Smart Snacking!
We can never seem to have enough snack options when it comes to people wanting advice on what to eat between the 3 major meals throughout the day & any Personal Trainer will tell you that increasing your metabolism is super important if you want to lose weight or build lean muscle.
Snacking can also help you get in all the nutrients you need.
Are you ever stuck on clean, easy & healthy snack ideas? Let us help you!
Set yourself up for success by being prepared with your meals. Failing to prepare means you are preparing to fail!
Eating appealing & wholesome meals that you enjoy, make you more inclined to achieve permanent lifestyle changes as opposed to associating certain foods with a negative connection to your health & fitness goals - i.e "dieting" or restricting of certain food groups, that may in fact derail you & cause you to revert back to your old ways of eating poorly, binge eating or simply just overeating & not moving your body.
The secret is to make meals that you look forward to eating that will also keep your energy levels balanced, leaving you feeling fuller for longer between major meals!
The trick is to try & choose a snack with a mix of carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats to give you the fuel you need.
Here are some great 'make it yourself' snack ideas & recipes that are far from boring & incorporate great sources of nutrition that will appeal to the entire family:
Smoothies
Smoothies are such a simple & quick way to create a nourishing meal.
These are great to hide things like spinach or kale in with your favourite summer fruits, some coconut or Greek yogurt + scoop Vision Vanilla whey protein to hit your protein requirements for the day.
Try this for a breakfast smoothie:
100gms pineapple, 40gms banana, 100gms frozen mango, 40gms of coconut yoghurt, a handful of spinach & a scoop of Vision Vanilla Flavoured Whey Protein Powder. Just blitz away & enjoy!
So refreshing & packed full of good nutrition to kick-start the day.
Nuts
Sweet & sour nuts are on the menu & easy to make.
Recipe:
Spread your favourite nuts out on a baking tray & sprinkle them with a little Cinnamon or Tamari soy sauce & bake them for approximately 10mins in the oven at 150 degrees. Great for snacking on the run. YUMMO!
Hummus with veggie sticks!
Making your own hummus which is free from added salts, hydrogenated fats & preservatives is easy!
Recipe:
250gms green zucchini, washed & roughly chopped, 200gms of cooked chickpeas, 200gms sunflower seeds, toasted, 3 tbsp. lemon juice, 1 tbsp. lemon zest, 1 garlic clove crushed, 45gms extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp. ground cumin, 1 tbsp. ground coriander, 1 tbsp. good quality salt.
Place all ingredients apart in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Serve in a bowl on a platter with the vegetable sticks (sliced cucumber, capsicum, carrot).
Mini Ham & Zucchini Quiches
The little gems are portable & easy to pack for morning or afternoon tea, loaded with good fats & protein to keep you satisfied.
Recipe:
Combine 200gms grated zucchini, 80g lean ham, diced, 4 eggs, 45gms skim milk, 50gms mushrooms & a small sprinkle of cheese. Distribute mixture evenly into each muffin tin case & bake for 14 minute in a 200 degree oven until puffed and golden.
Homemade pesto
(on crunchy sourdough toast with tomato & ricotta.)
Nothing beats a homemade pesto! It is so versatile & can be used as a dip with crunchy bread with some ricotta & tomato or stirred through chicken with pasta or even made into a potato salad!
Recipe:
1 bunch basil leaves, washed, 2 garlic cloves, crushed, 40gms Parmesan cheese, 100gm cashews,
1 lemon juiced, 1 tsp lemon zest, 2 tsp smoked paprika, a pinch of salt to taste & 45gms of extra virgin olive oil. Blitz in a food processor & serve!
Guacamole
One of the simplest things to make, it tastes so good & is loaded with monounsaturated good fat!
You can't go wrong with this one.
Recipe:
2 ripe avocados, ½ small red onion, finely chopped, 1 fresh red chili, deseeded and finely chopped, large handful fresh coriander chopped (optional), 1 ripe tomato, finely chopped, juice of ½ lime, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper.
Mash avocado with a fork, add chopped red onion, chili, coriander, tomatoes and mix until well combined. Add lime juice and olive oil, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
Banana Protein balls
These are great to help curb the 3pm sugar cravings!
Recipe:
10gms dried banana, 50gms ground almonds, 25gms Vision Vanilla Whey Protein, 20gms raw cacao powder + extra for rolling & 15gms raw honey.
Soak banana chips until soft, add all ingredients to a food processor & blend well. Roll into small balls & then in Cacao to finish. Set in fridge for 2 hours & enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee!
As you can see, the above are all relatively simple & quick recipes to make for great morning and afternoon snacks or even to use for entertaining when you have people over.
It's all about being prepared. You don't need to be a chef; you just need a few basic recipes in your repertoire that you enjoy!
Skip the vending machine and satisfy the afternoon "pick me up" with a healthy snack you packed at home. You will save money & there will be a bigger bang for your nutritional buck!
Alicia Jovcevski
Studio Owner
*Disclaimer: Individual results vary based on agreed goals. Click here for details.
