Healthy Snack Ideas

BY: JEANNIE MARSHALL

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1. Nut Butter Apple: For a little energy and a surprisingly filling snack, spread 2 tsp natural almond, peanut or cashew butter on a sliced small apple or pear. Equals 1 purple, 1 tsp

2. Fancy Oats:  Curb your sweet tooth with a filling snack – steel cut oats topped with unsweetened shredded coconut, stevia for added sweetness. Equals 1 yellow, 1 orange

3. The Greek Berry: For those missing their fruit-filled yogurt, add blueberries to Greek yogurt, stevia for added sweetness. For a cooler treat, freeze the berries first for one hour before adding to your yogurt. Equals 1 red, 1 purple

4. Egg Sandwich: For those run out the door in the morning, place two hard-boiled eggs, halved and on a piece of whole wheat toast, folded in half. Equals 1 red, 1 yellow

5. Coffee Crush: This is my coffee coolatta replacement. Blend one cup of iced coffee with one scoop of chocolate Shakeology. Equals 1 red

6. Almond Butter Waffle: Here’s another quick snack that keeps you full. Spread 2 tsp almond butter on a whole grain waffle (Kashi waffles are my fave and very easy to find.) Equals 1 yellow, 2 tsp

7.  Simple Egg Scramble: In just 4 minutes, you can have a well-balanced snack. Heat 1 tsp coconut oil in a frying pan, add in mixed frozen vegetables, and crack two eggs on top of them. Mix with a spatula until eggs are cooked through. Equals 1 green, 1 red, 1 tsp

8. Pineapple & Cottage Cheese: A unique combination that is sweet and tasty. Mix sliced pineapple with 2% cottage cheese for a light and healthy snack. Equals 1 red,  1 purple

9. Banana Creamiscle: Blend one half of a banana with unsweetened almond or coconut milk, a little stevia if you need it sweeter. Put the mixture in the freezer for an hour prior to chill, and then enjoy…yummy! Equals 1 purple, 1 yellow

10. Tuna, Hot Sauce & Mustard: The hot sauce kills all of that over-fishy taste, and you are left with a high protein snack that will make your coworkers ask what you’re eating. Drain one can of tuna fish and top with hot sauce & mustard to taste. Equals 1 red

11. Healthier Egg McMuffin: Can’t imagine not enjoying your McMuffin every morning? While you may not be able to enjoy McDonald’s version, you definitely can have this one as a snack or get creative and make it a meal by adding a lean protein to the sandwich. Fry one whole egg in one tsp coconut oil and place on half of a whole grain English muffin. Equals one-half red, 1 yellow,1 tsp

12. Kale Chips: Another one of my faves…the healthiest green potato chip you will ever eat. De-stem and tear kale into bite size pieces, then add a tsp of extra virgin olive oil. Lay pieces flat on a cookie sheet sprinkle withyour favorite spices. I like cayenne pepper. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Equals 1 green, 1 tsp

13. Beef or Turkey Jerky: An easy-to-carry high protein snack. When choosing a jerky, make sure to look at the ingredients list and choose one that does not contain monosodium glutamate (msg) or sodium nitrates. Just be careful with jerky as lots are extremely high in sodium. Equals 1 red

14. Mixed Nuts: Nuts are a great source of healthy fats, and they travel well. What I like to do is buy a bag of almonds, walnuts, cashews, peanuts, pecans, pistachios, and mix them together on my own. Remember, unsalted nuts are best! Equals 1 blue

15.  Banana and Nut Butter on Toast: A favorite from my childhood, spread 1 tsp of peanut butter (or any other nut butter--just make sure it's natural) on whole wheat toast and top with a half of a banana, sliced. Equals 1 yellow, 1 purple, 1 tsp

16. Almond Butter Strawberry Sandwich: No jam, no worries. Spread 1 tsp of almond butter on half a piece of whole grain bread, layer with strawberry slices and fold in half. Equals 1 yellow, 1 purple, 1 tsp

17. Baked Apple: Core and then cut your apple in half, dust with cinnamon. Place on baking sheet center side up at 400°  for 15 minutes or until the apple becomes slighty tender. Equals 1 purple

18. Red Pepper with Goat Cheese: This is super yummy if you enjoy goat cheese, which I happen to love.  Take raw, fresh red pepper slices and top with crumpled goat cheese. Equals 1 green, 1 blue

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Get Creative

I hope this list of 21 Day Fix-approved snacks has given you some ideas as to what you will be able to eat between meals. The key is be a little creative when you’re eating healthy and make things that are not only good for you, but taste good, too. You can even continue to use these healthy snack ideas long after you’re finished the 21 Day Fix to keep living a healthier lifestyle.

