I Love Snacks. Snackie, Snack, Snacks.

Ahhh, snacks. Huge fan. I've always loved snacks, and always will, but there was a time when I felt ashamed for snacking. I seriously thought it was wrong that I could be hungry during the 5-6 hours between meals. Sooooo glad I got over THAT phase (oh, silly, younger-20s Nikki)!!  Now I know how important snacks are, especially to a highly active person such as myself. In my Body Back training, Farel Hruska compared it to stroking a fire. We need to give our bodies fuel to keep it working properly- mentally and physically. I know personally, if I miss a snack between meals, I come to a meal starving and ravenous; not the right frame of mind for preparing and eating a good, healthy meal.

Now, let's talk fuel! We can't just put anything into our bodies and expect to reap the benefits. What we need is a good balance of those high nutrient foods we love, in smaller portion. I'm talkin' unprocessed, natural foods that have protein, fiber and a little natural fat to give us that satiety we need. Almost everything I've read says a great snack size should be around 200 calories. And, of course (this may go without saying), if you aren't hungry don't snack. In a recent FITNESS magazine article, they offered up something called the "apple test." If you think you are hungry, but an apple does not sound good and you really only want junk- you're probably just bored or dehydrated. Have some water and go for a walk.

Need some healthy snack ideas? Here are some of the snacks I've recently posted on Instagram: 

KIND bar (4g sugar or less ones like my fav like Dark Chocolate, Nuts, & Sea Salt):

Fresh veggies & 2-3 T hummus. I especially love carrots, cucumber, and bell peppers with hummus:

Plain Greek yogurt, fresh fruit, little granola (look for granola that is under 5g sugar a serving), sprinkle of chia seeds:

Homemade trail mix:

Banana with peanut butter:

Celery with sunflower seed butter (I LOVE this combo):

Other favorite snacks that are not pictured include:

• 1/2 an apple or pear with a stick of string cheese (or the whole piece of fruit if I'm really hungry)
• a small homemade fresh fruit & veggie smoothie
• 1 cup of pretzels with mustard to dip
• Clean popcorn (I'll post recipe soon!)

If you are like I was and embarrassed or ashamed that you get hungry between meals, don't be! Just snack smart! Be prepared with healthy snacks when on the go and know you have options. Happy Snacking!!