I Want a Snack

On the weekends, its not difficult to stop and take a minute to throw a quick snack together when you get the munchies. On the working days, time is much more constrained and the temptation of the easy stop at the convenience store is much more alluring than putting together something at home before that snackish feeling comes on. FIGHT THAT TEMPTATION! I know the stores are doing better about offering healthier selections for travelers, but you owe it to yourself to take the time to set up your snacks for the week just as you would meal prep.
First, invest in some sealable toss-away snack bags. They come in boxes just like sandwich bags and it helps you keep your portions under control. You should visit a local discount dollar store as well and pick up some small sealable containers for your perishable snacks, no sense in paying a lot of extra money, a container is a container.
Now, let’s go shopping for the good stuff!
Roasted Chickpeas, mixed nuts, trail mix, pumpkin seeds
Jerky, Popcorn, String Cheese, Whole Grain Protein Bars
Tuna and Cracker Kits, Hummus and Vegetables
Fresh Fruit, Hard-Boiled Eggs, Wheat crackers and cheese

Manufacturers have jumped on the health train and are hearing that society wants healthier choices. You can now get baked chips, and vegetable chips. Be certain to read the ingredients though. The names of the snacks can be misleading as some claiming to be vegetable snacks are made up of a good portion of potato. Technically potatoes are a vegetable but if you are trying to avoid starches and sugars you should be aware these are just potato snacks in disguise, no matter how tasty they are. Just don’t overindulge!

As always, manually portion out your serving sizes, don’t go by what the label says on the package. If it tells you 20 pieces are one serving, you should probably cut that in half since serving sizes have doubled in the past few decades. Portion it out into your baggies and put the big bag away so you are not tempted to graze!
My go-to snack is usually one serving of Colby cheese and 3 woven-wheat crackers; it is my all-time favorite. I do mix it up and have fruit or popcorn, however, most days I won’t even snack between my break fast meal and my dinner. It all is dependent on how large the meal is and whether or not I succumbed to the whim of a smoothie.
Its okay to have a snack, if you’re hungry, you should eat something. We are not meant to starve ourselves to lose some weight, we are meant to choose better eating styles.