My Favorite Healthy Snacks

I love snacking! I also think snacking is a vital tool for keeping your energy high throughout the day and for maintaining a healthy weight. However, not all snacks are created equally...in addition, some snacks are ideal for certain times of the day such as before or after a workout, or after dinner. Here is a list of my favorite snacks and when it is ideal to eat them. I hope this gives you guys inspiration to start snacking away!

What counts as a "snack"?
- under 300 calories
- eaten between meals
- ideally contains both carbs and protein

When should you eat a snack?
- 1-2 hours before exercise
- within 30 minutes after exercise
- when you need a boost of energy
- when you are hungry between meals

When you should NOT eat a snack:
- when you are bored
- when you are not hungry
- within 30 minutes of going to bed

My favorite snacks!!

1. Roll ups :roll pretty much anything up in a Josephs low carb flax oat tortilla! Great for a pre/post workout snack...some of my favorite combinations are:
- PBJ roll up
- PB banana roll up
- PB and granola roll up
- PB cinnamon and raisin roll up
- Hummus and veggie roll up
- Hardboiled egg and guac roll up
- Hardboiled egg and cream cheese roll up
- BLT roll up (one slice apple gate farms turkey bacon), low fat mayo, lettuce, tomato

2. Peanut butter and carrots
3. Ants on a log (PB on celery with raisins) sometimes i put dark chocolate chips instead of rasins :)
4. Sassy Snack Mix : mix together one container whole foods dry edamame, one container whole foods wasabi green peas, and one container whole foods honey sesame stix! yum!!
4. air popped popcorn
5. Vanilla greek yogurt with a T of almond butter stirred in (I like chunky almond butter)
6. Whole grain crackers with cabbot 75% reduced fat white sharp cheddar cheese
7. Cheddar, BBQ, or Ranch soy crisps
8. Non fat ricotta cheese mixed with jam and spread on crackers
9. Non fat ricotta cheese mixed with vanilla, cinnamon,blueberries, granola
10. Fruit and cheese plate ( 1 hardboiled egg, few blocks on cabbot 75% reduced fat cheddar,  handful of mixed berries)
11. Newmans own protein pretzels with hummus
12. Larabar Uber (love the apple crisp, and cherry cobbler flavors)
13. Planters heart healthy mixed nut packets (lightly salted peanuts, walnuts, almonds, pistachios)
14. Small bowl of 365 organic peanut butter balls cereal with skim milk
15. small handful of dark chocolate chips
16. 1 whole wheat bagel thin with 1 wedge laughing cow light cream cheese
17. Brown unsalted rice cake topped with hummus, peanut/almond butter, laughing cow cheese wedge
18. Moms organic multigrain hot cereal packs (love the apple cinnamon flavor, can be found at whole foods)
19.chocolate milk (awesome post workout)
20. mini size original Pinkberry frozen yogurt with fresh berries
21. Starbucks tall 1 pump vanilla non fat latte (iced or hot)
22. Starbucks chocolate banana viviano smoothie (post workout deliciousness)
23. All natural ginger snaps spread with peanut butter
24. Vita tops, Vita muffins, Vita brownies (heat up double chocolate vita muffin in the microwave for 20 seconds and eat with a fork -- tastes like chocolate cake)
25. Deli meat and cheese roll ups

Happy Snacking!!