Desktop Snacking
What has the power to keep you energized, focused and productive from morning to night? SMART SNACKING!
Fueling your body every 3 hours keeps your metabolism charged and your energy level high. To maximize the benefits of healthy snacking without packing on extra pounds, choose a good mix of complex carbohydrates (for quick energy) and lean protein or healthy fat (to keep you feeling full longer). Limit your snack calories to 100-200 calories per snack. Aim for mid-morning, mid-afternoon and even a planned bedtime snack to keep your blood sugar stable. The goal is to keep your level of satisfaction between 4 & 6 on the hunger scale so that you are never really hungry and never really full – allowing you to manually control your blood sugar and energy.
Keep a few of your favorite easy snacks at your desk or in the office fridge so you are always prepared with a quick bite to fuel you throughout your busy day!
Here are a few healthy snack combos to get you started!
- Like salty crunch? Try one of these. . .
- 10 peanuts with a 100 calorie bag of light popcorn
- 5 Triscuits with 2 Light Babybel cheeses
- Celery sticks with 1/3 cup of your favorite hummus
- Looking for something sweet – these tasty treats will tickle your fancy!
- 3 graham cracker squares with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
- 100 calorie bag of cocoa-dusted almonds
- KIND + Protein Bar
- Want something warm & wonderful?
- Instant steel cut oatmeal with 1 tablespoon chopped pecans
- Whole grain toast with 1 tablespoon almond butter
- A skinny latte with 6 almonds and 1 cup light popcorn
- Need something cool & refreshing?
- 6 oz. Greek yogurt (counts as both carb & protein!)
- ¼ cup cottage cheese with ½ cup lite peaches
- 1 small apple with 1 tablespoon peanut butter
If you’ve never been a ‘snacker’, I challenge you to try adding one of these snacks every day – morning, afternoon and evening for one week. You will be amazed at how good “fueled” feels!
Today’s recipe for Blackened Fish Tacos is a quick, spicy solution for “What’s for dinner?” It is ready to serve in less than 30 minutes!
