Real talk. Nutrition is a complicated topic!
There are so many products out there trying the grab our attention and now with clever marketing (which is often health conscious) it’s even harder to know what the best thing to grab is when our stomach is grumbling!
So I have put together 3 of my favourite ‘go to’ snacks to give you some options that will nourish you, keep you going for longer and MOST importantly taste amazing.
For ease, I have recorded a short video detailing my favourite snacks and (where necessary) how you can make them at home…
Olives
The first snack on my list of approved snacks is the humble olive! We hear so much about the benefits of it’s concentrated olive oil ‘juice’ relative but in it’s natural form we rarely hear about how it can make a fantastic snack.
By having them in their whole form, you are not only reaping the benefits of the ‘heart healthy’ fats but you are also eating the additional fibre which is a great component of a snack to keep you fuller for longer. On average we aren’t to great at getting enough fibre in our diets with the average intake of fibre being around 19g where ideally we need to be getting in excess of 30g!
Therefore giving ourselves an extra opportunity to increase our fibre through our snacks is a perfect way to nourish our healthy gut bacteria and keep us good and regular (going at least once a day is important guys!).
Olives are also a good source of vitamin E which is great for skin and hair health too. Winner winner.
Hummous…or hummus (I never can decide how to spell it!)
As I am a big lover of snacking, making sure what I choose helps to improve my energy levels rather then throwing me into a rollercoaster of blood sugar imbalance is really important. Therefore having high protein snacks is a super simple way to avoid those mid afternoon slumps and sugar cravings. By helping to balance out blood sugar levels, protein is a great option for those who often get ‘hangry’ or irritable when they haven’t eaten for a while. This shift in mood is is often an indicator that your bodies blood sugar levels have dropped quickly and you have got into high stress ‘panic mode’!
As it is made from chickpeas and tahini (sesame seed paste) hummous is a really good source of protein. As mentioned in the video I am normally a grab a carrot and ‘dunk’ it in the hummous pot straight away kind of girl, but as the picture above suggests, you can be a little fancier with options like roasted veg or even crackers to add to the dip.
Quite often I do use pre- made hummous for convenience but making your own is super simple too. When I do go for the shop bought I tend to go for the full fat option as I find not only do I find it tastier, those extra fats help to keep me fuller for longer and I generally don’t then eat as much of it! My usual is normally just Lidl’s own version at 65p! You can’t go wrong really!
My third a final Nutritional Therapist approved snack is the good old date and nut butter combo! I do have a sweet tooth and this little treat is a perfect way to keep me smiling and stop me from reaching out for less nutritious alternatives. Again, like before, the protein from the nut butter helps to dull down the sugar spike from the dates natural sugars and it also provides all the added goodness of the extra fibre, vitamins (that differ depending on the nut) and even things like omega 3 and calcium!
Again I often go for sugar free shop bought options but when I do have a few spare minutes, it is so so easy to make it yourself! In the video I show you how to make a really easy cashew nut butter (spoiler alert it is just cashew nuts whizzed up for about 5 minutes!). Once you realise how easy it is you will wonder why you have waited so long to make it yourself.
If you would like more information on how you can improve your snacks throughout the day or generally help to improve your energy levels, go to the services section of the website to see how you can work with me 1:1. All sessions can be completed through video calls for your convenience!
Catch up with you soon
Laura x
