#106b: Plant-Based Snacks
Americans LOVE their snacks. I mean, we have an entire industry that thrives off of our obsession with crunchy, salty, and sweet foods that we have come to associate with fun times and relaxation. Although we assume that snacking is a normal part of life, it really hasn’t always been. It hasn’t been part of our culture until recently and there definitely weren’t special snack foods back in the day.
The first question, then is whether you SHOULD snack. I am asked this question often, and my answer is that the best way to determine when to eat is by tuning in to your body and assessing your hunger.
Based on advertisements we learn that eating is for recreation and fun, therefore we end up eating all day long. This leads to many people becoming completely out of touch with their hunger and fullness signals and feeling desperate for some sort of “control”. Many end up on diets or meal plans. But the best way to learn to honor your hunger and satiety is by paying attention to your body.
That being said, each body is different and will develop hunger at different times and intervals. In addition, there are people that feel more comfortable eating lightly and there are those that prefer heavier meals less frequently.
I happen to be more of a hearty meal kind of gal and eat on average 3-4 times per day. Some people may prefer 5-6 times per day. Tune in to your hunger and satiety and play around with your meal composition and timing to find our what works best for you.
Now that we have all of that out of the way, let’s define the word “snack”. What is a “snack”? Oxford dictionary defines snack as “a small amount of food eaten between meals.” What is fascinating is that even though this is an old word, its usage didn’t start to pick up until the 1950’s and sky rocketed in the 2000’s. This means that we are really getting used to this snacking idea and also reinforces the belief that snacking is essential and is an entirely different food category.
One of the main points I want to make is that snacks do not have to be a special category of food. Any food will serve as a snack. A snack is just a small amount of food that you eat between planned meals! Processed food companies have a special interest in convincing you that you must purchase special and fancy snack foods and this is not true! Not only are they typically expensive, they are also often loaded with sugar, salt and fat.
There are times when snacks are more common or convenient. This includes travel and time zone changes, for athletes when larger meals would be cumbersome, when adjusting your schedule for an event (such as a later dinner, etc.), whenever you are sick and don’t feel like having a large meal. Also certain jobs may only have short breaks for eating. So there are times when having “a small amount of food…between meals” might be just the right thing.
If you do get hungry between meals and it makes sense for you to eat a small amount of food to reach satiety, here are some ideas:
Leftovers
Another use for leftovers! Eat a little bit of what you made for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Remember any food works as a snack!
Fresh Fruit
Fresh fruit is great because it is often portable. Apples, pears, bananas and oranges are all readily available and popular in the United States. Fruit is also convenient because it is high in water content so it can hydrate you as well as provide energy.
Fresh Veggies
Veggies are a wonderful option because many are crunchy and satisfy that desire to eat something crispy. Raw carrot sticks, celery, broccoli and cauliflower are fantastic by themselves or with hummus or dip. The high fiber content of veggies also makes them very filling.
Legumes
You can eat cooked beans by themselves as a snack, but one way to make them even better involves roasting. Roasted chickpeas are amazing and you can use different combinations of spices to jazz up the flavors. I love using taco seasoning! Tofu can also be cut into cubes and baked or air-fried and makes a great snacking option as well.
Recipe for Roasted Chickpeas and Taco Cheesy Sauce
Potatoes
Sweet potatoes or white potatoes make a yummy filling snack by themselves or with toppings such as salsa, hummus, guacamole, cashew cheese sauce or even plain mustard. Potatoes are also easy to batch cook and keep in the fridge for when you need them and they are portable for a quick snack on the go. You can also bake or air-fry potatoes and serve with a dipping sauce.
Grains
The most common grain consumed in the United States is wheat, but most of the time this is consumed in a processed way such as breads, crackers, cookies, etc. However, air-popped popcorn is a whole grain option that is fun and easy to make.
Snack Bars
Snack bars often consist of nuts/seeds, fruit, sometimes whole grains and often sugar and salt. Although they can be made at home and are therefore a bit more health promoting, they are usually sticky and these types of foods can increase the risk of cavities. Be cautious with over-consuming snack bars.
Nuts/Seeds and Dried Fruit
Eating plain unroasted/raw nuts such as almonds, cashews and walnuts can be a quick and energy-dense snack on the run. This can also be paired with a fruit or vegetable. Trail mix is a very popular snack. Plant-Based trail mix consists of a variety of nuts and seeds as well as dried fruit and sometimes also dairy-free chocolate chips. It is definitely delicious but trail mix is calorie dense and the dried fruit and sweetened chocolate chips can increase the risk of tooth decay if eaten too frequently.
Processed Foods
There is no shortage of moderately and ultra-processed “snack” foods and more are coming to the market every year. Processed foods are often higher in calorie density, and have more additives such as sugar, salt, oils and sometimes artificial colors and flavors. Some of these foods are rather delicious. They are not “bad” foods, but it may take extra mindfulness to keep intake to a moderate level. I also tend to feel personally that they are not very filling and don’t easily help me reach satiety. It is ok to have these foods, but definitely don’t make them the main part of your diet.
Plant-Based Snack Recipe Links
20+ Healthy Plant-Based Snacks and Recipes To Keep You Energized and Feeling Great
Forks Over Knives: 10 Insanely Good Snack Ideas
How do you feel about snacks? Do you love them or avoid them? I hope this episode gives you a few new ideas for snacking and challenges your snacking assumptions.
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The information on this blog, website and podcast is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to replace careful evaluation and treatment. If you have concerns about your or your child’s eating, nutrition or growth, consult a doctor.
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