Who love snacks? We’re convinced everybody – but snacking is an easy way to break your fitness goals whether you’re trying to lose, maintain or even gain weight healthily. When thinking about snack choices keep these 4 things in mind:
Nutrient vs. Caloric Density Is the food you are eating high in nutrients (fresh cut veggies) or calories (potato chips) or both (almonds)? Stay away from foods high in calories with no nutritional value, eat freely foods high in nutrients with very few calories and eat moderately the foods that are both nutritionally and calorically dense.
Hunger level/Satiety Do you need a snack to get you through until dinner or are you just bored? Another good place to start would be drinking a glass of water. We can sometimes confuse hunger with just being dehydrated.
Portion Control It’s easy to overdo it with snacks. A good idea is to portion your snacks out ahead of time and not eat straight from the can or jar with foods like nuts, which are good for you but also calorically dense.
Timing Think about your activity level when picking a snack. Are you getting ready to go workout soon? You might want something like a banana with a little peanut butter? Are you on the couch watching Netflix and going to bed soon? You might just want a little cottage cheese or some hummus with veggies. Or it might just actually be time to go to bed and get a good night’s sleep.
With proper planning and approach, you’ll be able to find a great way to add (healthy) snacks into your lifestyle in a way that helps you achieve your goals! This delicious Kale Chip recipe is a great place to start!
Kale Chips
Prep time:
5 minutes
Cooking time:
10 minutes
Yields:
4 people
Ingredients:
1 bunch, kale
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash kale under cold water and let dry. Pull kale leaves from stems and place in a mixing bowl. Add seasonings and toss with oil to combine. Spray baking sheet and spread kale out evenly. Bake in oven ten minutes or until crispy.
Note: Be sure to spread kale out evenly or it won’t all get crispy.
Download this Kale Chips Recipe
Author: Mat Shalenko
