Snacks....

I snack.
I love to snack.
Snacking is probably the main issue that led me to becoming overweight.
Pre-kids, when I was training on a regular basis for ultimate frisbee, snacking was to my benefit, to keep up with my bodies nutrient and caloric needs.
With fatherhood, new teaching career, and my retirement from competitive frisbee two things happened. 
One, my acitvity level went way down, two, my stress level and then my snacking went up.

I am going to keep snacking.  But I am going to replace chips, pretzels, popcorn etc. with these "better" snacks, as well as drink more water (loving the low-sodium sparkling water), to curb my snack cravings.

- chopped and sliced veggies such as carrots, celery, cauliflower, broccoli: lots of fibre, minimal calories

- hummus--great for dipping the above mentioned veggies in.  Good protien to calorie ratio.  And I like the hot and spicy hummus with cayenne in it, as I feel satiated sooner, therefore eating less.

- berries: strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, etc.  Full of anti-oxidants!

-yogurt.  My favourite is Liberty organic plain probiotic.  I do not eat low-fat or non-fat yogurt, as is often has sugar or sweetener added, often has more calories, often has less protein, and most importantly, I often eat more of it since it is missing the very important fat that satiates me.  I also often throw frozen berries in it!

- Cottage cheese.  A food I found disgusting as a kid, I now love as an adult.  Just a couple of spoonfuls and I am good for the night.  Also great for dipping veggies in--my favourite is celery.

- Cheese and crackers. This one can be dangerous--especially the crackers.  I use ancient grain crackers, kamut crackers, cracked rye crackers, rice crackers, or something along that line.  Avoid crackers with wheat, as they will spike your sugar levels making your even hungrier a short time later. I particularly like extra old cheese gently melted on the crackers....

- nut butters and hard fruits.  The nut butters provide the fat and protein to satiate appetite.  The fruit provides the sugar for energy and the much needed fibre.  My favourite is sliced red apples with almond-cashew butter spread on them.

- Trail Mix (?).  On of my favourite post-workout snacks.  Mixed nuts and seeds.  I avoid the mixes with dried fruit, however, as they can spike blood-sugar levels.

- Hard boiled egg.  Portable protein. 

- Vi-Cookie.  Only 130 calories, 10g protein.  An incredible mix of vegetables snuck in there, yet tastes like the cookies my grandmother used to make!


Check out great healthy snacks and supplements

-Devo