S.N.A.C.K.S. (Habits Part III)

SNACKS

I add snacks under habits because somewhere along the road someone out there invented six meals a day, which created the idea and habit of eating

ALL THE TIME.

 

This subject is largely debatable.

There are hundreds of diets out there alone that give mixed messages.

Some say you should eat six small meals a day, another eat every hour and many teach you should never let your body feel hungry or it starts to pull from your muscles causing depletion.

This is false unless it's been days since you've eaten.

This is false even for the big guys out there...

meaning the body builders.

Eww!

Please know that I write this from an everyday living for a lifetime, not as a short term diet or for someone that's in training.  I am aware for athletes, body-builders, and other diet restrictions not all of these things apply.

 

Where was I?

Oh, yes...

It's okay to feel hunger.

But if you are a Snacker (like most people),

here are some things to know about snacks.

I created a little acronym to help:

S-small amounts of

N-nutrients

A-at your

C-convenience,

K-kwik (it was the best I could come up with) and

S-simple

 

Snacks should not be large or filling.

They should be easy and quick,

enough to hold you over at your next eating zone.

Snacks are not necessary.

Once again, it's okay to feel hunger.

I'm a Southerner and I KNOW how food plays a role in everything we do.

My sons middle school team now ask for parents to provide snacks.

WHAT?????

I won't go there.

We have slowly become a society where food is the center.

As a person, who loves to entertain,

it's not easy.

 

Remember:

Portion and variety.

Change it up.

Don't eat chips every day.

You can never just eat one.

Some examples of snacks:

• banana with peanut butter/Nutella
• pudding with peanuts
• applesauce and granola bar/graham cracker/cheese
• trail mix
• small bag of chips or handful of chips
• crackers and cheese
• yogurt
• fruit with hard boiled egg.

There are a lot of different combinations.

For my family, I keep a "snack drawer."  It's a quick go to, very limited, but easy to slip in my purse if we are heading out the door and running errands.  Depending what's on sale usually determines what I put in the snack drawer.  My boys know to eat within their time zones.  Too much and it's gone!  If they run out of snacks, too bad.  They don't get replaced until the next month.  You will find I am a bit of a food-Nazi.











I was feeling generous in January because my youngest loves Frozen and the Frozen fruit snacks were on sale.  I haven't bought fruit snacks in almost a year!  The rice krispies too were on sale, so lucky boys.  They manage to make those last to the last week of the month!  Other items: granola bars, applesauce, honey roasted peanuts, regular peanuts, cashews, and peanut butter.  Thankfully, we don't have any nut allergies!