The Fix is a whole foods diet that cuts out the nasty stuff, including processed sugar, white flour, and salt. However, this just proves you can still have foods that are full of flavor and contain the nutrients your body needs for optimal health.

Thanks for reading!!

3 Things You Can Do On Sunday to Help You Lose Weight This Week

www.anywherefitnesspt.com

You probably know that doing some advanced food prep on Sunday is key to having a healthier week. But chances are, you don’t have time to spend an entire day slaving away over a hot stove, whipping up tons of healthy meals for the week ahead. No worries—all is not lost! You can still prep for a slim week by following these easy and less time-consuming tips

1)     Portion out the snacks that you’re going to bring to work: True, you could buy snack-size bags of snacks—but everyone knows that they’re way more expensive. The cheaper option: Buy big bags of stuff and put portions in smaller baggies on Sundays. That way, you can bring your “snack packs” to work each day and you won’t be tempted by the bad-for-you stuff in the vending machine.

2)    Hard-boil a dozen eggs: Eggs are an ideal breakfast for weight loss, but often, the last thing you want to do slash have time for in the a.m. is egg prep. Hard-boil a bunch on Sunday, and you have zero excuses in the morning. It takes almost no time at all to pop an egg or two in your mouth before you head out the door!  

3)    Chop your veggies: You know that moment right when you get home from work when you open the fridge and start grabbing whatever’s in sight because you’re starving and need something before you make dinner? Cut-up red peppers, cucumbers, celery, and carrots as a perfect solution to stop you from diving into the chips and dip. Prep them on Sunday so they’re literally right there when you open the fridge after work. Because let’s be honest: You’re going to eat something anyway, so it might as well be healthy. 

 Here are 10 other things you can do to keep yourself on the weight loss track!

1.Create a healthy eating schedule: plan your meals & times to prevent getting too hungry or tempted to eat things that will take you away from your goals!

2. Eat more fruits and vegetables:  Filled with fiber, vitamins and nutrients, it's a great way to stay satisfied

3. Cut empty beverage calories: These calories can add up fast and pack on pounds without you realizing it!  Drink lots of water, green tea, and stevia sweetened coffee.

4. Increase fiber intake: Most of us don't get enough, and eating enough fiber will keep you fuller longer and keep your digestive track moving too!!

5. Reduce the undercover calories of dressing and sauces: Another sneaky place where calories add up quickly without a thought.  Many sauces and dresses have added sugars, salts and/or chemicals that will effect your waistline!

6. Eat leaner meats:  Eating enough protein is also an important way to stay slim.  Look for the leanest cuts of beef, chicken, and turkey.

7. Find the right fats and lose the bad fats:  The right fats are things like coconut oil, olive oil, avocados, fish oils from fatty fish, like salmon.  Fat doesn't make you fat.  Yes, you still have to watch how much you're eating, since higher fat foods also have higher amount of calories, so a little can really go a long way in giving you that satisfied feeling and keeping your feeling fuller for longer. 

8. Curb sugar and salt cravings:  Too much of anything isn't good, but especially sugar.  Sugar is one of the biggest reasons why many are overweight today, since sugar is added to just about everything that's processed these days!  Salt is not bad, but eating too much will cause you to retain more water and make you look & feel bloated. 

9. Stay healthy in social situations:  Social situations can be challenging, but making sure you eat a healthy snack before your event, so you're not tempted to dive in to the first thing you see.  When you get to an event, be choosy!!  Walk around and see what's to offer.  Yes, it's okay to have a little treat, but make sure the majority are healthy choices.  

10. Exercise:  Though nutrition is key to results, you still have to move your body too!  Weights and cardiovascular training should be done at least 2-3 times a week, working the whole body.  

A Visual Comparison of Calories in Food

Calorie comparison: I'm a very visual person, so this really hits home for me.  

For 1360 calories, you can eat one fast food meal or eat a great assortment of foods all day long; including dark chocolate & a cookie!!  This is what I really like about showing clients this sort of outlook--80% of your calories coming from healthy-nutritionally dense (lower calorie) foods with 20% "treat" type foods (higher calories).

Cutting calories: Not all calories are created equal, and counting calories will not help you lose weight if you’re consuming the wrong kind of calories.  How your body looks doesn't just depend on how many calories, but the type & quality!!!