Snack Like A Baby Or A Boss
Our wellness team has had clients request advice for healthy snacks for both adults and kids while working from home. We all know 2020 has had its share of challenges, and with challenges, most humans tend to give in to the snack cravings due to anxiety and stress. In this article, we will address emotional eating and highlight eight snacking ideas that will improve both adolescents’ and adults’ health.
The act of creating a healthy habit ensures that health is the priority when thinking of what next to eat. Over time, I have addressed the success of healthy eating as the “act” or “habit” of meal planning and preparing meals at home. Although the request to a nutritionist is “advice on healthy snacks,” the intent seems to be advice on “snacks I buy, that are healthy,” and although these statements sound similar, they carry different impacts on your health. The latter is an approach for those seeking convenience in their lives. It does not always prove beneficial to assist with weight maintenance, a calorie deficit, or improved cognitive skills. Taking the bull-by-the- horns and carefully selecting each ingredient that goes into your snack is the true definition of making your food work positively toward your health and that of the children in your household. It’s also important to note that you should not be fooled by marketing schemes and suggestively healthy and prepackaged products. Caution is needed when you consider prepackaged meals and snacks. They tend to include an excess of calories (mostly from sugar), additives, and preservatives that impair a positive metabolic response. They can also contain lower levels of antioxidants that help the body eliminate free radicals, which catalyze diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
Snacks can be simple to make at home if you have access to the proper ingredients. In many cases, it takes very little time and money. It is also important to note that some snacks include protein, fats, and carbohydrates, and take the place of a meal more than a snack. So, be careful choosing snacks that are high in calories around mealtimes. To understand your calorie threshold, you should discuss this with a nutritionist to plan meals and snacks. But for ease of convenience, calorie calculators consider an individual’s age, gender, weight, height, and even activity levels.
Helpful snack suggestions:
Bento Boxes or Portion Plates
Bento box and portion plates are designed to separate major food groups and to make the consumer conscious about the volume of foods consumed, and the satisfaction of hunger cravings with small portions from multiple items. Consistently using a bento box will aid in weight management and enjoyment of the foods you like. Bento boxes are designed for cold or room temperature foods that don’t need reheating. Most of us remember the school snack “Lunchables,” which offers kids a balanced meal of carbs (crackers), fats and proteins (cheese and sandwich meat), and even a snack (cookies or muffin). As these were a school-time treat for me as a youngster, I imagine that, if reinvented at home, this snack can be a healthy choice for both adults and kids. For more ideas, check out our recent blog post on Bento Boxes here.
Banana and Nut Butter or Protein Balls
This snack provides an abundant amount of protein, fats, and carbohydrates in 1-2 bite sizes. In 2013, the British Journal of Nutrition published a study that concluded that consuming peanut butter as a protein source in the morning helped curb appetite for the remainder of the day. Banana and nut butter (peanut, almond, or hazelnut) is an option for either breakfast, lunch, or simply a snack. You can even try them frozen!
An alternative to this banana and nut butter suggestion is homemade protein balls, using ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. This snack is packed with omega-3 fatty acids, dietary fibers, antioxidants, and a great calcium and potassium source. These protein balls use any nut butter as the base, rolled into a ball using oatmeal, chia seeds, flax seeds, even chocolate chips. Making peanut butter at home will control the consumption of additives, preservatives, and sugars. To make nut butter at home, click here for a simple recipe.
Hummus and Cucumber or Guacamole and Vegetable Chips
The main ingredient in hummus is chickpeas! This healthy legume is packed with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, potassium, dietary fiber, and protein. Aside from those macronutrients, it is also the source of a collection of micronutrients like antioxidants, calcium, iron, B vitamins, and magnesium. Chickpeas are known to improve digestion and metabolism. In countries like Lebanon and Egypt, hummus is traditionally a full meal for some and a snack for others. This dish is relatively easy to make. Please see a quick recipe quick from our Zest Wellness blog here.
This dish can be easily modified to replace chickpeas with other legumes like black beans, edamame beans, or red kidney beans. Consider adding additional ingredients like beets, carrots, or red peppers for extra flavor and nutrients.
Similarly to legumes’ healthy fats, avocado is loaded with heart-healthy fats, fiber, and potassium. The avocado is a fruit, and eating them plain or mixed in guacamole will improve your health. For a guide to making guacamole at home click here. Both guacamole and hummus can replace some condiments used on sandwiches to boost nutrient consumption and flavor; give it a try!
