Not All Snacks Are Equal!

I think it has become fairly common knowledge that eating healthy snacks throughout the day is a good thing. If you're a person who has previously overlooked the importance of healthy snacking, or has been avoiding snacks in order to "help you lose weight", it's time to re-evaluate.

In fact, small, healthy snacks throughout the day are critically important to maintain a highly efficient metabolism (and to help you burn fat), to maintain stable blood sugar levels, to keep your energy level high and your moods and emotions balanced... the list of benefits of healthy snacks is quite long!

Notice I keep saying "healthy" snacks? Let's talk about that for a minute...

First, let's simply agree that the healthiest food options, snacks or otherwise, are "real" foods - "God-grown" foods. Fresh, not packaged. The purest, cleanest sources, too. You get the idea.

OK, I know that's not always realistic! But we can certainly try to make this a reality for our families... it takes some planning and preparation, but the pay-off is Health. Not a bad return on your investment!

Next, let's talk about what isn't a healthy snack...

Quite often, it's all the convenience foods that come in wrappers or frozen packages. If the goal is to achieve better health, or to lose weight and shed fat, then a great start is to clean all the “bad” snacks out of your kitchen. Toss the cookies, chips, crackers and the cheesecake. Get rid of those chicken nuggets and pizza bagels. It will be much easier to choose healthy snacks if there isn’t the temptation of high-fat and high-sugar snacks lurking around, staring you in the face every time you open your fridge or pantry!

Now that you are staring at your almost-empty pantry and fridge, let's talk about what foods you should stock up on.

'Clean' protein, fresh veggies, fruit and certain nuts are by far your healthiest options. Protein may be meats or eggs - invest in organic, free-range and nitrate-free, antibiotic-free, hormone-free, etc. Whenever possible, choose organic, richly colored and a variety of veggies and fruit. The most nutrient-dense and safest nuts are almonds and walnuts. Choose raw and organic when you can.

Homemade dips, spreads and sauces, like hummus, baba ganoush, salsa, almond butter and guacamole are nutritious and truly healthy choices when you start with the best ingredients. Instead of dipping chips and crackers, try veggies instead. I don't necessarily think that "nature's candy", ie. fruit, needs any dipping... but if the mood strikes, try dipping it in organic yogurt.

One concern I have is the number of times I read and hear "healthy" snack recommendations that are heavily dependent upon grains and dairy. I frequently see foods like whole grain crackers and bread, rice cakes, cereals, milk, cheese, yogurt, hailed as the healthiest choices we could offer our kids, in particular.

This concerns me because our infatuation with grains has directly contributed to the obesity and diabetic epidemics in our society. All grains, whether highly processed and refined or not, affect our blood sugar and insulin levels.

I'm not saying to never eat grains... the organic, sprouted, multi grain choices cause less severe of an insulin reaction and offer more benefit. We just need to take grains out of the spotlight as the best snack choice. They simply aren't. They aren't part of our innate genetic nutritional requirements.

Conventional dairy comes with a laundry list of health problems. Again, I'm not saying "never"... I'm saying decrease the intake of dairy, and when you do eat it, make sure it's the cleanest source possible. Organic, raw and unpasteurized are the ideal choices. I've seen organic dairy options in the most conventional of grocery stores out there! It's now easier than ever to make this one significant upgrade in our food choices. Also, consider healthier options like goat's milk and kefir.

So here are some easy snacks that you can prepare and store, so they are ready to munch on.

Cut Up Fruit and Veggies
You can have all sorts of healthy veggies and even fruit sitting in your fridge, but your family won’t grab it for a snack because it would involve peeling and cutting. Instead they go for a bag of chips or some other ready to eat snack. Make it easy for everyone by cutting up some of the fruit and veggies and keep it in glass containers ready to eat.

In the summer, when berries are plentiful, I love to keep a huge bowl of fresh berries right front and center in the fridge, with a big serving spoon handy. The kids know they can help themselves... fruit by itself or heaped on top of organic yogurt or kefir.

Trail Mix
Make your own trail mix from organic, naturally sweetened granola, almonds or walnuts, and dried fruit. It’s a great snack to just grab and go, or something to munch on whenever the urge strikes. Make up a batch of trail mix and store it in an airtight, preferably glass, container in your pantry or fridge.

Granola Bars
Homemade granola bars are a great snack alternative to cookies and cake. It’s sweet and crunchy, but by making your own, you control what ingredients go in there. Use organic whole grains and dried fruit. Keep the amount of sugar, honey, brown rice syrup, etc. you use on the low end for a healthier treat.

Cooked Chicken Breast
Keep some cut up cooked organic, free-range chicken breast in the fridge for a quick protein rich snack. Add the chicken to a little lettuce for a quick salad, or wrap it with some fresh veggies and sprouts in a lettuce leaf (for a lettuce wrap) or in a tortilla. Make a quick chicken quesadilla with tortillas and a little organic cheese.

We also love the organic and nitrate-free deli meats from Whole Foods Market. The kids inhale this stuff! They love to snack on it rolled up with fancy toothpicks, or cut up and mixed into their salad.

All it takes is a little planning and preparation, and trying some new foods, to get everyone in the family eating healthier snacks.