Folks often think that snacking is a bad thing...but if you want to keep your metabolism burning all day, snacking is actually a GOOD idea. The key is making HEALTHY snack choices, sticking to proper portion sizes, & not eating too frequently.
Ideally, you should be eating every 2 1/2 - 3 hours throughout the day. So instead of 3 big meals, you are having 5-6 smaller meals / snacks spread out throughout the day.
Here is an example of what that might look like for a day:
sample meal plan
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Monday
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Workout
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Max 30
Cardio Challenge
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Breakfast
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Shakeology
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AM Snack
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egg white oatmeal (1 red, 1 yellow) with apples
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Lunch
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salad, left-over steak, dressing, clementine
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PM Snack
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cucumbers, homemade clean eating black bean dip
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Dinner
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baked cod, mixed veggies, brown rice
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I look at my nutritional needs as a whole for the day / week when I am planning. I generally plan my meals first & then use my snacks to fill in any gaps, like needing to fit in another serving of vegetables.
I also like to keep my snacks simple to grab & go, as well as kid-friendly - because when my kids see me snacking they almost always want to join in!
Some of my favorite go-to snacks:
*apple & 12 almonds
*cucumbers / carrots &
hummus or
black bean dip
*mini bell peppers & string cheese
*plain Greek yogurt with fresh berries & cinnamon
*
apple nachos
*
Shakeology
*multigrain unsalted rice cakes with all natural nut butter & fresh berries or banana slices
*hard boiled eggs & fresh vegetables
*air popped popcorn & raisins
Multi-grain unsalted rice cake, 1 Tbls. all natural peanut butter (only ingredient is peanuts!), fresh strawberry slices, & a sprinkling of Chia seeds...take a ride down to flavor town.