Snacks

Almost everything can become a snack. A piece of fruit can be considered the perfect ready made snack, and the recommendation is to have fruit apart from the meals; having said that, we prefer to include always a little protein. Sorry, not always, just most of the times. For instance, a banana half an hour before exercise can help to perform better and prevent cramps, because digestion takes about twenty minutes, giving you a sugar boost at the right time, and it is rich in potassium. Adding protein would slow down the digestion process; it would give you a steady level of sugar for a longer period, but no boost.

Healthy Snacks

• Cheese and crackers.
• A small sandwich, just one slice of bread, made whit whole grain bread and deli meat, or the traditional peanut butter and jelly.
• Half a cup of tortilla chips with 1/3 cup of bean dip or guacamole
• Cereal and milk – try to make it whole grain cereal and partly skimmed milk, more fiber, less fat.
• Small can of tuna with bread or crackers - feel free with lettuce ant tomato, careful with the mayonnaise.
• Yogurt with applesauce or fruit spread.
• Half a cup of home made trail mix: ¼ roasted nuts, ¼ sunflower seeds ½ and raisins, for instance.
• Raw vegetables with hummus, peanut butter, baba ganoush, guacamole or low fat cheese -baba ganoush is a dip made from roasted eggplant, with garlic and lemon juice.
• Chocolate, an ounce, with nuts and raisins or whole grain bread.
• Skim milk and one or two cookies, bran muffins, slice of fruitcake, or flapjacks, all that is great home made, no trans fat.
• Cheese, try fresh cheese, or yogurt with fruit: banana, 12 grapes, 10 strawberries, one small apple.
• Milk shake or fruit smoothie made with reduced fat milk or low fat yogurt, frozen fruit, two teaspoons of sugar and two or three drops of vanilla extract.
• Baked beans on toast.