Lately my life has been about snacking. I like to think of it as eating my 6 square meals a day. It’s fun, because I get to eat. However, it can also be tiring - thinking of portions and what to eat that’s healthy, or at least not bad for me.

Actually many studies have shown that eating smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day is better for you. The body is better able to metabolize food and use the energy more efficiently when “fed” throughout the day. Also, hunger is less likely to set in and we prevent the binging that might happen during the conventional mealtimes of breakfast, lunch and dinner when our bodies are “starving” for food.

Eating all day long sounds like a great plan, except the trick is really to choose appropriate portions and to pick healthy foods. A “snack” here does not mean some milk and cookies or coffee and a donut. Here are some quick and easy ideas for snacks or mini-meals. Either way they are healthy, delicious and keep your energy up throughout the day.

Turkey lettuce wraps - Take a lettuce leaf (I like romaine or green leaf) and place a piece of turkey meat (luncheon meat or fresh turkey) and a slice of pepper in the center. Add a dab of mustard or mayo if you like. Wrap like a burrito and enjoy! These are easy to pre-assemble and keep in the fridge for fast snacking.

Peanut butter and celery/apple - Peanut butter is a favorite for snacking. Use natural peanut butter that contains no extra sugar. Smear on a celery stick or a slice of apple. Also great to prepare ahead of time. Hint: squeeze some lemon on the apples if you cut them in advance to prevent browning.

Hard boiled egg - an old reliable ready-to-go healthy snack. An alternative is to also make some deviled eggs (I mix a little salt, pepper and lemon mustard with the yolks) and have them in a container ready to go. YUM!

Healthy snacking is easy - it just takes a little prep time. When you’re hungry you’ll thank yourself for thinking ahead and making something healthy and easy to grab.

What are your favorite healthy snacks to go???

Enjoy! Bon Appetite!
Susan