How many times have you found yourself a bit peckish while out of the house and decided to get a nice healthy snack from the shops? Perhaps you the house in such a rush every morning that you are never prepared with healthy food to get you through the day. Or maybe you spend a lot of time driving and eating out of service stations.
Your intentions may be to purchase something healthy but then the second you walk in your eyes are attacked with a bounty of crisps, pastries and chocolate at every turn! Why are crisps in the fresh meat aisle? Why is there chocolate in the tea and coffee aisle? And most importantly why is there such a limited stock of healthy alternatives wherever you go?
The sneaky marketing people know that when we are hungry we are more likely to pick these ‘convenience’ items up, even if we don’t want them they end up in our basket because it’s easier and quicker.
The next problem we find is the unhealthy snacks have learnt how to camouflage themselves. They change their packaging to have pictures of fruit on them and use slogans such as “30% less fat” or “light”.
So get your blinkers on and let’s avoid the junk which is thrown in our face and get the good stuff out of hiding
1. Fruit
An obvious starter – don’t pass on the fruit! We all know fruit is good for us and it doesn’t have to be boring; a lot of us just think of apples, bananas and oranges but there are 100s of different fruits all with lots of flavours and nutrients. Have a couple of pieces with different colours to get a variety of vitamins and tastes.
2. Hummus with veggies
Do not be put off by the high fat content; it will keep you full for longer and will help transport the vitamins where they are needed. Use carrots, cucumber, peppers, courgette (yes, you can eat it raw) broccoli or any other of your favourites.
3. Natural yoghurt with dried fruit and nuts
Depending what is available from the shop you are visiting, dried apricots are my personal favourite, don’t go for the honey roasted nuts but the unsalted version, have a mixture; they are all good. This will give you a boost of protein, fibre and multiple vitamins and minerals, and it’s really tasty.
4. Beetroot and feta
Beetroot is usually cooked and ready to go; crumble in some feta cheese and eat out of the beetroot container. Add any other vegetables or dried fruit and seeds to make it interesting and boost those nutrients.
5. Chicken and guacamole or Hummus
Be careful for the bad cousins of both of these items so make sure you read the ingredients. If the list is long then it’s full of stuff we do not want, also look at the sugar and salt content. If you can find the good versions then this is an easy snack that will keep you going a couple of hours longer.
6. Water
On average most people do not drink enough water; if you ever feel thirsty you are already dehydrated. Another feeling of hunger is actually a need for water, so make this a priority and carry it with you and have it with any of the other snacks and it will fill you up for longer.
7. Bag of spinach/Cherry Tomatoes
Pick up a bag of spinach and eat it like a bag of crisps. I appreciate this is not for everyone but if you are like me and love this delicious nutritious green wonder of nature it’s really easy to grab as a snack; add some cherry tomatoes or anything from the above to add some other flavours.
8. Salads
Be very careful with this option, there are some “Healthy Salads” out there that are worse than grabbing a burger. Opt for one that doesn’t have a creamy dressing and croutons. Marks and Spencer and Waitrose in particular have some great options available.
9. Eggs
WE LOVE EGGS!! This is a great protein rich snack that is becoming more readily available to purchase on the go. Make sure it’s not mixed with mayo and in a baguette though!!
10. Seeds
Snacking on seeds offers huge nutritional benefits, especially in comparison to a packet of crisps! They are a great source of Protein, high in fibre and will help to keep your energy levels high throughout the day.
There are others out there (probably hidden behind the hundreds of unhealthy options) so check the label and look out for high sugar, salt and long lists of ingredients. Stay away from those diet buzz words like “low fat” or “skinny”, it’s a trick!!
If you are interested in improving your health and want to get more one-to-one advice on nutrition, then call us today for free advice and a 60 minute consultation and goal setting session at our studio in Lindfield.
CONTACT US NOW ON 01444 484129
or
CLICK HERE TO APPLY FOR A FREE CONSULTATION!!
