Karen Aroney (ExecFuel), is an Accredited Nutritionist, lover of surfing & fitness and is a mum. She is passionate about helping you create a balance with food, so that what you eat is both enjoyable and used effectively as fuel for your own individual body. Karen specialises in general nutrition and sports nutrition, with her focus being to support you to find that balance between working hard and training hard, whilst simultaneously living your healthiest, fittest, and happiest life.
We welcomed her in 2020 to Her Wave as one of our Her Wellness program delivery partners, where we collaborate with our local surf schools to provide our communities a practical approach to wellbeing through Surfing + Nutrition coaching experiences.
Simple, Healthy, Portable Snacks to Take with You Anywhere
By Karen Aroney at ExecFuelTM (BA Psy, ANutr, ANS)
Have you ever experienced that afternoon slump around 3 p.m. where your energy seems to disappear?
Most people experience this daily but rather than sneaking a nap at your desk or downing a large cup of coffee, try eating a protein-rich snack for an energy boost to get you through the rest of the day. Energy levels can crash when you go more than four or five hours without eating so it’s important to always have healthy snacks on hand for emergency situations.
Most busy professionals and parents know how hard it can be to make time for eating throughout the day, especially healthy eating. However, if pack healthy snacks at home there is never an excuse for missing a snack when you’re stuck in meetings all day, rushing to your workout or when you leave the gym famished. Rather than eating a snack that will leave you hungry again an hour later, it’s best to eat protein-rich snacks for lasting energy. Protein digests slowly to keep blood sugar steady and control cravings. This is why it can also help you lose weight because it’s easier to stick to a meal plan when you feel satisfied by the foods you’re eating. Here is a list of healthy, protein-packed snacks you can take anywhere.
- Greek Yogurt – With more protein and half the sugar compared to regular yogurt, Greek yogurt offers a healthy and gut-friendly probiotic rich snack. Single-size portion cups are available for travel to work.
- Apple or Banana with Peanut Butter – It’s so easy to always carry around a piece of fruit in your bag. Keep a jar of peanut or nut butter at your desk for easy access or buy single serving packets to keep in your work bag for on the go.
- Almond Butter Rice Cakes – sweet, delicious and packed with nutrients. Just add fruit, honey/maple syrup, nuts or cocoa nibs. See the full recipe here.
- Hard Boiled Eggs – Do you use a weekly meal prep method? Throw an entire carton of eggs in a boiling pot of water while you’re prepping your lunches for the week and you’ll have hard-boiled eggs for a protein-rich afternoon snack too.
- Cottage Cheese + veggie sticks – With 28 grams of protein per cup, you can’t beat cottage cheese when it comes to healthy snacking. Cottage cheese contains casein protein, a slow-digesting protein that supplies growing muscles with a steady supply of vital amino acids. Check nutrition labels to find a cottage cheese brand with low sodium.
- Almonds, Cashews, Pepitas – For the best option, choose whole, natural and unsalted. This healthy snack provides you with replenished energy, protein, and fibre.
- 1 Medium Banana – yes it sounds simple. That’s because it is! packed with fibre, potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and various antioxidants and phytonutrients, this wonder fruit is also low in fat and provides you with the energy your brain needs to function.
- Hummus Cup – This snack is easy to prepare in your own to-go containers at home or you can buy single-serving hummus cups that come with veggies or crackers. Combine your hummus from home with baby carrots, sliced bell peppers, or cucumber slices for a delicious and nutritious snack option.
- ¼ Avocado – filled with healthy fats that will keep you full, this fruit is also packed with nutrients to help your brain stay focused.
- Carrot Cake Muffins – a Portable, nutritious and filling low-calorie snack with your afternoon tea. See the full recipe here.
- Dark Chocolate – This is a great healthy snack option when you’re feeling tired or fatigued at work. Choose dark chocolates with at least 60 percent cocoa content which is linked to reduced heart disease risk and lower body fat. The antioxidants in dark chocolate can also help increase metabolism. Remember this one is in moderation!
- Energy Balls – These yummy homemade treats come in all kinds of flavours. For a protein-rich homemade snack, try energy bite recipes that don’t have processed sugar. See the full recipe here.
- Kale Chips – We all know kale is a superfood full of vitamins C, K and A. Buy pre-made kale chips at the grocery store or make your own at home on meal-prep day tossed with a little olive oil and sea salt then baked until crispy.
- Trail Mix – Check out how to make easy, healthy trail mix from our recipes here.
Wouldn’t it be great if your food choices were easy to make? If it were second nature and you could get on with your day? If choosing something healthy to eat wasn’t hard work? If what you ate fuelled you, not detailed your health + fitness goals?
If you want to get it right the first time, I’ll help you gain clarity with a 20-minute call. Bookings at www.execfuel.com.au/contact
For the full article visit https://www.execfuel.com.au/blog/simple-healthy-portable-snacks-to-take-with-you-anywhere
