Healthy Snacking Options
By Randi Morse
I am definitely a snacker, but worse, I turned my husband into a snacker! While my family tries to eat dinner together at least five days a week, it's not abnormal to find myself, or my husband, reaching for a snack a few hours after we've enjoyed dinner. The weekends are the worst; we're prone to snacking all day, which can be a really bad choice if all we have is unhealthy snacking options. Fortunately, there are some amazingly healthy snacking options that we keep around the house for those days when we just have to snack.
Hard Boiled Eggs
This tends to be our go-to when it comes to afternoon snacking. Hard boiled eggs are filled with tons of protein and also contain Vitamin B12 and Vitamin A. I use a pressure cooker to make a dozen at a time. To cook hard boiled eggs in the pressure cooker, place a cup of water at the bottom of the cooker then put on a trivet or steamer basket. Place your eggs on top and set the pressure cooker on high for six to eight minutes, depending on how big your eggs are. Once they're cooked, release pressure immediately and get the eggs into an ice bath. Not only are these amazingly fast to make, the shell peels off beautifully every time!
Greek Yogurt
My husband and daughter love Greek yogurt. I swear they could eat it every day. Rather than spending tons of money buying the individualized packs, I buy a few large containers of Greek yogurt every week and then buy something as a topping. Usually it's berries but sometimes I get granola or slivered almonds.
Chicken/Egg/Ham Salad
I try to have a batch of a protein salad, either chicken, egg, or ham, in the fridge once or twice a month. The salad is great if you just want a few bites of something to tide you over until dinner, or you can have it for lunch by putting it on cucumber slices. It took my husband a little time to think of eating these salads with a fork instead of between two slices of bread, but eating it straight cuts out the carbs and gives you all the protein.
When it comes to having healthy snacking options available in your home, be creative! Find things that are high in protein and low in sugar and keep them on hand at all times to encourage healthy snacking habits.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Draper, Utah.