When you adopt a “whole foods” approach to nutrition it’s very common to have a hard time managing snacks. Pretzels, chips, most protein bars and candies are no longer acceptable in your diet… so, what SHOULD you eat for snacks? Well, there’s a lot you can eat!

Choose a protein or fat, and a carbohydrate from the lists below. Eat them together and voila! You have a well balanced snack that will keep your blood sugar levels stable, staving off hunger and keeping energy levels constant between meals.

PROTEINS

  • eggs (hard boiled makes ’em easy)
  • deli meats (low nitrate, sugar-free, all-natural)
  • leftover pieces of chicken, turkey, steak, pork, etc., from dinner the night before

FATS

  • nuts (no peanuts), seeds and nut butters
  • avocado and guacamole
  • coconut chips/flakes, coconut butters and coconut oil
  • olives, olive oil and homemade mayo (egg, olive oil, vinegar, spices — this is awesome by the way!)

CARBOHYDRATES

  • Veggies: carrots, celery, cucumbers, peppers, beets, snap peas, string beans, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.
  • Fruits: apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, berries, melons, etc.
  • Starches: sweet potatoes, white potatoes, squashes, etc.

SNACK IDEAS

  • ½ Cucumber cut into sticks wrapped in deli turkey slices
  • cucumber, carrot and celery sticks dipped in guacamole or homemade ranch dressing (mayo base)
  • ½ melon sliced wrapped in proscuitto
  • ½ palm size of steak, chicken, salmon or turkey dipped in guacamole w/ handful homemade plantain chips
  • handful plantain chips and guacamole
  • 2 slices deli meat wrapped around ½ avocado sliced
  • ½ sweet potato w/ 3 Applegate breakfast sausages (no maple)
  • handful of green beans w/ palm full of ground meat (chicken, turkey, beef)
  • 1 pieces of fruit (or 1 cup of fruit) w/ thumbs worth of nut butter (almond, cashew, sunflower)
  • 12-15 nuts w/ a piece or 1 cup of fruit
  • Bars: RxBars, Paleo Naturals Bars (not whole30 compliant) and Pure bars (not whole30 compliant)