5 Healthy Food Ideas / Rules for Better Snacking Habits

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If you’re interested in float therapy, we’d wager money that you’re a pretty healthy person in general. And when you’re concerned with your health and well-being, you’re particularly conscious of what “fuel” you’re putting into your body. When it comes to your diet, snacking can be any health superhero’s kryptonite. After all, healthy snacks are tough to come by and when you’re hungry, anything within arm’s reach could end up being too good to resist – even if it’s filled with artificial, calorie-laden ingredients that won’t help your mind, body or psyche. Here are the 5 healthy food ideas / rules for better snacking.

5 healthy food ideas / rules for better snacking

The 5 Healthy Food Ideas / Rules:

Pair the right foods.

If you’re a foodie, you know that food combinations are a big part of preparing a satisfying meal – not to mention the all-important pairing of your beverage with your entrée. That same principle applies when it comes to snacking, but it’s not just about getting the most out of flavor. Instead, follow this healthy food idea and pair your snack foods for the biggest nutritional boost.

For example, one carbohydrate-rich food, like whole grain cereal or whole grain crackers, could be paired with something high in protein, like Greek yogurt, almonds or cheese. This combination will give you the biggest bang for your caloric buck; complex carbohydrates will energize you, while protein and healthy fats will help keep you full longer. For the best snacking, combine, combine, combine.

Build it into your diet.

If there’s one thing that’s true about snacking, it’s that it can get away from you pretty quickly. And if you haven’t accounted for snacking in your meal plan, you’ll likely quickly exceed your target calorie count for the day.

Build your snacks into your diet as you would expenses into a budget; plan to eat two or three snacks a day and determine the caloric load based on the value of your other meals. Choose your snack foods based on the nutrients you may still need; if your breakfast was light on veggies, for example, make a mid-morning snack of broccoli and yogurt dip.

Take a load off.

When it comes to healthy snacking, it’s not just about what you eat – how you eat matters as well. Eating on the run is not only less satisfying, but eating while distracted can naturally lead to you eating more than you thought you would.

Instead of opening a bag of pretzels or chips in the car, bring a portion of yogurt and nuts to your kitchen table or desk and enjoy it as you would a meal. Hey, you could use a break anyway, right?

Differentiate snacks from treats.

If you consider a donut or cupcake a “snack,” you’re missing one of the cardinal rules of the 5 healthy food ideas / rules for snacking. Snacks are part of your daily nourishment; treats are occasional splurges. While we’re not saying you should never eat a piece of chocolate cake (who wants to live in that world?), don’t think of a sugar-laded celebratory food as a “snack.”

Those sugary sweets will spike your blood sugar and leave you tired and sluggish – exactly the opposite of what a snack should actually do. So save the cheesecake for your anniversary dinner, and reach for the trail mix to get you through the day.

Schedule it out.

Not sure when you’ll eat next? Well, that could lead to you feeling pretty hangry (hungry + angry).  And hangry eating is definitely not healthy eating (in our experience). Schedule out your snacks so you know what you’re going to eat – and when.

Sure, this takes some planning, but what you lose in a few minutes of prep, you’ll gain in, well, not binging on the candy jar sitting on your coworker’s desk. Plan your snacks the night before and make sure they’re prepared and ready to go; you’ll never have to go “hangry” again.

When it comes to your diet, snacks are your friend. Treat them as such by giving them the prep and planning they deserve. Follow these 5 healthy food ideas / rules and you can’t go wrong. Bon apetit!

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