Health happens when we’re adequately prepared; it doesn’t matter if we’re talking about meal planning, healthy snacks for the road, or listening to your favorite tunes during your evening run. Preparation is the key to health success; there’s no two ways about it.

This rule also applies when you’re selecting snacks for you and your loved ones.  You can walk down the center aisles of the grocery store and choose amongst thousands and thousands of prepackaged items, but at what cost? While the prepackaged items may be convenient, they tend to be filled with unnecessary sugars, fillers, food coloring and preservatives that negate health in our body.  Take time to prep healthy snacks for the whole family. You’ll receive health benefits, boost your immune system and provide the body balanced nourishment for all-day energy.

Consider these three tips when creating a snack:

1. Balance your macronutrients:  Be sure your snack contains healthy carbohydrates (fruit, vegetables, greens, beans, whole grains), protein (beans, nuts, seeds, eggs, meat, fish) and healthy fat (olives, hummus, avocado, nuts, seeds, coconut milk, coconut oil)
2. Fiber is your friend:  Snacks should contain a good amount of fiber to help digest any available sugars, keep you satiated and provide enduring energy.
3. Snacks should be colorful:  If you select cheese and crackers for your snack, you might get some protein, carbohydrates and even a little fat but you’re missing out on all the beautiful nutrients, vitamins and minerals that can support you in health.  Select bright vegetables and fruits to start and pair them up with a protein and fat source to balance things out.

Create these snack items at home and bring them to work/school to nourish the body between meals! Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Apple slices, almond butter and coconut flakes
• Stove-top popcorn made with coconut oil and tossed in clarified butter, sea salt and rosemary
• Homemade trail mix: nuts, dried fruit, seeds, coconut flakes & dark chocolate
• Veggie sticks and hummus
• Roasted garbanzo beans: rinse and dry beans, toss in olive oil, salt, pepper and roast at 400°F
• Homemade Granola served with full fat goat milk yogurt or organic Greek yogurt & berries
• Organic tortilla chips, guacamole, salsa
• Small side salad with vegetables, feta cheese and dressing
• Tuna or chicken salad with chopped carrot and celery served in ½ avocado
• Hard-boiled egg with organic whole grain crackers
• Brown Rice Cake with sunbutter and sliced strawberries
• Cup of soup
• Celery sticks with peanut butter and dried cranberries
• Clementine and a handful of pistachios

Make the commitment to prep healthy snacks for you and your family.  Habits are hard to break, I know, but in time it will become second nature. Just take the leap and get started. Challenge yourself to stay out of the center aisles of the grocery store (except for whole-food necessities like beans, grains, etc.), invite the whole family to come up with healthy snack options for the week and let everyone help you with the prep and packing of the snacks. The more involved the kids are, the more willing they are to eat what you’ve prepared.

During the summer months, pool days, outings to the park, and vacations can all make it necessary to find snacks that are easy to take on the go. But how exactly do you decide if something is good fuel or not?  Today, you can venture into any grocery store and find a dedicated aisle of sports bars to choose from.  While this may seem a convenient and healthy offering, it’s most often deceiving and you may be getting more than what you bargained for (and I don’t mean more in a good way).

Here are five things to consider when selecting a snack bar or drink

1. What purpose will the sports bar serve? 
   • Are you eating for pre-workout energy? (in need of a small carbohydrate boost)
   • Are you providing the body replenishment post exercise? (need protein & carbs to replenish)
   • Are you consuming the sports bar as an afternoon snack?  (need a pick-me-up)
   • Consider the needs of your individual body and the contents of the bar.  While a small carbohydrate boost may serve you well pre-workout, you’ll want more protein accompanied by carbohydrate after you exercise.  And while sports bars might be a quick and easy snack for the long workday, you are probably overdoing it eating one of these bars at your desk.
2. What’s in the ingredient list?
   • Focus on whole food ingredients
   • If you can’t read it, pronounce it or understand it, it doesn’t belong in your body
   • Is it a short list, or long list?  The longer the list, the easier it is to hide unwanted ingredients
   • Stick with a list that contains 5 or less ingredients
3. What is the protein source?
   • Select bars with whole food protein sources
     • Nuts and Seeds
     • Hemp Protein
     • Pea Protein
     • Brown Rice Protein
   • Avoid soy and whey protein
4. Identify the sugar sources
   • While it is important to check the amount of sugar you’re consuming per serving, it’s even more important to understand the quality of the sugar you’re about to eat.
   • Select bars that are naturally sweetened with ingredients like:
     • Nuts and Seeds
     • Fruit
     • Dates and Figs
     • Honey
     • Maple Syrup
   • Avoid ingredients like: sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup and any artificial sweetener (aspartame, phenylalanine, sucralose)
5. Beware of the calorie count
   • Some sports bars are used as a meal replacement and can contain a high number of calories per serving.  It isn’t necessary to consume this type of bar unless you need to replenish a higher number of calories due to longer exercise.
   • While I don’t encourage calorie counting on a daily basis it is important to periodically gauge your food intake and make sure your choices are serving you well.

There once was a time when sports bars did not exist and people relied on whole food options to fuel their bodies for exercise and health.  You can challenge yourself to do the same!  Focus on plant-based foods that provide the body good sources of protein, carbohydrates and fat; you’ll provide the body the fuel it needs while giving it a dose of high phytonutrient-content food to boost the immune system, fight disease and support you in your healthy lifestyle.

Ready to take the next step in your health journey?
Check out this Sneak Peak from the Feel Good, Look Good Master Class!