Healthy Snacking Ideas

Snacking can be very tricky. The typical foods Americans snack on are very unhealthy. Crackers, chips, candy, and bars are all foods prepared and processed in unhealthy hydrogenated oils and packed full of ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, MSG and many other not so good things for our long term health. Those items are also generally very high in glycemic index and cause spikes in blood sugar followed by a crash which leads to afternoon slumps and loss of energy and mental focus.
It is important to chose foods that have a relatively low glycemic index, good fats, protein and vitamins and minerals. So here are some of the things I commonly snack on during the day:

1) Veggies! Sliced colored bell peppers are a good sweet treat. You can dip them in hummus which would give you a serving of healthy fat and protein. Carrots, celery, broccoli, zucchini, and grape tomatoes all make wonderful snack food. You can make your own homemade dressing and dips. Baba ganoush, guacamole, fresh salsa, and dressings made by you are all good choices to dip veggies in if you won't eat them alone. A quick cucumber and tomato salad is a wonderful snack as well. Just slice up some tomato and cucumber, season it with salt and pepper and drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) and Balsamic Vinegar on top. YUMMY!
2) Fruit! Fruit can be a good snack as well. Watch out though, because bananas, grapes, melons and pineapple all have relatively high glycemic index. Better fruit choices would be blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and cranberries. Dried fruit is fine also, just make sure that there is no added sugar. Fruit is sweet enough on its own! :)
3) Homemade bars. This is a recipe I make weekly for quick grab and go treats for me and the kids. http://primalbitesblog.com/2013/08/14/paleokindbars/
4) Sliced meat and cheese. When I am craving a snack before bed I usually chose a piece of ham and a slice of cheese with a small amount of mustard or mayo. No bread needed. Just roll up the meat and cheese together for a carb free yet satisfying treat. (my favorite is salami and swiss)
5)Beef Jerky. I make my own homemade in my handy dandy food dehydrator to control the sodium content and to ensure there is no added sugar. This is the recipe I use: http://fastpaleo.com/recipe/ground-beef-jerky/
6) Dehydrated veggie chips. I also use my dehydrator to make green beans, okra and bell peppers crunchy and salty. I mix them with EVOO and salt and dehydrate them for a couple hours until they are crunchy.
7)Greek Yogurt. I love love love love coconut greek yogurt. I put sliced almonds in it and it is a perfect "sweet" treat.
8) Nuts and Seeds. A handful of nuts or seeds is a perfect snack. Just keep in mind that I am suggesting a handful... not the whole bag. Nuts are full of the healthy fat that we need. But it is still fat and therefor high in calorie and shouldn't be consumed unlimited.

The key to healthy snacking is preparing ahead of time. Prep snack size ziplock bags of the treats of your choice before the beginning of the week. So in the morning before you walk out of the door you can just grab what you would like for the day.

Try some of these out instead of that trip to the convenience store or your favorite fast food joint. Your body will thank you!