Snacks! Are they necessary and what is a good snack?

I have noticed in my diet coaching that snacks create a lot of confusion and difficulties for many people. Are snacks even necessary and what kind of snack is considered as a healthy snack?

Whether you need snacks in between the meals, depends on your goals and a little bit on your genes as well. Some people do fine without eating in many hours, while other people do need food in every 3 hours. Nevertheless, if any of these are your goals, then you should add some snacks in your daily diet:

You want to lose weight, burn fat, improve your energy levels, stabilize your blood sugar levels, improve your sports performance or have more energy.

So I guess if you are reading my blog, you belong to the group who needs snacks :)

I recommend eating something in every 3-4 hours, so that your metabolism doesn't slow down and your blood sugar levels stay stable. But note: DON'T SNACK IN BETWEEN! You don't need to be eating all the time, your digestion needs that 3-4 hours rest in between the meals. If your lunch is at 12 pm and your dinner is at 19, you do need to eat a snack in the afternoon.

So what to eat for snack? A good snack includes a little bit of protein, healthy carbohydrates in moderation and maybe some good quality fats as well. Stay away from sugar and refined carbs, since those will just make you more tired and sabotage your fat loss attempts.

For your inspiration, I collected some ideas for a healthy snack. Get inspired and always have a snack with you in the office/ at the beach or when you travel.

HEALTHY SNACK IDEAS

• One fruit + 1 handful of nuts (Brazil nuts, almonds or cashews)

• Vegetables and hummus (for example carrot, kohlrabi, cucumber, bell pepper, cut in pieces and take with you in a container) + nuts/hummus

• Wholegrain bread and on top some hummus or avocado

• Rice/quinoa crackers with almond butter

• Boiled eggs

• Self made chia pudding with berries

• A smoothie

• Natural yogurt or quark with berries/fruit

• Overnight oats

• A good quality protein bar, for example Quest Bar

• A good quality meal replacement shake, for example THIS

• A small salad with chickpeas

• Few pieces of raw chocolate (yes, sometimes it is fine :)

What is your favorite snack?

Best,

Anni

P.s. Do you want to get more individual tips on how to improve your diet? Check out my diet coaching! I do it both in English and in Finnish and it can be done online as well! Read more HERE.