By afternoon, your energy may have been sapped by a long day of work or car-pooling children from school to activities. Eating healthy snacks such as fruits instead of high-sugar, fatty foods can help you manage your energy levels and meet your goals.
Snacks as Part of a Healthy Diet
The Centers for Disease Control says eating 100-calorie snacks twice a day should be part of a healthy eating plan. Snacks such as fruit and cut-up vegetables are typically around 100 calories. Choose snacks high in fiber and protein; these take longer for your body to digest and keep you satisfied with fewer calories.
Snacking on the Go
Choose snacks that need minimal preparation that you can easily bring to work or eat during a busy day. An apple, medium-size banana and cup of grapes or blueberries are 100 calories or less. Pack light mozzarella string cheese to eat with your apple for a high-fiber, high-protein, low-calorie snack. One packet of Quaker Weight Control instant oatmeal is a healthy, filling alternative to candy bars. It has 165 calories, 7 g of protein and 6 g of fiber with less than 1 g of sugar.
Creative Snack Ideas
Healthy snacks do not always have to be cut-up fruit and vegetables. You can eat graham crackers, cottage cheese and even pizza. Snacks between 100 to 200 calories can keep your energy levels up without sabotaging your diet. For example, make a cup of trail mix using high-fiber cereal, whole-wheat pretzels, peanuts and raisins. It will have less salt and sugar than store-bought brands. Toast an English muffin topped with tomato sauce and low-fat mozzarella cheese to make a midafternoon pizza snack.
Warning
Stay away from snacks that have refined carbohydrates. These snacks have higher calories from sugar and fat. They will give you a short-term energy boost, but you may "crash" shortly thereafter. While fruits and vegetables are generally low calorie, they are not no-calorie, so if you are watching your weight, figure them into your daily totals.
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