Prescribe Nutrition: Snacks for Energy

Katie and Megan of Prescribe Nutrition have a program starting May 20th teaching New Rules: Nutrition for Real Life and are offering a 20% discount for 100 Days of Real Food readers. Read on to find out more.


Want energy? Snack it out.

Snacks.  For many of us they are the glue that holds the day together; like the very pillars that keep a structure standing.  We know there are a lot of theories on snacking, everything from “They are a must, you should eat every 2-3 hours” to… “Three meals a day and no snacks is better for digestion.”

At Prescribe Nutrition, we believe that everyBODY works differently and has different needs. That is the foundation of functional nutrition.  We also believe that snacking supports blood sugar which is key to {here comes a list likely to perk you up}: more energy, better concentration, better sleep, elevated moods, more productivity and on and on.

Truth be told, these words apply to everyone from a  2 day old to a 92 year old.  Think about it – your new baby gets cranky and irritable when hungry, right?  Well, as we grow older we learn some composure (wink), but the same internal physiology is happening, our bodies get cranky.  I repeat, craaaanky.  And that can appear from many vantage points.

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Okay! Everybody loves a snack so this should be easy, right? Well, not exactly. All snacks are not created equal, and unfortunately snack foods that have been made convenient for us aren’t always in our body’s best interest. Real food matters, you know from this wildly cool team at 100 Days of Real Food, and we at Prescribe Nutrition have come to back that up.  We also want to make some deeper connective points as to why it matters so much what those snacks are. Remember, they are the key to energy.  

So what gives us energy? Food that has energy.

What’s that all about?  Food that is alive, makes us feel alive.  Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains are grown from the ground and the very enzymes that make them colorful, nutritious AND rot {yep go bad} are what supports our digestion, immune system and our brain chemistry.  The less “alive” foods we eat, the less those systems are getting what they need.  

Our favorite line: REAL FOOD GOES BAD100days_PN_Img2

Think of your body as having a series of gauges {like a gas gauge}.  When those aren’t full, we feel lacking – us, the kiddos, our friends, family, even our pets.  Snacking fills up the gauges, but it’s what is in the snacks that is most important.  Here’s some tips:

1) Think alive.  Food that is alive and will energize you.  You know why now.

2) Make it FUN.  When something is fun you want to go back for more.  If you can make health fun, you’re more likely to have return guests.

3)   Include the green.  See what you can do to have something green in your snacks.  Make it a game.

4)   Balance it out.  In order to avoid that blood sugar roller coaster, we have a little trick for you -it’s call the fiber, fat, protein rule.  Think of them as a band that plays much better together.  Is a guitarist alone still a good guitarist?  Sure is.  Is an apple alone still a great snack, heck yes.  But what’s better? A snack that acts like a band – fuels, energizes and delivers more nutrients for the gauges you and the kiddos are trying to fill.  Have them create a snack band.  Why not?  Here are some of our more popular bands.

5)   Keep it consistent.  Find you & your kids snack sweet spot.  If we step back and listen to our body’s we can usually figure out what they need.  Is it two, three or four hours that we need to make sure we support ourselves? That means having a snack tool kit.  You know what it’s like when you’re running errands and are starving? All bets are off.  That creme filled croissant at the gas station sure looks good.  When kids are starving, there is no waiting… any fast food will have to do.  It’s those now or never, do or die moments that can throw us all off.  Then after the shorthand snack has been eaten it’s a sugar surge and CRASH.  Therein lies that sugar roller coaster we are talking about.  It’s a ride that can literally last for days.  You feel like you’ve inadvertently bought a ticket or two on one of those?  Us too.

6)   Keep is simple and creative all at once.  You don’t need to reinvent the snack wheel but feel free to be creative at the same time – try some new ideas and flavors too.  Or, try a new way to present an old snack! Remember just because they didn’t like celery when they were two doesn’t mean they won’t like it now.

7)   Make it a party.  Hand them some sliced berries and let them scoop out the guacamole.

8)   Hydrate to support the snackin’ all day long.  Water rule?  Yeah we’ve got one.  Take your body weight and divide by two.  That is the number in ounces that you and your kids need to drink in a day.  Minimum. 65lbs = 33oz/day!
 Put some fresh fruit in it to make it pretty and tasty!

 

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Looking for some easy, fun, and kid approved snack ideas?  Here’s our favorites:

– Salmon-avocado rolls: smoked wrapped salmon around a wedge of avocado

– Party guacamole & veggies: 2 avocados, juice from one lime, garlic powder and salt to taste (mix it all up). Option to add more veggies for color: diced red or orange peppers, onion, chopped carrot, etc.

– Egg baked in half of an avocado

– Apple (or any fruit) & almond butter

– Roasted chickpeas

– Garlic-stuffed olives and sliced organic turkey

– DIY Roasted pumpkin seeds

– Hard-boiled eggs (keep a bowl in the fridge)

– Chia pudding

– Date balls

– A small smoothie

– Protein power bars or the homemade Lara bars

– Organic turkey roll-up: slice of turkey + option of any – avocado, hummus, sprouts, shredded – carrots, peppers, etc.

– Celery and almond butter

– Basic fruit + nuts (almonds, cashews, brazil, hazel) or seeds (pumpkin, seasame)

– Mixed berries topped with ground flax or chia seeds

 

Okay, so did you read this and say, “This all sounds nice and dandy but I’m not sure if I can do this in real life.” We get it. In fact, it’s pretty much why we founded Prescribe Nutrition: To meet people where they’re at. It’s nutrition for real life. Our goal is to help you navigate your way to better health by giving you total support, tools for sustainable change, tips and tricks that will have the whole family on board and most importantly – a community of folks all on the same path. Start by snacking smart and then join us starting May 20th as we learn New Rules: Nutrition for Real Life.  10 days, 2 nutritionists at your fingertips, group support, a big and beautiful recipe packet, and a proven program that will help you and your family hit the reset button on feeling great. We promise you, the protein power bars (little treat for you below) will have the entire family on board.

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We love the folks at 100 Days of Real Food and so we are offering this coupon code for 20% of the cost of the program: 100days20.  Don’t forget it – it’s your little ticket to feeling better.

One of our favorite snacking recipes is below:

Protein Power Bars

(Makes sixteen 1” square power bites)

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup raw almonds
  • 1 cup walnuts
  • ½ cup freshly ground flaxseed
  • ½ cup flaked, unsweetened coconut ½ cup almond, cashew, pecan or sun- flower seed butter
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ cup coconut oil, melted
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • ½ cup chopped dried black figs

 Directions:

Pulse nuts, flaxseed, coconut, nut butter and salt in a food processor until coarsely ground. Add melted coconut oil to food processor along with remaining ingredients. Pulse to create a coarse and pasty mixture. Press mixture into an 8 x 8 glass baking dish. Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour, until mixture hardens. Cut into mini bars and store in refrigerator. Do NOT eat all at once. You will be fueled for a marathon.

 


Sign up for the New Rules program and save 20% with the code 100days20. Class starts on May 20, just in time for summer!

 

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