smart snacks

Smart Snacks – Summer Edition

How good you feel about your midsection at the beach this summer can be changed for the better if you plan ahead with smart snacks.

Summer months offer a whole host of fruits and veggies that are readily available; they make great low calorie snacks as well.

On the other hand, summer brings more social gatherings and plenty of food that may not be the healthiest choice so how do you prevent yourself from faltering with your better judgement and will-power?

Smart Snacks – Smart Tips:

Whether an athlete or just the average Joe, you want to be making sure that your diet includes lots of fresh fruit and veggies as well as good protein sources, fats and carbs.

When you eat properly you are insuring that your energy is sustained throughout the day making you less likely to nibble.

The best snacks to opt for are ones containing the least ingredients as well as being a whole food, low in calories and low in processed flour and sugar.

Here’s another smart tip that will go a long way: if you are going to a BBQ or social gathering that requires you to bring an appetizer, choose something healthy and nutritious. This way you have a backup plan if everything that everyone else brings is less than good for you.

Smart Snacks – Saving 1000’s of Calories a Week

Choosing to prepare your own snacks from scratch does add a little more prep to your day, but at least you know the contents of what you are consuming. A lot of packaged foods contain; fillers, fats and flavorings and even food dyes all of which leave us tired and unsatisfied leading to you eating more.

If preparing your own food each day is not an option for you, then it is best to select organic or local foods. Although, they may be more expensive, it is important to nourish your body with the highest quality of nutrients and your body will respond appropriately with storing less fat (for more info on this topic read Benefits of Organic Food.

Another tip for healthy eating is making sure that each day you switch up what you eat as this will increase your metabolism and keeps your body guessing. In essence, this is similar to muscle confusion which is a powerful technique to increase muscle growth.

Smart Snacks – Better Health, Less Fat & More Muscle Tone

It is very important when picking snacks that you make sure they are balanced and healthy which helps one combat weight gain and unhealthy levels of cholesterol.

Here are some excellent snack ideas but just make sure to eat sensibly. You can gain excess weight if you eat too much of anything even if it is healthy. If you’re still hungry even after eating your snack or in-between these times its smart to pick veggies to snack on as they are low on calories and high in water and fiber.

Smart Snacks:

  • Hummus and whole-grain pita
  • Apple and 1 Tablespoon of nut butter
  • Low carb protein bar like Supreme Protein Carb Conscious Bars
  • Cut-up veggies and guacamole
  • Unsweetened granola in a cup of natural plain yogurt
  • Berry fruit smoothie with Optimum 100% Natural Whey
  • A bunch of grapes and a handful of almonds
  • ¼ Cup of trail mix (Be cautious with nuts if you are on a diet, they are still a great option but  are significantly higher in calories).

Tip: When you are hungry sometimes that can be mistaken for dehydration, so drink water or green tea first and then wait about 5-10 minutes to see if in fact you are still hungry.

Remember that crash diets do not work, the more you deprive your body of food the more your body will try and store up fat because it does not know when it will be fed next.

Eat healthy sensible snacks, exercise regularly and reduce the junk food and  and you will see the excess weight around your waist gradually fade away.

Have any other smart snacks that you would like to add or have any questions about this article? Please leave a comment below…