You are hereSnack Attack!
Snack Attack!
What do you eat when you're in a pinch? Most crossfitters I've talked to find bars and shakes to be the easiest and tastiest way to snack, but it's not always the healthiest. Unfortunately, the majority of the food bars that claim to be good for you are loaded with artificial flavors, preservatives, hydrogenated oils and not to mention sugar. Finding a decent snack during your mid-afternoon break can be somewhat of a daunting task, especially if your only option is the nearest vending machine.
I like to keep it real and tend to think that the body performs best on real food. The key to a good snack is protein. Protein & fat will give you more energy and keep you full longer than sugar. Here are some easy to assemble snacks that you can prepare at home or at work:
- hummus, avocado or raw goat cheese wrapped in thinly sliced deli meat, romaine lettuce leaves or nori sheets.
- crunchy veggies (bell pepper, cucumber, celery, carrots) with hummus or cheese
- hard boiled eggs
- raw nuts alone or with fruit
- sliced apples, celery or carrots with nut butter
- beef or turkey jerky
- plain yogurt or cottage cheese with nuts or fruit
- Kale Crunchies (sold at whole foods)
- gluten-free crackers and cheese
As you may know, I'm not a huge advocate of food bars and drinks, certainly not as a meal replacement, but in an emergency they can help prevent your blood sugar from crashing or making really poor choices because you're hungry. Look for bars that are made with whole foods such as, nuts, seeds and dried fruit. Keep it simple. The fewer ingredients the better but watch out for hidden sweeteners. Here's a list of some bars that I like:
- Organic Food Bar
- Larabar (check out this interview with Lara Merriken, CEO)
- Perfect Foods Bar (Serge's fav)
- Greens+ Bar
- Lance Bars
- YouBars.com (this is a website where you can customize your own bar by choosing from their list of natural ingredients. Nutrition facts are calculated automatically as you select the ingredients you want.)
In case anyone is interested, Yo!Naturals is one vending company that's kicked junk food to the curb! They provide healthier food options including organic milk!
Share your favorite go-to snack to comments.
I completely agree, although my snacks are now large enough to be called meals. Protein is also the most difficult to obtain conveniently. While there are exceptions, protein usually means meat. Eggs are good and so is milk, but after a gallon of milk in a day, you probably don't need any more. Also, eggs just don't taste good enough to eat lots and lots of them. Jerky is fine, but it's awfully salty and you don't get a lot of protein from it. When I was a veggie, I ate tofu, but whether or not soy is the greatest thing to be consuming is an unanswered question. Tofu doesn't really taste like much, either. My solution? A backpack meat locker. Cows look at me resentfully now that I eat so many of their brethren just so that I can squat more.
Pics from Saturday's track/OHS workout:
http://tomcampitelli.zenfolio.com/p1015361111
Since it's been at least a week since I have written it here, I love heavy metal.
I agree with Tom, the most frustrating part about snacking is getting the proper amount of protein. Cooking up some eggs or meat every time you need a snack can be a pain, as Connie mentioned all those food bars (great picks btw) you can get a quick dose of protein, especially with the Perfect Foods Bar. I consume 1-3 of those a day depending on how busy my schedule is in a given day. Bars seem to be the best solution when in a crunch, the only down side to Perfect Foods is the need for refrigeration. So if you need to take it on the go for later, you're out of luck.
P.S. Here's the Lance Bar hyperlink http://www.lance.com/products/nuts-seeds/peanut-bar
tom, the last photo in that series is awesome. it should be up in the gym somewhere.
also, speaking of the garbage that can be in conventional bars, shakes, and everything else: http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S26/91/22K07/
...just the thing. I mean the REAL Lance bars that are in our fridge. I don't know about you, but I am so thankful that we have Lance around to make those things. They are DA BOMB!! They are total carb nuggets, but really so worth it. I like to balance them out with a porterhouse steak and 2 dozen macadamias ;) I really don't go near any other bars, but carry them in my purse for emergencies (whiny kids).
As to snacks - I cannot say this enough: Carry your food with you - ALWAYS. Some staples: boiled eggs (best with brown mustard - thank you, Nicole!), cheese sticks (if you are doing dairy), beef jerky, oranges, apples, peppers (all colors), nuts and deli meat. If you are in a hurry just throw a package of roast beef an apple and bag of almonds in your lunch box. How hard is it! Don't forget a napkin and small knife.
Great post - thanks Connie!
When I'm traveling, my suitcase is full of food. For a 4-day trip, I have 20 ziploc bags of beef jerky, a similar number of apples or oranges and about 2 lbs of almonds. I took Connie's advice and completely eliminated bars, convenient though they were.
Often there's little time between flights to get food, and airport food isn't always the best. And at other times I might arrive or leave a hotel at hours when food isn't available.
When I'm home, snacking is such a breeze. I like to roast a big slab of meat and cut from it when I need food. If I'm going out, I'll cut a piece of meat, or some eggs and bring a piece of fruit and some nuts. The key is prior planning. It must be the pilot in me, I guess. I don't want to find myself running out of (the right kind of) fuel.
I use plain yogurt as a substitute for sour cream (put it on burritos, chips, etc)
nutz! I keep bowls of nuts in the cupboard next to the fridge. Walnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios - all unsalted
Hummus
Cheese - I really like the string cheese, the ritual of the peeling is one of life's small joys
I used to eat those little baby carrots, but I read they are washed in chlorine or something gross - anyone know if they are okay to eat?
Hey what do you guys think about Balance Bar? It's available at Trader Joe's and boast 40/30/30 nutritional ratio much like Zone recommends. Taste good too...