Yogurt and Berries, Parfaits and Purées
Our digestive tract is an ecosystem of bacteria that play a significant role in an individual’s health; known as our microbiome; it consists of millions of probiotics and prebiotics. The probiotics support good health by assisting in digestion, nutrient absorption, and improved metabolic response. New research indicates that probiotics are even helpful in preventing some lifestyle diseases like arthritis later in life. Research concludes that if we introduce probiotics to an infant’s life and adapt to consuming it for the remainder of their life, the probiotics can potentially eliminate disease later in life. This snack can be beneficial to both young and older individuals.
With yogurt and berries, nutritionists tend to suggest them as a healthy snack that can be consumed alone or added to your bento box. As a parfait with granola and fruits ensures that an individual has a balanced healthy meal of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. For more yogurt parfait ideas, click here.
For babies, purées are an excellent means of consuming both produce and probiotics. Blending down items like carrots with mangos, sweet potatoes with pear, or even beets with berries makes food look colorful and attractive for kids. Studies show that bright, vibrant foods are more stimulating for kids and increases their chances of consuming. For recipes click here.
Homemade Granola Bars
Granola is an excellent snack or breakfast option, especially for those in a rush in the mornings! Like the parfaits and purées, individuals can save time by preparing this item on weekends or evenings when they have more time in the kitchen. The ingredients are likely to already be in your pantry and take very little time to bring together. Although sugar-heavy depending on its preparation, this source of food provides an excellent source of dietary fiber, lean protein, iron, calcium, and magnesium from the granola and seeds. The addition of peanut butter, fruits, and nuts increases these nutrients by 2-fold. Try making your granola bars at home, using this recipe.
Fruit Popsicles
This summertime snack not only provides hydration but a high value of antioxidants and is a great way to increase the consumption of fruit in both children and adults. This quick and easy recipe requires only a few ingredients found in your pantry and garden space, especially for those living in a Caribbean country. Using coconut water instead of regular water, both adults and kids get the benefits of potassium. Potassium is an essential mineral needed by the body daily. Its benefits include regulation of fluid balance, muscle contractions, and nerve signaling, reduce blood pressure and water retention, and protects humans from strokes, osteoporosis, and kidney stones. Click here for a simple recipe! You can even add yogurt to this recipe to increase your protein intake!
Breakfast Cookies or Muffins
This snack is a significant time saver! The ingredients in a breakfast cookie or muffin ensure that an individual feels full longer due to its high fiber content. With similar ingredients to the granola bar, these recipes allow you to have options, especially for those known to have a sweet tooth. It’s like having cake for breakfast but healthier.
These can be made on weekends and evenings and consumed with your coffee in the mornings to save on time. The ingredients combine oatmeal with peanut butter, dried fruit, honey or maple syrup, and a banana. This eliminates the need for flour or baking soda, like most cookies. These snacks should be a good recommendation to eliminate store-bought cookies and muffins from your shopping carts. Best of all, kids will love them! To give this snack a try, click here for a simple recipe.
Low/No Butter Popcorn
Popcorn has been a snack for most of us for many years. Many people don’t realize that popcorn is actually healthy, as it provides an enormous number of antioxidants and fiber. Popcorn might be one of the healthiest snack options next to fruits and vegetables. Its origins are Mexican some 10,000 years ago as early ancestors discovered that heating corn produced this amazing snack. Today, popcorn is a staple snack at movie cinemas and sporting events. What makes popcorn unhealthy is the excess butter and salt added once the corn is popped. Although everyone enjoys the taste of the butter and salt, these are not the only toppings to consider when wanting to snack on popcorn. Other options include granulated sugar and cinnamon, cheddar cheese and onion, garlic salt, a honey-sesame seed blend, a citrus-poppy seasoning blend, and more. To experiment with your popcorn as a snack or your next at-home movie night click here for recipes.
Some other tips when considering snacks are:
Include a “no thank you bowl” on each plate, giving kids the option of saying “no” to some foods while allowing them to feel they have a choice in what they eat.
Choose colorful fruits and vegetables when snacking. You can choose these as alternatives to bread, crackers, or chips.
Decide if you prefer savory or sweet. This will guide you when selecting snacks so you know what to look for and that which you would enjoy most.
For picky eaters, try disguising fruit and vegetables using a food processor to grind them down to small chunks, powders, or purées and mix them into foods while cooking.
Healthy snacks take dedication. I urge you to choose from this list the snacks you like most and consume them regularly. If you’re hesitant to make them yourself, remember making the snack the first time might be involved, but through habit, the task gets easier and easier each time you prepare it. You need to try these snacks; your gut will thank you each time!
