Happy National Snack Food Month!
This month, rethink the myth that snacking derails health goals—instead, we’re redefining it as a way to listen to and fuel your body, keep energy up, and nourish yourself. Keep reading to learn the importance of listening to your body’s signals, what your snack cravings mean, and explore our fun DIY snack ideas.
Snacking is Fuel: The Benefits of Snacks
Did you know that snacking is actually good for you? When done mindfully, snacking provides us with a lot of great benefits, some of them being:
- Having a snack helps keep energy levels steady in between meals
- Snacking prevents extreme hunger, keeping us from overeating later in the day
- Eating a nutritious snack supports our brain function, focus, and mood
- Snacking when we feel like can give us essential nutrients lacking from past meals
Instead of fighting cravings or feeling guilty for snacking in between meals, try listening to what our bodies ask for, and choosing snacks that nourish and satisfy! Here’s how.
What Your Snack Cravings Mean (And How to Listen to Them)
Craving something specific and not sure what it means? Here’s your quick guide to understanding your body’s needs a little bit more.
- Craving chocolate? You might need magnesium, which supports muscle function. Listen to it and eat some dark chocolate, as well as nuts or bananas.
- Craving something salty? Your body could use more electrolytes! In addition to drinking more water, we like cherry tomatoes, avocados, or even coconut water.
- Craving bread or carbs? Your body could likely use more quick energy and B vitamins. Whole grain crackers, popcorn, or oatmeal are great choices!
- Craving sweets? This could signal low blood sugar or a need for natural sugars. Snack on some fresh berries, dates, or even an organic SuperFruit Freezie Pop.
- Craving cheese? You might need more calcium or healthy fats. Enjoy some cheese sticks, greek yogurt, or a slice of avocado toast.
Snack Inspiration: Nourishing Healthy Snack Ideas
Now that we know that cravings are often our body’s way of asking for something it needs, let’s talk about the fun part—delicious snack ideas! Here are some of our favorite nourishing, nutrient-dense, or fun snack ideas to make or keep on hand for when the cravings hit.
- Apple Nachos: Sliced apples drizzled with nut butter. You can top these with granola, dark chocolate chips, and more.
- Hummus and Veggie Jars: Pre-fill small jars with hummus, and stick in colorful veggie sticks (like carrot or celery) for a grab-and-go snack.
- Energy Balls: We love to blend dates, nuts, coconut, seeds, and cocoa powder into little snack balls for a natural-sugar-based snack.
- DIY Popcorn Mix: Try tossing some air-popped popcorn with nutritional yeast, cinnamon, or a dark chocolate drizzle for a quickly customizable snack.
- Yogurt Parfait Jars: Layer greek yogurt, fresh fruit, granola, and other toppings for a protein-packed snack that you can take out of the fridge anytime.
- Sweet Potato Toasts: Roast sweet potato slices and top them with nut butter, hemp seeds, and more for a filling, energy-rich hot snack!
- Avocado Rice Cakes: If you’re all about savory, we love to spread avocado on rice cakes (or toast), sprinkling with chili flakes, pumpkin seeds, and other seasonings.
- Cheese and Fruit Skewers: Stack cheese cubes, grapes, and other small fruit you have on hand for a fun and satisfying mid-day snack.
