Lose the guilt and plan ahead...

PLAN AHEAD! You know you are going to be hungry during the day outside of "meal time." This is often the time when we make the worst food choices for ourselves, so PLAN AHEAD! If you have pre-prepared healthy snacks waiting for you, you will make good food choices AND you can fill up that hole in stomach guilt free. Small frequent meals are known to aid in weight loss, stabilize blood sugar, and increase your metabolism.
 
If you are trying to lose weight try taking a portion of what you would eat for breakfast and use it as your mid morning snack.  For example: Your typical breakfast might be a bowl of cereal and a banana with peanut butter on it. Save your banana and peanut butter for later as your mid morning snack. The same can go for your lunch.  If you are eating a salad with grilled chicken, whole grain bread, and a glass of milk, save your bread and milk for your afternoon snack.  That way your snacks aren't increasing your overall caloric intake you are just redistributing your calories throughout your day.


Try some of these healthy snack choices pairing a complex carbohydrate and a protein:

COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATE	PROTEIN
Banana	Peanut Butter
Apple	Cheese
Dried Cherries	Raw Almonds
Veggies	Hummus
Strawberries	Cottage Cheese
Raspberries	Greek Yogurt