It’s 3pm and you’re sitting at your desk, when all of a sudden your tummy rumbles and you just have to have something to eat! What should you do? Ignore your cravings? NO! Grab a cookie or a donut? Of course not!  Instead, reach for a satisfying snack that is both tasty and nourishing at the same time. See my top 10 list below.

When it comes to a healthy snack, it’s key to have it be nutritionally dense. Too often, we fill up on the empty calories found in breads, chips, crackers, pretzels, cookies, cakes, pastries, candy and soda.

In order to get our nutritional needs met, we need to consider our snack time as a time to nourish ourselves with real food (ie. a mini meal) instead of empty calories just to hold you over to the next meal.

I recommend that you schedule your snack before you become too hungry, which is when your blood sugar has dropped and you are prone to over-eating. For one week, take note when you start to get tired or hungry after a meal, and then plan to eat your snack around 15-20 minutes before this time to keep your blood sugar balanced and your metabolic fire going strong.

While it’s important to get foods from different food groups, it’s equally important to consume combinations of macronutrients from whole food sources – meaning pairing a complex carbohydrates with a healthy fat and a quality protein. Keep this in mind when choosing snacks (and meals too!)

My current top 10 grab and go balanced and nutrient dense snacks:

1. A green smoothie (grab your super smoothie guide on my here)

2. Chia Pod 

3. A wholesome Trail mix such as Caravan from Le Pain Quotidient

4. Kale chips

5. A piece of fruit or cut up veggies with Justin’s Almond butter

6. Chocolate Coconut Chips

7. TracHealth Chia drink mix

8. Clean Jerky (without nitrates and other additives)

9. Organic Hard boiled eggs

10. Nutrition bar such as Ever Bar or Chia Warrior