healthy clean-eating snack ideas

I recently had a request from someone to post about healthy snack ideas. This person -- like many others -- was doing pretty well with creating and eating healthy meals. It was the snacking that was doing the damage. Eating 3 times a day is not enough.. you NEED healthy snacks! But what to reach for? And how do you ensure that you'll go for the healthy options? Here are some of my favorite choices:

• Frozen edamame (thawed) tossed with a bit of low-sodium soy sauce
• An apple spread with a tablespoon of almond butter
• Nuts! Always nuts! 1 ounce of almonds, walnuts, pistachios, or pecans 
• 1/2 an avocado with a scoop of salsa in the middle
• Plain greek yogurt mixed with cinnamon & berries
• A can of tuna tossed with 1 oz sunflower seeds & balsamic vinegar
• Hard boiled eggs (1 yolk, 3 whites) with salt and pepper + sliced cherry tomatoes
• Cottage cheese mixed with cinnamon  
• Carrot sticks & hummus
• ANY fruits or veggies. Carrots, cucumber slices, red pepper slices, mango slices, grapefruit, grapes, the list goes on and on... eat up!
• Homemade trail mix (see basic combo below)
• Nut butter energy balls:

Another person requested a sample meal plan. Here's what an average day looks like for me:

• 5-6am (pre-workout): 1/2 cup applesauce (this is all my body can handle that early, but it has enough carbs to give me energy)

• 7am (breakfast): whole grain english muffin with either almond butter, cottage cheese mixed with cinnamon & splenda, or egg whites and cheese. Sometimes berries. Always coffee.

• 10:30am (snack #1): one large banana 

• 12pm (lunch): some combination of protein (chicken, steak, fish, shrimp) + carb (sweet potato, brown rice) + veggies

• 3pm (snack #2): simple homemade trail mix (see below for details)

• 6-7pm: dinner! you see many of my dinners with my recipes on the blog. I usually try to create dinners that are YUMMY, healthy, and balanced.

• 8pm: I don't usually have a snack after dinner. Sometimes green tea. If I do get hungry, I try to have some fruit or a few almonds. 

So that's it! No clue how many calories I eat, and I'm not interested in counting. This eating schedule rarely has me hungry... which is important! If I didn't eat a hearty breakfast like I do, I'd need way more than a banana before lunch -- I'd be reaching for whatever I could get my hands on at 10am! Another tip is: have your snacks ready to go the night before. Then just grab them before you leave in the morning so you don't have to do much thinking. You just eat what you have. Fewer options = greater likelihood you'll eat the healthy stuff you packed. Also, I typically eat slightly boring and pretty darn healthy all day prior to dinner -- this means that if I want to cook up spaghetti or tacos for dinner sometimes, it's no biggie. I know myself, and I know that dinner is when I like to cook up the good stuff for Ryan and I. Others prefer to have a bigger lunch then a light dinner.

Basically... Don't deprive yourself! This meal plan is just a template for me... it doesn't mean I never stray! Sometimes I reach for those cookies in the office even if I DID have a big breakfast. And it is no. big. deal. Don't let yourself get to a point of being starving. If your stomach is growling it wants you to feed it! Listen to your body and find what works for you. Then get in a groove and try to stick with it... most of the time.

So! Nearly every afternoon I eat a simple, healthy trail mix. You certainly don't need a recipe since it only has 2, sometimes 3, ingredients. Just about 1 ounce each of raw almonds and dried fruit (usually raisins or dried cranberries). Sometimes, not always, I'll add a tablespoon of dark chocolate chips as well. The combo is yummy, nutritious, and fills me up until dinner.

To me, these options are so much better than having a pre-packaged granola bar or a 100 calorie pack or crackers or cookies. Make the switch to eating non-processed foods and your body will thank you!

P.S. Did you know I created a facebook page for taylor made? Like the page for updates, links, photos & more :)