When you’re having an overwhelmingly busy day, week, month, it’s inevitable that you’re going to reach for quick and easy snacks. But being hungry and in a hurry doesn’t have to mean being unhealthy… To help you make the right choices I want to share some of my top tips for making great snack choices.
Sweets for my sweet (tooth) – Ever wondered why you feel hangry if you haven’t eaten for a while? Low blood sugar triggers the release of stress-related hormones like cortisol and adrenaline leaving more than your tummy grumbling! A little bit of what you fancy can change your mood in an instant, but beware… That sticky, sweet sugar-licious fix can play havoc with those hormone levels too.
What to avoid:
– Artificial sweeteners: These include aspartame; my general rule of thumb is to ask yourself whether your granny would have used it in her cooking?
– Different types of sugars listed to confuse: Things like high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, glycerol, sorbitol, sucanet and grape syrup may sound harmless, but these highly processed sugars are highly addictive.
– Fruit juice concentrate – Fruit sugar is natural, necessary and normal in the fruit it comes from as you would consume it in small quantities and usually with the fibre, vitamins and minerals, but removed concentrated and refined and then added back into products without the wholefruit it came from, then makes it unnatural and therefore unhealthy and no different from refined sugar.
Better alternatives: Raw honey, Maple syrup, Coconut blossom nectar, Stevia, Dates, brown rice syrup, lucuma, cinnamon and liquorice.
Feelgood fats – Fats are an essential part of your diet, but not all fats are created equal.
What to avoid:
– Trans fats and saturated fats.
Better alternatives:
– Extra virgin olive oil. Use this for drizzling, not for cooking as most nutrients are lost in the cooking process.
– Coconut oil in pure form, not deodorised (this has been through some awful processes including bleaching to strip out the coconut flavours!) Coconut oil can be used in cooking as it retains all its nutrients.
– Raw Avocado, nuts, homemade nut butters and seeds.
Delicious Dairy – Milk and dairy products are a great source of protein and calcium, but if you’re lactose intolerant, some great dairy replacements are coconut yoghurt, coconut milk, nut milk, oat milk or rice milk.
Snack well – Colourful food equals a colourful life! Eat a rainbow and mix up what you eat for snacks. Choose wholefoods and organic, where possible. Locally sourced foods are always a winner. Eat plenty of raw fresh foods, including fresh fruit, juices, eggs, berries, nuts, seeds, raw vegetables, fresh homemade soup.
Choose Frog Hollow Goodness – Frog Hollow super snacks were born out of my frustration when confronted with the sad range of fat-free and diet foods, offered as treats whilst trying to banish the burden of a few extra pounds! I felt that these solemn offerings didn’t fill me with energy and in fact, were causing me harm. I made a conscious decision to step away from artificial sweeteners and consume only nutritious whole foods. With nothing on the market that was completely natural and still able to curb my sugar cravings, I set about creating my own snacks. All Frog Hollow energy bites, superfood cakes and raw cacao truffles are free from dairy, gluten and refined sugar. These nutrient rich delights will help you snack well and ensure your tummy smiles!
