Building balanced snacks is going to be very similar to building a balanced meal but on a smaller scale.
Instead of four components like in meals, we are considering just three:
1. Protein
2. Healthy fats
3. Fiber (carbohydrates), which for snacks can be vegetables, fruits, and/or complex carbs (starches)
Because we also usually want and need snacks to be simple, we can count many healthy fats as proteins, such as nuts and nut butter.
Let's look at some examples:
So for this snack, an apple and peanut butter, the apple is our source of fiber/carbohydrates and the peanut butter is our protein and fats.
Why do we need to pair carbs with protein and healthy fats??
Well, why do we eat a snack? Because we're hungry, right? Carbohydrate and fiber-containing foods like fruits and vegetables are fantastic for our overall health, and they help fill up our stomachs, but they tend not to keep us satisfied. So, we want to make our snack filling AND satiating, meaning it keeps us full until our next meal. If that meal isn't for another three hours and we are hungry now, we definitely want a filling snack. If you've ever had just a piece of fruit for a snack and have been hungry a minute later, you'll know exactly what I mean. Carbs help fill us up, protein and healthy fats keep us satiated.
What if I don't have a food that is a protein and healthy fat?
No problem! Then, you just add whatever you need to to balance it out:
In this example, we have non-fat Greek yogurt, which is a great source of protein, but has no fat. If we want it to be more filling, we can add some healthy fats to it, like nuts or seeds.
If we had full-fat Greek yogurt, however, then that would have fats in it already and we likely wouldn't need additional fats. Make sense?
Alright, so what are some other examples of foods to use for snacks?
(These are not extensive lists)
Protein
Cheese, low-fat and non-fat
Cottage cheese, low-fat and non-fat
Deli meat
Eggs, hard boiled
Yogurt, low-fat and non-fat
+more
Just Healthy Fats
Avocado
Coconut
Dark chocolate
+more
Protein & Healthy Fats
Almonds
Almond butter
Cheese, full-fat
Chia seeds
Chickpeas, roasted in olive oil (also fiber/carb)
Cottage cheese, full-fat
Edamame, roasted in olive oil (also fiber/carb)
Flax seeds
Hemp seeds
Hummus
Peanuts
Peanut butter
Pumpkin seeds
Sunflower seeds
Sunbutter
Walnuts
Yogurt, full-fat
+more
Fiber/Carbohydrates (choose at least 1)
Vegetables
Bell peppers
Carrots
Celery
Cucumbers
Romaine lettuce
+more
Fruits
Apples
Bananas
Berries
Grapes
Kiwifruit
Mangoes
Melons
Oranges
Pears
+more
Starches
Chickpeas, roasted
Chips, whole grain/bean
Crackers, whole grain/whole food
Edamame, roasted
Popcorn
Rice cakes
+more
What about serving sizes?
So this is really going to depend on many biological factors, when your next meal is, how hungry you are, etc. But in general aim for around:
Protein: 7-15 grams of protein, not weight (i.e. 1 egg, 1-2 oz meat, 1 oz cheese, 1/2 cup beans, ~1/2 cup Greek yogurt )
Healthy fats: 5-15 grams (i.e. 1-2 Tbs nut/seed butter, 1/4-1/2 avocado, 1/8 - 1/4 cup nuts, 1 oz cheese)
Fiber (carbs): 5-15 grams (1/2-1 cup vegetables, 1 piece of fruit, 1-2 rice cakes, 3 cups popcorn, 7-15 crackers)
What are some ideas?
Crackers or vegetables sticks + hummus
Apple or banana + peanut butter
Vegetable sticks + Greek yogurt flavored with ranch seasoning
Greek yogurt + berries
Cheese + apple
Cheese + crackers
Celery + peanut or almond butter
Hard boiled egg + almonds + strawberries
Romaine lettuce + deli meat + cheese
Greek yogurt + peanut butter + berries
Rice cake + hummus + cucumbers
Roasted chickpeas
Roasted edamame
Popcorn + almonds + blueberries
What are your favorite snacks? Share in the comments!