Raise your hand if the word “snack” causes you to want to run away as your toddler asks for one for the 100th time today?
Maude from Family & Co. Nutrition has been gracious enough to share her knowledge in a guest blog post about everyone’s favourite meal……Snack time!
Are you a snacker? When and what do you typically snack on?
Are you always on the go, or driving the kids around and always on the lookout for snack ideas that are not messy? Or perhaps you never remember to bring a snack with you?
What is a sustaining snack?
There are 2 purposes of a snack: to taste good and to take care of your hunger.
I let you decide what tastes good based on your preference and mood!
To curb your hunger though, here are the key points.
The healthy snack is a combination of: protein source + Complex carbs + Veggies or Fruits. A good rule of thumb is to prep a snack that contains at least 2 out of the 3 key components. I go over the details of each component of the healthy snack (which can also be turned into the healthy plate for the main meals here. In a nutshell, you want to have proteins to sustain you, and some carbs and fibres to give you energy that will last!
Is eating between meals bad for you?
No it is not bad for you if you feel hungry in between meals.
Eating when you are hungry can never be bad for you.
Recognizing when you are truly hungry vs being bored, or stressed, or any other emotions that is not hunger can be tricky. It takes practice, time and being present in the moment…which is difficult in today’s reality of parenthood!
How do I recognize hunger?
You can recognized you are hungry when:
- your tummy growls
- you feel light headed
- you cannot concentrate
- you are impatient (aka hangry!)
- you feel low on energy
- you have a pit in your stomach
- you start to obsess over food
Then, it is time to eat, regardless of the time on the clock.
Even if you just ate dinner
Even if you just ate 2 servings and a dessert
Even if it’s not yet time to eat as per your work schedule
Even if it is at night before bed time
Even if it is 2am and you are up to calm someone’s nightmares or feed someone’s else (who doesn’t care if it is “time” to eat or not)
You.need.to.eat.
My favourite snack recipe
This one is perfect for all the moms (and partners!) on the go and the parents who are feeding a baby around the clock, and want a quick snack they can eat with their eyes half open. It can be batch cooked and frozen. It can be eaten frozen, cold, or room temperature… it can be put in the lunch box or kept on the bed night table. Oh, and it’s also perfect for post-workout snack! What more can you ask from one recipe?
Energy balls.
(It’s in the name!)
Instagram image from @sciencefourchette
The recipe is not mine, it is from my colleague Annie, a creative registered dietitian who runs Science et fourchette. It’s in French, but go look at this Instagram feed! You will want to learn French just to cook these recipes!
With Annie’s permission, here is the recipe in English – yay! French version here
Ingredients
- 100 g (2/3 cup) unsalted cashew nuts (or any other type of unsalted nuts)
- 20 Medjool dates without the pit
- 80g (1/2 cup) + 80g (1/2 cup) of unsweetened shredded coconut
- 30g (2 tablespoons) coconut oil
- 30ml (2 tablespoons) luke warm water
Methods
In the bowl of your food processor, mix the cashew nuts, the dates, 1/2 cup of the shredded coconut and the coconut oil. Blend until you get a smooth paste.
With your hands slightly damp, form 12 balls (roughly 1 tablespoon of mixture per ball). Roll the balls in the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded coconut. Keep in the fridge.
If you are looking for a unique shower gift, these are a great idea! Prep them in batches: vary the nuts, add cocoa powder or peanut butter, freeze individually on a baking sheet and offer to new parents in a cute container.
Top healthy snack ideas
Here are other great healthy snacks:
- banana bread + nut butter
- hummus + crackers
- apple + nut butter
- cheese + crackers
- yogurt + fruits
- veggies + hard boiled egg
- milk + muffin
- peanut butter + dates
- hummus + crackers
- grilled cheese
- nuts + fruit
- dried fruits + cheese
- PB&jam sandwich
- cottage cheese + fruits
- smoothies
- yogurt + granola
- cereals + milk
- cherry tomatoes + hummus
- banana + nuts
- english muffin + cheese
- fruits + glass of milk
- scones + fruits
- banana + peanut butter
- oat cookies + yogurt
- left overs from a previous meal!
Share with your kiddos!
Your kids probably will want to snack too!
Keep in mind the choking hazards Click here to read about the difference between choking and gagging and
Generally speaking, until they are 4 years old and can be taught to be careful and chew properly, avoid anything that is round, sticky, and hard such as:
- popcorn
- whole nuts
- whole cherry tomatoes
- raw hard veggies (i.e. carrots)
- thick layer of nut butter and hummus
Don’t forget the water!
If you are hungry, you eat. No question.
But we sometimes confuse being thirsty with being hungry.
In addition to your snack, carry a water bottle with you and get one for your kids as well.
(And if you are breastfeeding, you definitely need to keep a water bottle at your lactation station!)
What are your favourite snacks?
Are you a fan of energy balls?
Who are the next parents-to-be you will batch cook snacks for?
Have you always thought snacking was not good for you?
Any other nutrition questions? Just ask!
Maude is a registered dietitian working support and inform parents so that they can take the best nutrition decisions, whatever that looks like for their family. You can find her at Family & Co. Nutrition where she shares evidence-based nutrition strategies for families. Because family meals should be enjoyable for all!
