You may rely on your mid-morning snack to get you through the day, but making the wrong choices can derail an otherwise healthy diet. Snacking helps carry us through from one meal to the next, filling us up and fueling us through the day, but snacking can easily turn into a meal, depending on what you choose. If you plan your snacks in advance, packing them up at home, you'll be prepared to skip out on the less healthy vending machine fare.
Fruit Snacks
In some cases, the best snack comes in the simplest form. Fruits provide you with fiber and essential vitamins. If you need a snack quick, simple and portable snack between meetings, throw an apple or banana into your bag. If you have a little extra time to jazz up your snack, put natural peanut butter on apple slices or throw fresh berries into a cup of Greek yogurt. Combining a protein source with a fiber-filled fruit will help keep you full for longer.
Vegetable Snacks
Vegetables provide you with a nutrient-dense, water-filled food that will help stave off your hunger between meals. For a grab-and-go option, cut up bell peppers, cucumbers and carrots and pair them with hummus or ranch dressing. You can also pair 1/2 cup of salsa with a quarter diced avocado. Mix them together for a homemade tomato guacamole. Eat the guacamole with tortilla chips or whole-wheat pita chips.
Sweet Snacks
Sometimes you desperately want a chocolate doughnut or candy bar, but when you're making smart choices, those don't seem to rise to the top of the list. That doesn't mean that you can't throw together a sweet, homemade snack that's also healthy. You can make your own trail mix by combining a serving of nuts with a teaspoon of chocolate chips and raisins. You'll get your chocolate fix, but by combining it with dried fruit and healthy nuts, you'll get the fix without the inevitable sugar crash.
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