PrePlanning with Healthy Snacks

to avoid the sugar crash

We all struggle with finding the time to plan and pack our healthy food and snacks everyday especially when you are a busy mom or a busy mom with a full or part time job. We moms all have so many hats we wear and it seems we are constantly jumping from one activity to the next. Due to these busy schedules we all have we often put nutrition on the back burner. We run and run and then all of a sudden we realize that we haven’t eaten and we are STARVING! What do grab? Something quick, easy and often loaded with simple CARBS and SUGAR- Chips, chocolate, pretzels, snack bars, etc! 
What is this sugar crash and how does it take place?
To understand how this happens first we need to understand a little bit about processed foods. The food industry has made it very convenient for us to be able to whip up a quick and easy meal or snack. They have put everything imaginable in a box, a frozen food or a snack making it easy to heat up and serve. What that means is that food is highly processed. During the processing the vitamins and minerals are removed while adding artificial substances such as chemicals, preservatives, salt and sugar to preserve the shelf life, make it last longer and taste better. 70% of most Americans foods come from processed foods! All these additives are also shown to cause obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol leading to an increased risk of heart disease and strokes as well as many forms of cancer. Yikes!​​
​These processed foods are also high in carbohydrates, not the good kind or complex carbohydrates (found in fruits, veggies, WHOLE grains and legumes) but the refined or or simple carbohydrate kind (found in white bread, white rice, and most processed foods).  When manufacturers process foods or take out fat they often add in carbohydrates from sugar, refined grains or or other starches. What is a refined grain? During processing the bran and germ of the grain (the good parts with all the nutrients and fiber) are removed. Ever read the label “enriched”? Yep. That is exactly what that means. The good parts of the grain were stripped out during processing and then later they had to go back and replace those vitamins and minerals removed. However, all that awesome fiber (that stuff that keeps us full longer) is still missing. These processed foods are super easy for the body to digest. This causes a rapid spike in blood sugar and insulin but then leads to a quick crash or fall in blood sugar a few hours later. This leaves you feeling hungry and makes you grab for another snack once again.

What does this mean for you? ​​


If you can pair a complex carb (like a fruit, veggie or whole grain) with a healthy fat (like avocadoes, hummus, or a handful of nuts) or a healthy protein (chicken, egg, cottage cheese) you will feel full longer and not have those rapid spikes and drops in your blood sugar. You won’t be reaching for that bag of chips an hour or two later!

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What are some Healthy Snacks? ​


Let’s talk about some good options! I always have a snack on hand so I don’t find myself reaching for a quick fix. So easy to pack a bag of nuts, a banana, or an apple for when you are on the go! Here is a list of some healthy snack ideas to keep on hand for that time between meals when you are craving a quick fix!

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A small bunch of grapes and a low fat string cheese.

2 handfuls of strawberries and small handful of raw unsalted nuts (I love walnuts or almonds!)

A handful of carrots and cucumbers dipped in 1 tbsp of hummus.

2 whole wheat rice cakes (no salt added) or whole grain toast with 1 tbsp all natural pb (you can even add a few raisins on top!)

1 cup plain greek yogurt, 1 orange cut up with 1 tbsp almonds (if you prefer it a bit sweeter then add just a bit of honey or agave nectar)

1/2 cup cottage cheese and a handful of berries



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1 banana with 1 tbsp all natural nut butter (one of my favs!)

1 apple with 1 tbsp nut butter or a handful of raw unsalted almonds.

1 Sliced apple topped with all natural peanut butter and a few raisins (a kid favorite!)
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And of coarse one of my personal favorites… SHAKEOLOGY. It can be a meal or snack! It is quick, easy and no planning required- just blend and go!​

If you ever have questions, need help with meal ideas or planning please email me and I’d love to chat with you and come up with some healthy ideas! My passion is health and fitness and to be able to help others is what I love doing!

 You can chose healthy, make changes one step at a time, one day at a time.
Compounded over time those small changes will add up to huge rewards!
You can be healthy and feel amazing! 
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