When the mid-morning and mid-afternoon slump comes around, it is easy to go for vending machine snacks and drinks, or at least another latte, to keep you going. You may have a quick burst of energy, but your blood sugar soon drops and the dreaded “crash” happens.
The packaged food found in grocery stores and vending machines may seem like a quick and easy fix for snack time, but they have little to no nutritional value. These processed foods are full of chemicals, sugars, additives and synthetic nutrients. Rather than giving your body the nutritious boost it needs to continue through the day, typical snack foods ultimately create inflammation and a toxic environment in your body.
Moreover, if your body is in an allergic state, eating these processed, inflammatory foods tends to make allergies worse. Reducing your consumption of inflammatory foods will give your immune system a break and help boost your immunity for allergies.
Our intention is to empower you with creative and healthy snack options, so rather than grabbing a bag of chips or that Snickers bar the next time you’re hungry, you’ll be fueling your body with fresh, whole foods.
Making snacks at home can be quick and easy, not to mention less expensive! All of these foods can be found at your local grocery store.
Healthy Snacks:
- Carrots, celery, or any other veggie with hummus
- A piece of fruit (limit to 1-2 servings per day)
- One apple or banana with 2 tbsp of nut butter (almond, peanut, sunflower seed, cashew)
- A small handful of nuts
- A one-serving cup of whole fat plain yogurt or Greek yogurt (you can also try other dairy-free yogurts, just be aware of how much sugar has been added!) with berries or slivered almonds
- 1 hardboiled egg
- Rice crackers with ½ an avocado
If you do buy some pre-made snack food, it’s important to remember that not everything from Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods is automatically healthy. The word “natural” is used on many products that are anything but natural. Food companies can add GMO’s, artificial ingredients and flavors and other toxic chemicals and still use the word “natural” on the package.
The best way to understand what you are really eating is by reading the ingredients label because marketing can be deceiving. If the label is full of words you are not able to pronounce, it’s most likely not “natural” and full of processed, artificial ingredients.
There are certainly healthier snack foods that can be found at grocery stores like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, but make sure the ingredients are whole, real foods that you can pronounce!
(Pro tip: Only USDA Certified Organic labels ensure that the food contains no GMOs, no toxic pesticides and no growth hormones or antibiotics have been used.)
If you are in a bind and find yourself at Walgreens or in a Starbucks searching for healthy snacks, here are a few healthier choices:
- KIND Bars or LARABARS
- A piece of fruit
- Unsalted nuts
- Trail mix (without the M&Ms!)
These snacks will give you a healthy boost of energy and leave you feeling satisfied!