Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Snacks

As I see it planning for snacks is just as important as planning for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Snacks are an important part of a healthy diet.

Snacking helps to keep our blood sugar levels even. And snacking helps to keep us from getting too hungry.

When we get to the point of being super hungry that's when we are most likely to throw caution to the wind and pick the most high calorie, fatty, salty, or sugary foods.

When we plan for our snacks we can make sure to have healthy choices full of good fats, little salt or sugar, and definitely no trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, and no extra additives or colorings.

Most of us have a supply of between meal munchies stashed away at home. But it's equally important to remember to take some with you when you are on the go.

When you are out and about and you get hungry...well temptation will take over and before you know it you will be spending money you don't want to spend and eating foods you would rather not eat.

So always have a plan. Remember it you fail to plan you are planning to fail.

The first thing to do is to invest in a lunch size cooler

And remember to always keep a supply of water bottles and a pantry full of healthy snacks.

I buy the 8 ounces bottles of water. When I used to get the 16 ounce
bottles I was always finding half empty bottles of water and never knew who they belonged to so they would get tossed. I find that there is much less waste now that we are using the smaller ones.

Ideas for healthy, on the go snacks include...
nuts
dried fruit
pretzels
apples
tangerines
bananas
edamame
rice cakes
air popped pop corn
granola
string cheese
cheese sticks
trail mix


I'm really careful when I am buying prepackaged foods. I always read the labels and I don't choose anything with high fructose corn syrup or trans fats.

Whether you are going on a road trip, running errands for the afternoon, or doing the soccor mom (or baseball or dance or whatever) thing, don't leave the house without your cooler filled with waters and your snacks!

And that is this gal's view for today.

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