Let's talk about snacks.
I sit at a desk, in my own little cubicle, all day. There is a snack machine downstairs full of salty and sweet goodies. There is also a snack counter upstairs (which I can't totally fault- a friend is trying to raise money for her daughter to go on a Europe trip with school, so she's selling treats).
What do the former (sweet and salty treats) have to do with the latter (my own little desk area)?
Well...couple a very sedentary job with cookies, cakes, chips, and candy within reach, and you have set the perfect stage for Boredom Eating.
I am a boredom eater. I sit at my desk, left to my own devices, and find that I just want to munch. This can be extremely detrimental to a dieter or healthy eater, if you aren't armed with healthy options.
I used to run over to the snack counter and pick up a pack of poptarts or a little Debbie snack cake. Did you know that a serving size of poptarts is ONE poptart? Not a pack of two, like they're packaged...but one of them. And one is over 300 calories! Yikes.
Lately, since I've been packing healthy lunches, I've been loading myself down with snacks to help combat the boredom munchies.
I usually bring a cup of cherries, a cup of grapes, a serving of almonds or pistachios (sometimes I'll bring one of each), a mozarella string cheese, and a Slim Fast shake. Now, I know what you're thinking-- that is a LOT of snacks! But, I don't always (in fact, very rarely) eat all of them. And, even if I did, one day, eat them all, I'd be consuming 705 calories for all of that instead of close to 600 for just one package of Poptarts. Plus, I'd be eating a healthy assortment of filling foods- full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and good fats-- that would keep me going without a sugar crash all day, instead of one sugary snack food that would last an hour or two and leave me hungry again.
Think of it as quality AND quantity- you get more of these and they're better for you! That's a win/win!!
Here are some other snacks that I think are delicious, and all the right kind of filling:
hummus and celery (or cucumber, or green bell pepper, or carrot sticks)
1/2 an apple or pear (sliced thin) and 1 to 2 tbsp of peanut butter (or almond butter)
sliced green bell pepper and a string cheese
2 clementines or one naval orange
1 banana and about 15 almonds
vanilla greek yogurt with blueberries (or strawberries)
roasted chickpeas (recipe below)
string cheese and 5 or 6 cherry tomatoes (I'm not on board with this because I don't like tomatoes)
If you're looking for a chocolate kick, the Emerald Cocoa dusted almonds are delicious. They are regular roasted almonds dusted with dark chocolate cocoa powder. Great mix of sweet and salty, and an excellent way to hit the chocolate craving spot. Also, in the vein of chocolate, remember...dark chocolate, in moderation, is good for you. Moderation is the key word, here. One ounce of dark chocolate is enough to soothe a craving, but doesn't kill you with empty calories.
Something to remember with the hummus, nuts, and nut butters is to stick with the serving size. Though it is good fat that your body needs (and not the fat from a deep fryer), they still tend to be a source of higher amounts of calories so you need to be sure you don't over do it. A serving of almonds is 4 ounces, and it's 150 calories. A serving of peanut butter is about the same amount of calories, and a serving is usually 1 or 2 tablespoons. So if you're eating an apple and peanut butter, it's important to remember the 2 tablespoon limit, or else you're going to take a healthy snack and overdo it. It's easy to look back 20 minutes later, proud of yourself for eating a whole apple, and then suddenly realize you've had at least 1/4 of a CUP of peanut butter with it (which is waaay too many calories for a snack).
A tip that I have found so helpful is to pre-portion your hummus or nut butter into a small ramikin or glad-storage container and bring that, instead of bringing a whole container and trying to figure it out when I'm already hungry.
In fact, I pre-portion all of my snacks. I pour the cherries and grapes in a measuring cup and then into separate sandwich baggies. I have a scale that I can measure out almonds and pistachios (if the serving size is by weight and not a set portion size, like a 1/4 of a cup). And, if I'm bringing something pre-packaged (like string cheese), I only bring ONE serving.
Usually, around the end of the work day, I will drink a Slim-Fast. I am especially sure to do this on days I am heading to the gym straight from work. It gives me a little calorie and carb burst, with some protein, before I hit the treadmill and weight and burn a lot of calories. I can tell a difference in how I feel on the days I don't do that-- I'm more likely to get lightheaded and hungrier faster. Also, when I get hungry at the gym, it's hard to focus on the work-out, and by the time I get done, I'm so ravenously hungry that I am more likely to swing by a drive through on my way home. I get shaky and light headed when I reach a certain point of hunger, so the longer I can stave that off, the better.
One of my favorite snacks is roasted chickpeas. These little guys are pretty versatile because you can season them with whatever seasoning strikes your fancy. They're good for you-- high in protein, low in carbs. They're a recommended snack for Phase 1 of the South Beach diet. My favorite ways to make them are with greek seasoning and then with carribbean jerk or spicy seasoning but the possibilities are endless.
Here's the recipe:
1 can of chickpeas
seasoning (Italian, Greek, jerk seasoning, etc)
Preheat oven to 350.
Drain the chickpeas and rinse them a few times. The clear shells will start to come off-- pull them out and throw them away as you see them, but don't fret if you miss a few.
Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spread the rinsed chickpeas out in a single layer. Sprinkle as little (or as much) of your seasoning of choice.
Bake 40-45 minutes until chickpeas are golden brown. Store in an airtight container. They will keep for a few days (but I eat them up before then)!
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