Thursday, January 23, 2014

Healthy Snack Options

For busy people, we sometimes need to take a quick snack to eat in the car or on-the-go so that we don't get hit with that energy drop when our blood sugar drops. Eating every 3-4 hrs with a blend of protein+carbs is a way to maintain a healthy weight and your better mood. Please say "no" to eating fruit leather by itself--too much sugar by itself (ok in combo with other foods) and not good for managing a low-glycemic nutrition!

As much as I like to snack on trail mix, it's a little messy when I'm eating on the go and I don't have a place to wash my hands. Bars are my go-to because they fit neatly in their wrappers or jars or bags and can sit in my car's cup holder.

Many "health food snacks" are full of ingredients you can't pronounce. I prefer that my snacks are created from 5-6 food ingredients without the "soy protein isolate" or that too-sweet flavor of too much brown rice syrup or other added sugars. And I would rather they taste yummy instead of cardboard sustenance. When I need more protein, I can always resort to almonds or a low-sugar wild salmon jerky.

What are your favorite snacks? Share your ideas with us so we can share build up our resource list here. These are my current favorites:

PUREnola - local and hand-made in LA, they are all so tasty, and my favorite flavors are Coconut and Rosemary Spice. Thanks to my friend Michelle for introducing me to these tasty treats!
LaraBars  - my favorite flavors are the Apple Pie and Cashew Cookie
Kit's Organic Fruit+Nut Bars - my favorite is the Berry and Nut
GoRaw bars and cookies - I like the Lemon Super Cookies
Jocalat bars - For when you're craving some chocolate or a brownie, this is the healthier version
Pea Crisps - Trader Joe's "Inner Peas" - Veggie crunch option with lots of protein and no MSG. I grew up on the the Asian snack version of Pea Crisps but they have MSG and other chemicals. This new improved version is clear and full of vitamins! However, you do need a handi-wipe to get the crumbs off your hands.

BONUS TIP: For those of you having trouble finding a way to eat a healthy breakfast, a quick on-the-go option is 2 boiled eggs (free-range omega 3 preferred) and a snack bar from above.