Snacks are a vital part of most people’s daily lives. They’re a great way to curb hunger in between meals, and can help you get a wider range of food groups each day. Today we’re going to talk about what is a healthy snack, how to pair foods together to make healthful snack choices, smart portioning, budget-friendly tips, and snacking recommendations for different occasions.
What’s Considered a Good Snack?
Snacks can be small or big, depending on what you need at that time. A good general guideline to follow is having two to three (2-3) food groups for each snack. whereas, a meal should aim for three to five (3-5) food groups. As a reminder, the five food groups are: dairy, vegetables, fruits, grains, and protein. Let’s look at a few examples:
- Banana, yogurt, and almonds
- Apple, peanut butter, and celery
- Pretzels, cheese, and deli meat
- Carrots, hummus, and pita chips
As you can see, there are many ways you can build a snack. Having a snack with both protein and carbohydrates will help you stay fuller for longer. If you have diabetes, balanced snacks can also help you control your blood sugar. If you’re needing help figuring out how many carbohydrates (carbs) you need for snacks and/or meals, reach out to one of our dietitians!
What’s Considered a Portion when it Comes to Snacking?
Paying attention to portions of foods you’re picking for snacks is an important step. Too much of anything can be a bad thing. Let’s look at portions of foods in each food group.
- Dairy
- 1 cup milk
- 1.5 oz cheese
- 6-8 oz yogurt (go for unsweetened)
- ½ cup cottage cheese
- ½ cup ice cream
- Fruits
- ½ cup fresh fruits (half a banana, a small apple, half an orange, 2 clementines)
- ½ cup frozen fruit
- ½ cup canned fruit (try to pick light syrup or natural juices)
- ¼ cup dried fruits (no added sugar, dried or freeze dried)
- Vegetables
- ½ cup most fresh vegetables
- 1 cup greens (lettuce, spinach, kale, etc)
- ½ cup frozen vegetables
- ½ cup canned vegetables (try to get no salt added)
!!!! FACT !!!! You can rinse off your canned vegetables in the sink to reduce the sodium content by about 40%.
- Grains
- 1 slice of bread
- ½ an English Muffin
- ¼ bagel
- ½ cup pasta
- ½ cup starchy vegetables (peas, potatoes, and corn)
- 1/3 cup rice
- ½ cup dry oatmeal
- ½ cup quinoa or couscous
- 1 6” tortilla
- ½ cup beans (also count as protein, however if you have diabetes count these as a starch)
- Protein
- 3 oz meats (pork, beef, chicken, venison)
- 3 oz fish or seafood
- 1.5 oz nuts and seeds
- 1 egg
Paying attention to portion sizes can cut unwanted calories and food waste. Be wary of purchasing prepackaged snacks that are pushing “health”. Items such as the 100 calorie packs seem like a good idea, but it is no different from eating the same portion of that food from the larger box. With these types of foods, try to limit how much you have them and pair them with 2 food groups when you do.
How Can I Snack on a Budget?
With food costs being as high as they are currently, it can be hard to know what to get to make your money go the furthest. Let’s go through some tips to use.
- Buy what’s on sale: some grocery stores still have a paper ad, but most have gone fully digital. Finding your store’s ad for the week is a great place to start when making a grocery list. If there are non-perishables on sale, you can get more and “stock up” …if it’s an item you would eat. There is no need to purchase food items you won’t end up using. It is also not a good idea to over-purchase perishable items unless you have a plan on what to do with the extras, so they don’t go bad. Many items can be canned, dried, or frozen if purchased fresh.
- Use produce that’s in season: each region in the US has different growing seasons for plants. When an item is “in season” it means they are at the peak harvest time. This leads to a larger quantity of that item to be available, which usually means they will be cheaper. These items may be shown in the circular ads, but they may also simply show as a lower price in store. You can check the store’s online web page or app to see the additional markdowns. You can also check your local farmer’s market for in season, local produce. Just like the grocery stores, the more of a product a farmer has, the lower they usually price them. For example, in the off season a single zucchini may cost $2 while in season it may cost $0.50.
- Use an item multiple ways: some items are cheaper to buy in a larger quantity. For example, let’s buy a two pound bag of carrots. We can use half in a meal and half as a snack with dip. Rice is another great example. You will often find rice in a bag or a box. There are individual serving packages of rice, but the prices are marked. Buying a larger quantity of shelf-stable items like rice, pasta, and oats seems like the norm to us, but by thinking of perishables in this same way, we can save even more. Celery is another good example. Personally, I like adding chopped celery to soups, but I always have leftovers. With those leftovers, we will eat some raw and then chop and freeze the remaining for the next time I make soup.
Snacking for Different Occasions
There are many factors that go into choosing when to snack and what to snack on. Knowing your schedule and being ahead of it can help you make more mindful and healthful choices. Let’s take a look at some scenarios.
- Road Trips: road trips can be difficult when it comes to food. Often your only options are fast food or gas station snacks. One major tip to not have to rely on those foods: be prepared. Non-perishable snacks such as pretzels, nuts, dried fruit, crackers, and peanut butter can be kept in the car when it is hot or cold outside. Perishable items are a little trickier since you’ll need a way to keep them cool. Taking a small cooler or larger lunchbox can be an easy way to bring cold items such as: yogurt, fresh fruit and veggies, cheese, deli meats, and cream cheese.
- Pre- and Post-workout: If you’re going to exercise for longer than 30-45 minutes, then it is probably a good idea to eat something before and after your workout. A couple of hours before your workout, have a snack of protein, a carb, and some fats. It’s not necessary to eat an entire meal, especially if it isn’t time to eat one, or if you aren’t hungry enough to eat one. This trifecta of carbs, proteins and fats will help you stay satiated throughout your workout and will give you the energy to get through it. A post-workout snack should be able to do the same. If you exercise for over an hour, especially if you did a lot of weight training, then aim for a carb to protein ratio of 3:1 (for every 1 gram (g) of protein, you need 3 grams of carbs). Carbs are our body’s main energy source, and we store extra in our muscles as glycogen. If your stores are depleted (such as a 2-hour workout), your body will have to start breaking down those muscles to get more energy. By having a post-workout snack with a 3:1 ratio, your body is able to repair those broken-down muscles and can lead to a faster recovery. As always, don’t forget the importance of hydration!
- Knowing Your Schedule: if you know you won’t be able to eat a meal at the normal time you do, then think about when you could eat so you do not get famished by the time you are able to eat again. For example, let’s say you have a meeting from 11am-2pm, but you normally eat lunch at noon. You won’t have another chance to eat until after the meeting, so having an early lunch or a larger snack would be a wise choice. This way, you won’t get to the super hungry point, and you’ll be able to keep focused during your meeting. Knowing your schedule and your body’s needs is a vital part of proper nutrition.
Snacks can be an important part of your daily life. Many people need snacks between meals to help regulate hunger and/or blood sugar, especially if your meals are spaced far apart. Planning for snacks is the best way to get ahead of the game and be prepared. If you aren’t hungry for a snack you had prepared, then it’s no big deal. Better to be prepared rather than scrounging around for something and resorting to less healthful options. So some, skipping snacks may lead to overeating later in the day, especially if your meals also aren’t satiating. If you have more questions about when and what to have as a snack, reach out to our team of dietitians. We can help plan out your meal and snack schedule that works with your lifestyle: long work days, sports, weekend challenges, etc!
