Snacking - Who Doesn't Do It?

And I honestly think we should do it. 

Our metabolism speeds up tremendously when we eat, and therefore, it is best to eat every 3 - 4 hours to keep up that fast pace. This doesn't mean that we should eat a huge pile of pasta for dinner at 6pm and feel bad for our metabolism because we didn't have a cookie before sleeping. For me this usually means a couple of snacks per day and a little less for meals than I would eat otherwise.

I am going to list for you some of my favorite healthy snacks to have around on a regular basis that require no (or very little) prep. I'm listing the amounts that I usually eat to help anybody who is unsure of a good snack size. Of course this largely depends on how big your meals were that day, your exercise plan, and simply your individual body needs. Just because this works for me doesn't mean it's right for everybody.

It's not even always right for me! Yesterday I had what I like to call an "eating day". That means I just want to snack, snack, snack all day long! Is this a good idea? No. I do my best to avoid this, however, since I generally manage to follow a healthy diet I am not really concerned about these days since they are occasional. Especially when I am able to make good snack choices! Here are some of my favorites!

hard-boiled eggs (1 or 2)
almonds (....or whatever nuts you like best - 1/4 cup)
fruit of any kind (1-2 pieces depending on size, 1/2-1 cup if it's something like berries)
carrots (1-2)
bell peppers (1/2)
green smoothies (which usually consist of about 2 cups of greens, water, and 2 servings of fruit)
1 pc. toast or 1/2 an English muffin with butter or PB

Tip: If you're feeling kind of hungry, not really sure, don't know what you'd eat anyway....drink a glass of water (or hot tea!) before chowing down on 300 calories of whatever that snack ended up being that you barely remember because you ate without thinking! Been there, done that! Sometimes all we need is a drink!

Enjoy your snacking! (In moderation : )