There was a time where we as people ate 3 meals a day. We rarely snacked. But things have changed, we spend most of our time trying to find a quick energy fix to keep us going and going and going and going…

Snacks usually make up 20 to 50 percent of your total calories. If you’re a big fan of snacking then I encourage you to think of your snacks as meals so that you end up choosing wholesome foods instead of junk. Yeah…you know what I’m talking about, things like cookies, chips, coke, and other low nutritional energy boosters. In fact, I would eliminate the word “snack” from your vocabulary.  I recommend you start to think two lunches instead of one lunch and an afternoon snack.

This way, you’ll end up choosing wholesome foods (like vegetable soup) and not typical snacks (like sweets) in the afternoon.

Become a Wise Snacker

You probably believe that snacking is bad…but its not! It’s what you associate snacking with and for the most part when you hear the word “snack” you think of glazed doughnuts, cakes, candy bars, cookies, colas, and other sugary choices that fail to give you the nutrients you need for optimal weight loss and performance.

If you want to have high quality workouts, high energy, and good health, you need to fuel your body with quality calories.

If you keep away from snacking because you think eating between meals will “fatten” you up and give you that feeling of guilt – then you need to switch your mind set immediately! The truth is – snacking is very important.  If you’re active and trying to lose weight you’ll get hungry at least every four hours.

Fast Snacks For Busy Women

When you’re eating on the run and grabbing snacks instead of real meals, be sure to choose wholesome foods. You can make excellent choices from many nutritious and conveniently available items. Here are some popular suggestions:

• Whole-grain bagel with peanut butter and a yogurt.
• Thin-crust pizza with green peppers.
• Peanut butter, crackers, and V-8 juice.
• Trail mix with nuts and dried fruit.
• Granola with low-fat milk and banana.
• Chinese takeout stir-fry chicken with vegetables and steamed rice.
• instant oatmeal made with low-fat milk.

Did you notice how each snack includes foods from at least two food groups?

The next list provides you with extra ideas for snacks and grazing at home and on the road. You’ll want to choose foods from different groups to help balance your eating so even when you graze throughout the day you can get a variety of nutrients for good health and top performance.

• Dry cereal – Mix your favorite cereal with raisins, dried fruits, cinnamon, or nothing!
• Popcorn – Eat plain or sprinkled with spices such as chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, or soy sauce. If you like, spray with low-calorie butter-flavor sprays so that the spices stick.
• Pretzels – If you wish to reduce your salt intake, knock off the salt or buy salt-free pretzels.
• Crackers - Stoned wheat, sesame, bran, and other reduced-fat or fat-free brands are good choices.
• Smoothies - Whip together milk or juice, fresh or frozen fruit, and wheat germ or flax meal.
• Frozen fruit bars – You can slowly savor these pleasant treats in good health.
• Yogurt – Buy plain low-fat yogurt and flavor it with vanilla, honey, cinnamon, instant decaffeinated coffee, applesauce, fruit cocktail, or berries.