Your body needs energy to function well throughout the day. Having a meal or snack every 3-4 hours will help you get the important nutrients that you need to balance your energy levels.
A balanced snack should include a source of fibre to sustain you and a source of protein to satisfy you.
Examples of snacks that contain fibre and protein:
- 1 sliced apple sprinkled with cinnamon and 1 cup of skim milk or soy milk
- ½ cup low-fat Greek yogurt with 1/2 cup berries and ¼ cup nuts
- 1 slice of wholegrain toast with 1/3 avocado and a squeeze of lemon
- 1 handful of carrots with 2 tbsp hummus and ½ cup crackers
- ¼ cup homemade trail mix (recipe below) and 1 peach
- 1 cup air popped, unsalted popcorn and ½ cup shelled edamame beans
- 1 hardboiled egg and ½ cup sliced bell pepper
Homemade trail mix recipe
- 1 ½ cup raw, unsalted nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts, etc.)
- 1 cup raw, unsalted seeds (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.)
- ½ cup optional add-ins (dark chocolate chips, unsweetened dried fruit, plain popcorn, wholegrain pretzels, etc.)
- Spice (optional, pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg)
- Mix all the ingredients together in an airtight container or freezer bag with a ¼ cup scoop for easy portion sizing (one serving is 1/4 cup).