Dr. DIY: 5 Pre-Pack Snacks to Avoid Over and Under Eating
Maintaining a healthy diet is challenging throughout the year. Whether you’re at the office, running errands, hitting parties or holiday events… tempting snacks are all around that might not be that great for you.
If you aren’t careful, it’s easy to indulge in foods that aren’t healthy, or even forgetting to eat meals entirely! But by pre-packing (and carrying) healthy, filling snacks, you can maintain your healthy diet all year long. Here are five snack ideas that are easy to prepare, perfect for carrying with you during the day, and, best of all, delicious to eat!
Your Own Trail Mix
There’s a reason hikers bring trail mix with them when they conquer mountains: our bodies need three main nutrients to function— fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. When you eat foods like trail mix which contain these nutrients, you’ll feel full and content, no matter how much energy you burn. Try mixing a variety of nuts with dried fruit to create your very own trail mix. To get the most protein for your efforts, use almonds and pistachios, as they’re higher in protein than other nuts.
Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkins are seemingly everywhere during the fall season: at the grocery store; on front stoops; in pies, lattes and bread.
Why not take advantage of this abundance of the orange squash by turning all those pumpkin seeds into a healthy fuel source?
If you’ve ever carved a pumpkin, you’ve had to clear away hundreds of seeds from the inside. Those seeds can make a healthy snack packed with fiber, protein and immunity-protecting zinc. All you have to do is wash, dry, and then roast them.
For an added touch of flavor, try this: Rinse 2/3 cup of pumpkin seeds, coat them with 1 tsp of curry powder and a pinch of salt, roast at 300 degrees for 20 minutes. You can keep those seeds in a Ziploc bag to snack on throughout the day.
Edamame
Edamame (or young soybeans) are loaded with protein— one cup of edamame pods has 15 grams!
The best part is, preparing edamame couldn’t be simpler. Buy them fresh, steam them and then let them cool down before you pack them away in a baggie or container. For added flavor, sprinkle a pinch of sea salt.
In case you’re new to edamame, be sure not to eat the pods. Instead, you squeeze out the little beans to eat. It’s a good idea to keep an extra baggie on hand to store those empty pods.
Protein Bites
A lot of protein-bite recipes require a lot of prep time to make. But these snacks (with 8 grams of protein) contain just four ingredients and require no baking at all.
First, the recipe: 1 ½ tbsp. of nut butter, 3 tbsp. oats, ½ tbsp. honey, and ½ tbsp. dark chocolate chips. Roll all the ingredients into balls.
The nut butter acts as the binder to keep these bites together, and it is also the source of most of the protein. The oats and dark chocolate chips add fiber and antioxidants, while also giving this snack a cookie-like quality. Yum!
Roasted Chickpeas
The chickpea bean lowers cholesterol and contains a decent amount of protein to keep you energized throughout the day. Sure, you can enjoy the benefits of chickpeas in the form of hummus, but this crunchy, nutty alternative is easy to prepare and pack.
Roast ¾ cup of chickpeas for 20 to 30 minutes, with 1 tbsp. each of olive oil, salt, and cayenne pepper. Carry the beans in a baggie or small container, and pop a handful in your mouth whenever you feel hunger pains coming on.
The best defense from over (and under) indulgence is preparation.
Holidays, parties, and events are exciting (and sometimes a little chaotic) times when we celebrate the important relationships we have with friends, family, coworkers and loved ones.
But don’t forget the important relationship you have with yourself. Preparing any or all of these snacks before leaving the house each morning will help you stay fueled, energized, and healthy no matter how hectic your day becomes.