By Taylor Sutton, MS, RD
United Supermarkets’ Lifestyle Desk
The end of the year is here and our schedules are busier than ever! One thing the holiday may bring upon you is the feeling of over nourishment and maybe sometimes lack thereof. So in order to be present, fill our cup (in order to fill others), and feel good without feeling sluggish lets nourish our bodies with proper fuel.
Let’s get this out of the way real fast, “treats” are fuel too. I’m looking at you chocolate dipped potato chips! Knowing when the “craving” is satisfied is key. Put simply, food elicits responses within the body.
The goal here in the holidays is to have deep understanding and compassion for yourself that no matter how you eat on any given day, it doesn’t get in the way of you living your best life. Choose foods that help you “get the job done,” be it a “sneal” aka snack and meal combined because you know your day’s plan, a light snack between work meetings, or maybe a carb-rich option before getting in an afternoon weight-lifting session.
So let’s go a little bit further. With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season you might find yourself a little less prepared on the snack end. This is the perfect time to look at if you’re truly hungry or what other input signals your body is receiving like stress, boredom, etc.
If you’re finding that you are doing the latter half of that last statement, this is the perfect time to reflect and ask yourself what is the deeper meaning and how to take steps in resolving that. If you are truly hungry let’s make the most out of that snack time with a few examples.
If you know you’re coming up on eating in about an hour try these 100 calorie snacks to help get you through:
- 1/2 c. cottage cheese + 1/4 c. fruit
- 14 almonds
- 1/3 c. edamame
- 3/4 c. frozen mango
- 10 baby carrots and 2 Tbsp. hummus
If you’re about 2 hours out until your next meal try these 200 calorie snacks:
- 28 almonds
- 2 Tbsp. peanut butter
- 1 small apple + 1 Tbsp. peanut butter
- 1 small pear + String Cheese
- Quest Apple Pie Protein Bar
If you’re on the go and 3 hours out from your next meal try these 300 calorie snacks:
- 1 medium apple + 2 Tbsp. nut butter
- 1 Greek yogurt + 1 Tbsp. nut butter + 1/2 c. fruit
- 3 hard boiled eggs + 1 slice whole wheat bread
Another good point to be made here as well would be that your last meal might not be enough food to keep you satiated until your next meal so try upping the calories here, unless you like planning for a snack!
Easy Granola Mix
What You Need
12 oz Open Nature™ strawberry granola
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
3/4 cup sunflower seeds
3/4 cup pumpkin seeds
3/4 cup plain Cheerios™
How It’s Made
1. Pour all ingredients into a large bowl and mix well.
2. Store in an airtight container and scoop into plastic baggies when ready to serve.
