With the hectic schedule that most people run through each day, it's easy to fall into the trap of grabbing a bite from a vending machine or a fast-food restaurant whenever you suddenly realize you haven't eaten in 8 hours and you're starving. Unfortunately, when you go too long without eating you risk not only overeating, but also binging on foods that are packed with sugar and emptycalories - unhealthy carb-laden foods that give you energy in the short term, but deprive your body of essential nutrients it needs in the long term.
Dieticians claim that the best practice to follow for overall general health is to eat something every two to four hours during the day. To keep from getting hungry while also avoiding gaining weight, its best to choose snacks that have no more than 150 calories per serving. Many such snacks can be easily prepared ahead of time and packed away in plastic bags so they're easy to grab and go. Here are some healthy snacks that anyone can grab and go to keep fit and feel great.
Snack bars: Perhaps the most ubiquitous "grab and go" healthy snack around, snack bars should be the first choice for people on the run. The best thing about snack bars is that they are extremely portable, they fit easily in a purse, a backpack, a glove compartment, a pocket, and even a diaper bag. They do not need to be refrigerated, and their wrappers are usually quite durable and help them stand up to rough treatment. There are numerous flavors and ingredients out there and hundreds of options to choose from. Keep an eye on the calorie count if you're watching your weight, though, because many of them are loaded with sugar and fat.
Rice cakes: Rice cakes were one of the first low-calorie but filling snacks for dieters years ago, and they've just gotten better through the years. You can now get them in various flavors, including cheese, caramel, cinnamon, and even garlic. They are low in fat, high in fiber, and they hold up very well in traveling. To make an almost fat-free snack of sweet goodness, try spreading jelly on rice cakes and stacking them into a tower.
String cheese: Kids love string cheese because it's not only tasty, it's fun to peel and dangle over your mouth before gobbling it up. But it's a healthy choice for people of all ages. String cheese should be refrigerated when it's not in use, but it can stay out of the refrigerator for hours at a time, making it an ideal snack to carry for a mid-morning snack or an afternoon nibble attack. One part skim-milk string cheese snack has 50-70 calories and about 5 grams of fat, and it's packed with calcium and protein. Add a couple of whole wheat crackers and you have a tasty snack that's healthy and satisfies a craving for crunching.
Dried fruits and vegetables: Sure, you can grab a fresh apple or carrot stick to take with you on the run, but if you don't eat it right away it will probably end up bruised or dried up, or worse, soft and spoiled. A healthy alternative that is much more portable is dried fruits and dried veggies. Dried fruits and vegetables are made from natural foods that are just dried out and dehydrated, leaving behind plenty of real vitamins, minerals, and fiber, just like the non-dried varieties. A wide variety of dried fruits can be found most places, including bananas, apples, cherries, blueberries, pineapple, apricots, prunes and mangoes. Dried vegetables include pea pods, peppers, carrots, beets, corn, and even tomatoes.
Nuts: The quintessential snack-to-go, nuts are now available in various pre-packaged portions for keeping in your desk drawer, pocketbook, or glove compartment where they are in easy reach when you have the munchies. They last forever, they don't spoil or go bad, and they're packed with healthy oils as well as minerals such as magnesium potassium, phosphorous, and calcium. Walnuts in particular are a great snack because they contain omega-3 fatty acids that have been proven to reduce inflammation, boost levels of "good" cholesterol, and aid in keeping skin healthy. Be sure to keep an eye on serving size, though - nuts are one of those things that you just can't seem to stop eating. But too much of a good thing is never a good thing, and although the oils are good for you, they're also high in calories. Also, stick with regular or raw varieties of nuts instead of roasted, salted, or flavored nuts, which are packed with salt.
With a little imagination and careful reading of labels to keep an eye on calories and added ingredients, you can easily set yourself up with some snacks to keep you healthy without weighing down your on-the-go lifestyle.
Dieticians claim that the best practice to follow for overall general health is to eat something every two to four hours during the day. To keep from getting hungry while also avoiding gaining weight, its best to choose snacks that have no more than 150 calories per serving. Many such snacks can be easily prepared ahead of time and packed away in plastic bags so they're easy to grab and go. Here are some healthy snacks that anyone can grab and go to keep fit and feel great.
Snack bars: Perhaps the most ubiquitous "grab and go" healthy snack around, snack bars should be the first choice for people on the run. The best thing about snack bars is that they are extremely portable, they fit easily in a purse, a backpack, a glove compartment, a pocket, and even a diaper bag. They do not need to be refrigerated, and their wrappers are usually quite durable and help them stand up to rough treatment. There are numerous flavors and ingredients out there and hundreds of options to choose from. Keep an eye on the calorie count if you're watching your weight, though, because many of them are loaded with sugar and fat.
Rice cakes: Rice cakes were one of the first low-calorie but filling snacks for dieters years ago, and they've just gotten better through the years. You can now get them in various flavors, including cheese, caramel, cinnamon, and even garlic. They are low in fat, high in fiber, and they hold up very well in traveling. To make an almost fat-free snack of sweet goodness, try spreading jelly on rice cakes and stacking them into a tower.
String cheese: Kids love string cheese because it's not only tasty, it's fun to peel and dangle over your mouth before gobbling it up. But it's a healthy choice for people of all ages. String cheese should be refrigerated when it's not in use, but it can stay out of the refrigerator for hours at a time, making it an ideal snack to carry for a mid-morning snack or an afternoon nibble attack. One part skim-milk string cheese snack has 50-70 calories and about 5 grams of fat, and it's packed with calcium and protein. Add a couple of whole wheat crackers and you have a tasty snack that's healthy and satisfies a craving for crunching.
Dried fruits and vegetables: Sure, you can grab a fresh apple or carrot stick to take with you on the run, but if you don't eat it right away it will probably end up bruised or dried up, or worse, soft and spoiled. A healthy alternative that is much more portable is dried fruits and dried veggies. Dried fruits and vegetables are made from natural foods that are just dried out and dehydrated, leaving behind plenty of real vitamins, minerals, and fiber, just like the non-dried varieties. A wide variety of dried fruits can be found most places, including bananas, apples, cherries, blueberries, pineapple, apricots, prunes and mangoes. Dried vegetables include pea pods, peppers, carrots, beets, corn, and even tomatoes.
Nuts: The quintessential snack-to-go, nuts are now available in various pre-packaged portions for keeping in your desk drawer, pocketbook, or glove compartment where they are in easy reach when you have the munchies. They last forever, they don't spoil or go bad, and they're packed with healthy oils as well as minerals such as magnesium potassium, phosphorous, and calcium. Walnuts in particular are a great snack because they contain omega-3 fatty acids that have been proven to reduce inflammation, boost levels of "good" cholesterol, and aid in keeping skin healthy. Be sure to keep an eye on serving size, though - nuts are one of those things that you just can't seem to stop eating. But too much of a good thing is never a good thing, and although the oils are good for you, they're also high in calories. Also, stick with regular or raw varieties of nuts instead of roasted, salted, or flavored nuts, which are packed with salt.
With a little imagination and careful reading of labels to keep an eye on calories and added ingredients, you can easily set yourself up with some snacks to keep you healthy without weighing down your on-the-go lifestyle.