Snacks! Everybody wants them and wants to know what to have. Or should I say, what they CAN have. I get more questions about this than anything else.
Back in the 1950’s, people ate meals, and snacks were the sole property of growing children. Today snacking takes place throughout the day without a compensating caloric reduction at mealtimes.
Research in the fitness industry has informed us that we should eat every two to four hours and not wait until we get too hungry. We now know that maintaining level blood sugar is important to achieving a healthy weight and preventing Type 2 diabetes.
Every expert in the nutrition field recommends a healthy snack between most meals, and especially within the hour before a workout. It is important to have readily available carbohydrates to fuel your workout, although scientific evidence suggests that it’s best to combine carbohydrates with protein and some healthy fats for optimum performance.
So here’s the problem. It’s hard to buy good snacks. Just look at your typical vending machine. People coming to the gym are not bringing a mini-kitchen in their gym bags. So I like to help members discover how to make good snacks that are simple and easy to prepare. And carry in their gym bags.
Planning and preparation are typically the key factors in successful weight management regardless of the meal. These are skills everyone needs whether going to the gym, work or at home.
But time management is also critical to pulling this all together. And time is always the one thing everybody seems to never have enough of.
This is where the food industry has stepped in and created a “monster.” Fast, convenient and tasty is what the consumer demands and that is what they’ll get. But is it healthy? Probably not so much. And the snack business is likely one of the biggest sectors in the food industry.
My pet peeve is the ubiquitous “100 Calorie” snacks. As though having the “right” amount of fewer calories will make up for the inferior quality of the ingredients! Can’t we just have an apple with some peanut butter and all get along?
How about a banana and a handful of raw almonds? It’s very portable, needs no refrigeration or microwaving, it has fiber and meets the requirements for containing all three macronutrients. And because it’s healthy, you don’t have to count the calories.
I am very proud to say that my home club is the first in our company to have organic and gluten free items in our vending machines! It wasn’t that difficult, it turns out. A simple request to the vendor, a little time to make it happen and voila! The vendor has a relationship with a local organic food market with its name is clearly displayed on the machine. That is a partnership that can enhance everybody’s health.
Judith Samuels, M.A. is a certified nutrition and wellness consultant and master personal trainer at Sport&Health Clubs in the Washington D.C. Metro Area. She can be reached via e-mail at judi@judisamuels.com.
