Snack Attack - Healthy Habits Week 6

 

Should I deprive myself?

The strawberry shortcake above was last Sunday's treat. OK, the whip cream is a minor no-no (for me personally), but the strawberries are raw, and I found this gluten-free cake in the freezer and I thought it should be used! Was it a good (healthy) snack? 

Well, I did not lose weight the past week either. Though loss of weight is not my primary goal it would certainly add to my goal of better health and feeling good and looking good if I did so.

Do I have to feel deprived in order to lose weight and get healthier? 

I think not, but it may mean a few changes and a little more planning.

Healthy Habits—Week 6

One of my problems . . . Healthy Snacking (or not)

Since I was a homeschool Mom and a work-from-home Gal for many years, I lived in and around the kitchen table. You can guess what's coming . . . I had the bad habit of eating at any time. I did not know what it was like to feel hungry—ever! I was not much of a meal planner (it's a great idea however), and I'm not the frigid-rigid type who had a plan for such things.

Now that I'm back into exercising most every day, do you know what happens to me after a good workout? My stomach hints that I need food. I may start hunting and scrounging for something to tempt my taste buds. After all, I just strengthened those muscles, stretched those ligaments, and pumped and primed my heart. I drink water, and it's perhaps fine to eat a healthy snack, but what about at other times?

A satisfying snack: 

Dried Cinnamon Apples made with Granny Smiths & Fujis

There are many wonderful healthy snacks that I could, and do, eat. There are the dieter's choice of celery and carrot sticks (which are fine at times), dried apples, and a wide array of fruit, nuts (I eat too many), and vegetable choices. For those of us who eat meat and/or dairy, the choices are greater. In the vegetarian, gluten-free, paleo or raw food worlds, the concoctions people create are amazing, with healthier alternatives for just about any sweet or salty processed snack you'd normally choose to eat.

Plan for a Snack Attack!

My original plan was simply:

Limit eating between meals. 
Eat a healthy veggie/fruit snack 

This month, it's time to move. Here is my Snack Attack implementation . . . 

• Plan ahead—Will you have time to stop what you are doing to whip up a snack mix, crackers, a healthy pudding, or fruit wedges? Mix up a batch on the weekend to have on hand during the week. And don't run out. Scout out recipes in your spare time (he-he).

• Bring it with you—Don't be tempted to stop at the fast food joint or donut shop. Be sure to have something with you when you go out.

• Content matters—What you eat does make a difference. Choose quality over crap. Read ingredients and make things from scratch. Natural high-end nutrition trumps processed foods every time!
  

• Portion control—I don't have to eat an entire bowlful. Limit yourself purposefully or even measure amounts (like the cereal snack you eat out of a box or the chips in a container).
  

• Timing—Work out a plan for snacks and stick to it! Tame your cravings after work on weekdays and have a small snack to eat in the car before going home to fix lunch. Try yogurt and fruit, or crackers and hummus, after exercising in the afternoon. Eating popcorn on Sunday nights (family tradition) is OK but use the smaller bowl.
  

• Enjoyment—Choose foods and snacks you like. Enjoy what you choose. Savor it.
  

• It's OK to feel hunger—(or whatever that is you are feeling). Forget the idea that you must eat at the first sign of a hungry stomach. It's perfectly fine (and actually good) to not stuff your face all-the-time!
  

Here is a list of a variety of nutritious snacks and treats for you to try, here at Kathy's Kitchen:

• Apricot Cherry Macaroons 

• Sunny Seed Snackers
• Green Pudding & Lemon Love Cookies

• Red Hot Snackers, Spinach Dip, Raw Cashew Fudge, Hedgehog Balls 

• Trail Mix
• Lime Mousse

• Almond Pulp Bites

• Fruit Roll-ups, Frozen Banana/Fruit Ice Cream

• Carob Almond Truffles 
   

I'll probably touch on this in a future post, but I have been "years" making small changes and it never stops; Getting a handle on my snacking will be adding another element to the whole. 

 

What are your favorite healthy snack ideas?

Linking up with Healthy Habits Tuesday

and Wellness Wednesdays