Snack Attack: What are our faves

Snacking tends to be our “thing”. Even though there is controversial data and information out there about snacking in between meals, we often don’t have much of a choice but to grab a snack here and there- especially given the fact that we work in the field of medicine. We don’t always receive a set lunch break and tend to eat in-between patients or when its “the Q word”—sorry, totally superstitious. But overall, we live in a society where we are constantly “on-the-go”; whether its shuffling kids to and from after school activities, attending a meeting after work, or trying to get an exercise class in before your workday begins. Most of the time we don’t need to have a full meal, rather just something to satisfy our hunger pains and avoid gorging on our meal to the point of feeling uncomfortable, bloated, or in pain.

In this week’s blog post I want to share with you some of our favorite snacks- both processed and whole food based. Like we always say, going the whole food route is what is preferred. But again, sometimes we don’t have that luxury and are put on the spot to make a decision. Most of our favorites can be found at your local grocery store or mini-markets/gas station stops (I found EPIC bars at a Mobil!), but we tend to pre-order ours directly from Amazon or the companies that produce them as they tend to be cheaper. The companies will also usually send amazing discount coupons to your email.

Prepackaged snacks

DNX bar With a variety of different flavors, there is something for everyone! They use organic fruits, vegetables and spices along with grass fed beef, bison and free-range chicken to support a healthy lifestyle for the active woman on-the-go. My favorites are the Fennel Sweet Potato and Mexican style.

EPIC bar Another animal-based protein bar, EPIC bars have a wide variety of different meats to choose from including venison (which is delish!), salmon, and wild boar (be open minded!) Their meats are raised in an open-pasture and EPIC provides full disclosure on what the animals are fed, some of which may not be ideal due to limitation of sources. They also provide the option of bites (vs bars), small protein bites that you can mix with something else. Also their protein snack sticks, which are a smaller version of the whole bar, are the perfect “run out the door because we are late to gymnastics” snack—trust me I’ve done the leg work on this one! My favorites are the turkey and venison.

RX Bar Want to know what is in your bar? Just look on the package. RX Bars are NO B.S. (per their wrapper) and contain egg whites, dates, and a variety of nuts and simple flavors. These bars are dairy, soy, and gluten FREE. And a good amount are “Whole 30” complaint, which means there really is NO B.S. in this bar. Packed full of protein and not the fillers that other protein bars can give you, Rx bars are truly a delicious option for your protein on-the-go. I personally love the Chocolate Sea Salt and Blueberry. They even make a “kid’s version” which are a perfect snack to carry in case one of the kiddos give you a “hangry” tantrum.

Justin’s Almond butter single packets These single-serving packets are a lifesaver! Paired with an apple or banana, they are the perfect way to jazz things up and provide you with sufficient amount of healthy fats to keep your appetite satisfied. The only ingredients in this nut butter are dry roasted almonds and palm oil. That’s it! Two ingredients and nothing else, which makes it a fan favorite in our snack drawer at work.

Bare Apple chips This is a Thrive market win for me! These are the perfect alternative for something crunchy but without the added calories, preservatives, and just plain crap our bodies do not need. The only ingredient in the bag—apples. That’s it. No oils or added sugars; just good ol’ plain dehydrated apples. And let me tell you, they are a satisfying alternative to any crackers or chips.

Whole food ideas

The overall recommendation for snacks should be, and always will be, whole foods prepared by yourself. And again, I completely understand that sometimes we don’t have the time or the option, but when the stars align and the time comes when you can prepare your own snacks, I want you to have some options that are healthy, quick, and satisfying enough to lay your growling stomach to rest.

Cucumber and hummusCarrot chips and guacamolePumpkin seedsAlmondsWalnutsProtein egg bites (check out our recipe!) Various fruits including, but not limited to, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries mixed into greek yogurtCelery with almond butter (Justin Almond butter packet) 2 oz lean turkey breast (nitrite free) with spinach and hummus wrapped in it 2 pitted medjool dates topped with 1 tbsp of nut butter (proceed with caution- this one will feed your sugar dragon!)

We generally don’t encourage having more than 2 “snack breaks” a day. This, of course, is dependent on your level of physical activity. It is wise to make sure that you are getting 3 meals a day (not snacks, actual meals) in order to try and avoid having to snack in the first place. But if you do need to snack because you’re crunched for time, have an extremely high level of physical activity need to balance your glycemic index (don’t have a sugar drop!), then these choices are perfect for you.

We hope you found this blog post helpful and if you have any additional questions or suggestions don’t hesitate to email us at info@followyourgutmdnp.com, Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.

As always, continue to Follow Your Gut

Jaci