Snack Right!

It is such a busy time of the year with the holiday season coming. We tend to get caught up in all of the extra activities we are faced with this time of year…. shopping, wrapping presents and parcels, decorating, baking, parties and special outings, school concerts, company parties, open houses, and so on and on and on…In the middle of all the fun, taking care of ourselves can easily get put on the back burner. Many of us don’t take the time to keep up with our exercise routines and many of us don’t eat properly either.

We tend to grab whatever is easy and sometimes the pounds can really pile on during the holiday season, not even necessarily because we are eating all the extra goodies that are tempting us everywhere we go, but also because our at-home routines are altered and we don’t take the time to nourish our bodies properly.  It is so much easier to grab a handful of crackers out of a box, or sneak bites of the cookie dough we are mixing up, that it is to take the time to make a healthy meal, and sit down and enjoy it.

So what’s the answer? Yes, we can all have washed fresh fruit on hand to snack on, and washed and cut up vegetables in the fridge to munch… but how likely are we to reach for those things first? How can we practically get the nourishment we need when we are too busy to stop and prepare a real meal?

Here are some of the things that I like to eat when I am busy. They are things that are quick to put together, that taste really good, that are relatively healthy, and that will sustain me for a couple of hours or more, AND that don’t use umpteen Weight Watchers Points Plus.

They are also things that can be prepared ahead of time, and either set aside or refrigerated, so that they are handy and ready when the urge to eat NOW strikes:

Do keep in mind that anything with protein and/or fat is going to satisfy you longer than carbs alone… so while a piece of fruit such as a pear,  or a handful of grape tomatoes is a zero Points Plus snack, you will soon be hungry again.  AND if you do have just a starchy or sugary snack such as crackers, or cookies, you will come back much hungrier in a little while.

It really is important to have some things on hand that you can put together quickly.  I like to keep Wasa crispbreads, Laughing Cow cheese, nut butters, fresh fruits and veggies, hardboiled eggs, canned tuna and other fish, and milk on hand.

If you do get caught unprepared there are a few healthy pre-packaged options. I would steer you away from the 100 calorie packs of cookies or salty snacks because of the lack of protein in them but there are some good protein/energy bars on the market.

And you can keep these items in your purse or in the glove box of your car too:

LARA bars
WW P+ = 5 or 6

Luna bars
WW P+ = 5

CLIB bars
WW P+

You can see that these things have substantially more Points Plus but they can easily be halved if that suits your needs better at the time.

The best thing that we can do is be armed with information about our own tendencies, and habits, and then prepare ways to deal with them for the best, and desired outcome.

I hope you have lots of fun during this busy time, and remember to take care of yourself while you are doing it!