Five to Thrive: Snacks!

Hello from . . . Colorado . . . still. (insert the mwa – mwa “Debbie Downer” sound here). Last week I told you guys that we were heading off on an adventure. The intention behind this trip was to go someplace warm, beachy, and within the continental US (for easy access and work reasons). We were both planning to work on our vacation but fully planned to work while sitting in a beach lounger, sipping something tropical. We also wanted to be able to cash in some hard-earned airline and hotel miles/points. We picked The St. Regis Resort in Longboat Key, FL, and we were psyched!

But then, on Friday, the forecast for our destination went from “not great” to “pretty crappy”. When we saw that we would be spending the week in 50-degree weather with rain forecasted every day, we started to question our choices. When I started packing sweaters and jeans for our beach trip, I began questioning even more! Our plan was to fly out on Sunday, but when we woke up on Saturday, both Gareth and I decided to check on the cancellation policies of the airline and resort. We were able to cancel both and get all of our points / miles back, and it just felt like the right thing to do. Spending our hard-earned points on a trip stuck inside our lovely beach resort, while it was cold and rainy outside just felt wrong.

So, we are home in Colorado, and it is next-level cold here . . .

Today, I’m introducing a new series that will normally post on Mondays for the next few weeks . . . Five to Thrive! Elevated Nesting is all about helping women Thrive in whatever phase of life we’re in. With this series, I’ll pick a new topic to research and write about each week, and I’ll deliver a breakdown of five tips, tools, or strategies to thrive our way through said topic.

I’m excited about this new series, and I’m especially excited to start off with one of my favorite topics . . . SNACKS!! I love a good snack. So read on, friends, to Elevate your Snacking Game . . .

1. Fuel up with Protein

We know that one of the most important things we can do for our bodies as we age is to fuel up with adequate protein. I’ve written about it over and over again. Protein supports our muscle mass, our brain health, our bone health, and even our blood pressure. Adequate protein helps prevent blood sugar spikes, thus keeping our insulin and cortisol levels in check AND preventing those blood sugar highs and lows that can lead to unhealthy snacking.

A well-timed snack, with plenty of protein, is an essential part of my day. Most days, I get hungry in the afternoon, and that hunger can go one of two ways:

1. I get the munchies, but I don’t have snacks on hand that are nutrient-dense with good protein . . . so I grab a couple of handfuls of ______ (insert store-bought processed snack food here). Then, a few minutes later, I’m still hungry and in full snack-ish mode, so I grab a few more handfuls of the next store-bought processed snack food. And so on . . . until I’m in a simple carb induced food coma with no energy left to even think about cooking dinner.
2. OR! I have planned ahead and DO have a nice combination of nutrient-dense, protein-loaded homemade and store-bought snacks on hand! I eat a portioned amount, I enjoy every sweet or savory bite, and I am satisfied because – say it with me, friends – Protein Fills Us Up!!

Obviously, my preference is Option #2. Anytime we can choose snacks that work for our nutritional goals, instead of against them, we are setting ourselves up for success!.

2. Plan and Prep

Setting ourselves up for success takes planning. And, you know me, I love a plan! I like being prepared for any scenario, so you’d better believe I’m a fan of ensuring I always have my “just in case” snacks . . . car snacks, plane snacks . . . you get the idea.

The key component to enjoying a nutrient-dense snack is that we need to have them on hand! When the need for a snack hits, if I’m not prepared, I will most likely go down the wrong road (as in scenario #1, above) To be well-prepared, I like to have a combination of homemade snacks and healthy store-bought snacks.

• Homemade, because I can control the ingredients.
• Store-bought, because I like a variety of choices. Plus no one has time to make 7 different homemade, easy-to-grab snacks every week!

Every week, when I make my grocery order list (because I always use the pick-up service at my local grocery store – but that’s a whole other post), I think through not just the meals I will make that week but also the snacks.

I don’t always “meal prep,” but every week, I “snack prep.” I try to take a little bit of time on Sunday afternoons to do this, and to be honest, it’s turned into one of my favorite routines. I like to turn on a fun show or movie, and get to work in the kitchen. Snack prep is usually pretty simple, and I love knowing I’m covered for the week with something delicious that I can grab when the urge strikes!

3. A Few of My Favorite Homemade Snacks

In previous posts, I’ve shared my recipes two of my go-to nutrient-dense, delicious snacks:

I’m not always about a sweet snack! My homemade Roasted Carrot, Red Pepper, and Garlic Hummus is an incredibly satisfying savory snack.

I like to serve this hummus at room temperature and top it with a drizzle of olive oil and a few chopped pistachios. It’s delicious with cut-up raw veggies or pita chips. We also enjoy this hummus with dinner if we’re having chicken and veggie pitas or rice bowls.

Here are a couple of other delicious, healthy snack recipes that I’ve made over and over again:

4. Some New Favorite Store-Bought Snacks

From Costco:

Here’s another Costco find that I like to heat up in my air-fryer for a great, warm snack. 5 little veggie spring rolls have 8 grams of protein, thanks to edamame!

From Trader Joe’s:

Trader Joe’s might be my favorite place. Ever. Sadly, we don’t have one up in the mountains, but happily, we have a lot of incredible friends in Boulder, so whenever I’m down there, I hit up my happy place.

From my local grocery store, City Market (owned by Kroger):

5. Mindful Snacking

Friends, please give yourself permission to ENJOY a snack. It’s not “bad”. It’s not “over-indulging”. It’s called fueling your body. Eating a little something that is nutrient-dense to prevent that ravenous “I’m going to shove everything in my mouth” feeling that comes when we’re not properly fueled.

One more note – On far too many occasions, I have made the mistake of standing over the sink with the whole bag of whatever, mindlessly snacking. I’ve learned that it feels so much better to make an intentional choice to have my snack as a lovely afternoon ritual. I put it on a plate or in a bowl. I sit with a sparkling water or cup of tea, and I enjoy my little snack ritual, knowing that I am treating myself well.

Enjoy, Friends! Get a SNACK!

I’ll see you back here Tomorrow!