- Mar
- 8
- 2017
Don’t go home hungry!
Do you want to have fewer cravings at night to prevent mindless eating? “Eating a healthful snack at the end of our work day – 4:00 to 5:00 pm – can actually help take the edge off of overeating in the evening,” says Erin Keane, RD, CDN, CDE, Assistant Clinical Nutrition Manager-Outpatient at Lenox Hill Hospital. “After doing this consistently, you’ll reduce your cravings and curb the urge to keep eating after dinner because you’ll create satiety — a feeling or condition of being full after eating food.”
Here’s a list of healthy snacks that have the right balance of nutrients- they all include protein and/or healthy fat to increase your satiety. Avoid snacking on carbs alone (i.e., granola bars, pretzels, crackers, fruit, juices, cookies) because these high carb snacks cause your body to experience sugar spikes that can actually make you more hungry!
“Helpful” Snacks:
• 1 tablespoon natural peanut or almond butter and a medium sized fruit
• Reduced fat cottage cheese and fruit (1 cup)
• 3-4 cups plain popped popcorn and 1 handful of nuts
• 1 cup plain yogurt with 1 cup blueberries or strawberries with 1 handful almonds, walnuts or pecans
• Raw vegetables and yogurt dip (i.e. look for Dannon Greek yogurt dips)
• Celery with 1-1.5 tablespoons natural peanut or almond butter and a medium sized fruit
• 1 slice whole wheat toast with 1 tbsp natural peanut or almond butter
• Reduced fat cheese (i.e. string cheese, babybel light, laughing cow) with wasa fiber crackers (optional)
• Handful of unsalted nuts (i.e. 30 almonds, 30 peanuts, 16 cashews or 12 walnut halves)
• 1 cup baby carrots (about 15) with 2-3 Tbsp hummus