Sep 19, 2011

Practicing Safe Snacks!

In making my life easier to stick to plan, I'm trying out new snacks that are "safe" in terms of points, but still satisfy cravings for sweet, salty, whatever.

Many times I catch myself staring at cookies, candies, pastries, anything and everything lying around at home or the office that is really not going to help me get fit. But you know that nagging feeling too right? "I just want something sweet... a few bites of something..."  And then 20 mins later, you find yourself stuffed and annoyed and blah and wondering, "What just happened?"

Some ideas to practice SAFE SNACKS!

1. When in sweet doubt, go bananas.
My trick for when you're on the fence, right about to make a not so good decision, grab a banana! Bananas have become my go to fruit, my safety fruit, a security blanket when faced with processed sweets. Bananas are sweet, (super sweet if quite ripe) and also substantial. They feel more filling to me since they're not a watery fruit.

2. Salty and starving? Cheese It.
I don't really love actual cheez-its (sorry Sunshine Foods!) but a good alternative that actually fills me up are Triscuits with a piece of low fat or nonfat hard cheese on it. They have lots of fiber to keep you full and the cheese provides great protein and calcium. Don't have low fat cheese around? Just cut full fat varieties into slimmer slices.

3. Sweet and Savory, I'm going nuts!
My new thing as of this morning is home made trail mix. Forget wondering what kinds of preservatives are in store bought trail mix, just make your own. Mix equal parts almonds, cashews or walnuts, and dark or light raisins. If you MUST have chocolate in there, please use dark semisweet chocolate chips, but really, skip them if you can manage. I keep a Tupperware of these out on a counter at home and a Ziploc of them in my drawer at work. Refill weekly!







4. Get Zen. Calming tea
Toward the end of work when I'm saving calories/points for dinner I need something super low-cal to calm my cravings. My best bet is always a nice herbal tea. Green tea is supposed to boost your metabolism at all ages, and chamomile is super soothing. In winter I like to add slices of fresh ginger which makes herbal teas just a bit more astringent -- good for preventing colds and sore throats. (You can always count on Indian gals like me for all those herbal and Ayurvedic tricks!)

So there you have it, 4 ideas that are getting me through each day. Be sure to practice safe snacks!
If you have other great snack ideas that work for you, just leave a comment here or email me at missnutmegblog@gmail.com.

Remember, we will succeed together, one day, meal and bite at a time!
xoxo,
missnutmeg

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