you love. However, you may keep it in a container that is not travel friendly. Instead of doing this, consider making single serve bags of the snack. You can grab it, toss it in your bag, and go. That way you have it ready to grab if you want it, but if you don’t, you can toss it back into the snack drawer with the other snacks.
Snack Drawer Set-Up
Consider creating a snack drawer or bin with all your single serve pre-made snacks. This allows you to grab what you want, or grab a few different snacks, and go. It also gives you a place to keep multiple types of snacks for the different snack moods you may have. By preparing them ahead of time you can make sure you always have something on hand and that it is healthy.
Consider Your Lifestyle
When you plan on having snacks on hand and ready to go, you may be thinking about the ability to sit and eat the snack easily. Sometimes, this just isn’t possible. Make sure if you are going to be driving or on the go that the snacks fit that lifestyle. This means paying attention to how you package them. Also remember, there are packages that can be reused to cut down on waste. These should be considered as well.
These ideas can help you have healthy sweet, salty, or mixed snacks ready to go. No matter what your cravings, you will have something you can grab and snack or take with you.
Happy snacking!
P.S. Are you looking for a community of like-minded women on a journey – just like you are – who want to improve health and wellness, overall balance, and increased confidence? If the answer is ‘Yes,’ I’d like to invite you to The Energized & Healthy Women’s Club – a supportive and collaborative community where we share tips and solutions for a healthy and holistic lifestyle. We discuss things like weight management, eliminating belly bloat, wrangling sugar gremlins, and overcoming fatigue, recipes, strategies and more so we can feel energized, healthy, confident, and joyful each day. I’d be delighted to include you. Just click the picture below to join us.
RECIPE: SALMON WITH MANGO-BASIL DRESSING
Makes 2 servings
2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 cup chopped red pepper
1/4 cup chopped purple cabbage
1/2 cup chopped cucumbers
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
1 can BPA free salmon
Mango-Basil Dressing
1 cup fresh mango, chopped
1 lime, juiced
5 to 6 basil leaves
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
pinch of sea salt
pinch of black pepper
Add your dressing ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth. Add to top of your salad.