The importance of snacking.
3 meals & 3 snacks a day is our recommendation.
Insulin! It has 2 roles: manages your blood sugars AND stores fat. It’s important to keep insulin ticking in the right way. 3 meals and 3 snacks per day keeps insulin spiking evenly throughout the day. No hunger attacks! Most of all, it’s important not to skip meals. Skipping meals is a great way to gain weight.
Healthy snacking is an essential way to sustain your energy levels, reduce insulin spiking, minimize over-eating at meal time, and helps with getting micro-nutrients in your body.
Problems with Snacking
- Vending machines don’t dispense the right snacks. I doubt this is news to you!
- Snacks do not replace meals. You can’t skip lunch and then have a snack.
- You need to prepare your own snacks for the most part.
- There are constant snacking opportunities – coffee break, afternoon break, appetizers at social events, evening snacking. You must snack consciously.
SNACK IDEAS
- Salted Edamame Beans
- One piece of fruit
- Or an apple with a little almond or peanut butter
- 10-12 almonds or your favourite nut. Careful to not overdose on nuts!
- Hard boiled eggs or deviled eggs
- Carrots, celery or cucs with humus
- Fresh Spring Roll (not deep fried)
- Smoothie (with hemp hearts or a another protein source)
- Green Shake
- Good quality, hard cheese (3oz is a good serving size)
- Avocado on a rice cracker
- Tuna on cucumber slices
- Salsa on endives
- Chia Seed Pudding
- A good quality protein bar (many available at VB)
TIPS
- You are looking for nutrient dense, whole and unprocessed foods.
- Avoid sugar and white flour – yes that rules out muffins, cookies, cakes!
- The majority of your snacking should be protein rich foods.
- As usual, make sure your cupboards are stocked up with good options.
