Satisfying Snacks
Awhile ago, my sister said that she felt a lot of stress because her young kids were constantly hungry and wanting something to eat. She would give them a snack, but they would shortly be back hungry again.
I asked her what type of snacks she gave them and suggested that she focus on snacks that had staying power.
The typical snacks that kids eat are things like goldfish crackers, fruit snacks and sliced apples. All these things might keep little tummies happy for the moment, but they will be back for more before you know it. As adults, we have the same problem. We're in a hurry. We eat the fastest and most convenient thing to curb our hunger for the moment, but before we know it, our cravings are back demanding attention. When that happens, our defenses are often down and we are likely to give in to less than healthy options. So what to do?
Our first line of defense is eating foods that truly satisfy us. Two key words to keep in mind are Fat and Fiber. Good fat and fiber take longer to digest, keep our blood sugar stable and our cravings in check.
Real, nutrient dense foods are more satisfying than their processed counterparts. So ditch the processed and packaged crap and start smart snacking with some of the ideas below.
Snack ideas to keep your cravings at bay
Veggie chips and guacamole
Apples or bananas and raw nut butter
Fruit and raw yogurt or thick kefir
Fruit dipped in raw yogurt or thick kefir and naturally sweetened granola
Soaked and dehydrated nuts and seeds
Vegetables and hummus
Whole grain sourdough crackers and hummus
Frozen raw yogurt or kefir. Check out this recipe and this one.
Frozen raw yogurt or kefir popsicles. You can use the recipes above to make popsicles, or these mango lassie's make yummy popsicles too.
Smoothie with a raw dairy base
Whole grain sourdough crackers or veggie chips with bean dip or hummus
Apples and raw nut butter
Celery and raw nut butter
Veggies and raw yogurt or kefir ranch dip
Apples and raw cheese
Boiled egg and veggies or fruit
Raw yogurt and raw nut butter dip with fruit
Artichoke and butter or raw yogurt/kefir dipping sauce
Avocado slices and fruit or vegetables
Veggie and raw cheese kabob
Naturally sweetened granola with raw milk and fruit
Naturally sweetened granola with raw yogurt or thick kefir and fruit
Potato with raw yogurt or kefir cream and seasoning
Whole grain, naturally sweetened muffin with raw butter or kefir cream
Whole grain sourdough crepes with raw yogurt or thick kefir and fruit
Whole grain sourdough crepes with chocolate sauce and fruit
Organic popcorn with coconut oil and seasoning
Gelatinous, rich bone broth
That's all I have for now, but I'll add to the list as I think of other things.
I would love your comments and healthy snack ideas with staying power.