EATLIVEWEARWANTLIFEREAD

3/16/2015

MY 6 FAVORITE HEALTHY WORKDAY SNACKS...

Healthy Workday Snacks | Savor Home

Happy Monday! So I thought I would start the week off on a bit of a healthy note... Many of you have asked me about my diet, so I thought I would share a little more about it today. Eating healthy 90% of the time became a necessity for me when I was officially diagnosed with chronic migraines a few years ago. I've had migraines for 18 years, but not chronically until then. Right after I was diagnosed, I took a hard look at my diet and made it a point to eliminate pretty much anything that was processed or made with MSG or artificial sweeteners - all things that are triggers for my migraines. That exercise pretty much wiped out every snack I had in my pantry! Snacking is big for me because getting the least bit hungry and staying hungry for more than 30 minutes or so is also trigger for a migraine. Therefore, I've always got a little snack in my purse and a stash at work full of simple, yet all-natural snacks just in case hunger strikes. Here are a few things I always have... Oh and I'm happy to report that these changes in my diet have significantly helped reduce my migraines!! :)

Healthy Workday Snacks | Savor Home

Plain Greek Yogurt w/ Vanilla Extract, Honey, Strawberries, and Chia Seeds - Greek yogurt is full of protein, which means it fills me up quite quickly - and I love that. Some yogurt is also full of artificial sweeteners and other fake stuff, so I like to buy plain, real Greek yogurt and dress it up myself. This is my favorite yogurt, but any natural plain Greek yogurt works. I add a splash of good quality vanilla extract, honey, organic strawberries (totally worth the extra cost because they taste 100% better than the non-organic strawberries), and a tablespoon of chia seeds. Chia seeds are a super easy way to get a huge dose of nutrition in one sitting. They are tiny little black flavorless seeds that are full of fiber, Omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants. I add them to salads and smoothies in addition to yogurt.

Healthy Workday Snacks | Savor Home

Trail Mix - Crunchy things help me think better and relieve stress for me, so I always keep something crunchy around. My favorite crunchy snack is trail mix. This particular trail mix is a pre-mixed savory and sweet antioxidant energy trail mix I buy at Whole Foods that includes raw walnuts, raw almonds, dried cranberries, dried blueberries, raisins, raw pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and gogi berries. I try to stay away from salted trail mix to avoid the extra sodium. A little of this trail mix goes a long way and is super portable, so this is the one thing that I always have in my purse as well as in my office drawer.

Healthy Workday Snacks | Savor Home
Hummus & Carrots - I only eat meat a few times a week - if that, so I'm always looking for new ways to incorporate protein in my diet. Hummus is something that I recently starting eating regularly and I LOVE IT! Hummus is made of chickpeas, which are full of protein. It's hard to mess up hummus, so I buy this roasted red pepper hummus right from the grocery store. Even though hummus is good, it can be high in calories. To control my portions, I put a few tablespoons of it in a container along with a few carrot sticks. Sometimes I use the Food Should Taste Good Multigrain chips/crackers (that I mentioned here) as a dipping agent. Either way, the hummus is completely satisfying... 

Peanut Butter & Apple Wedges- I LOVE peanut butter, so apple wedges dipped in peanut butter are one of my favorite snacks. Peanut butter is also high in protein, so it's a snack that I have often. I always use an all-natural peanut chunky peanut butter. This brand is my favorite. The only ingredients are peanuts and very small amount of salt. That is the way it should be! If I have that snack at work, I cut up the apple wedges, squeeze a little fresh lemon juice over them (to keep them from turning brown) and store them in a sandwich bag in the refrigerator. Those with a tablespoon or two of peanut butter always hits the spot. 

Healthy Workday Snacks | Savor Home
Fresh Fruit - Fresh fruit is thought of by some as a boring snack, but they are really one of my favorite snacks. I think the key to making fresh fruit fun is finding different ways to eat them. I love bananas and how fast they fill you up, so I have one - sometimes two - every day. Sometimes I eat them plain, but I like them the most with peanut butter on whole wheat toast, mixed in my yogurt or homemade oatmeal, and in my daily breakfast smoothie. I do the same with apples... 

Healthy Workday Snacks | Savor Home

Dark Chocolate - As much as I've talked about the all-natural stuff, the one thing I don't deprive myself of is chocolate. Yes, chocolate is a migraine trigger. For me however, I have learned that I can have it - just not in large doses. So when I need a little hit of chocolate (which is pretty much daily), I have a piece or two of that Dove Dark Chocolate and it completely eases my craving. I keep a stash of these in my desk drawer and pantry BEHIND my trail mix. Placing it there makes me think of a slightly healthier option before reaching for the chocolate. It doesn't always work, but sometimes it does... :)

What are your favorite healthy snacks??

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6 comments:

  1. I am so glad to hear all the changes have helped. I am a firm believer in looking at food as triggers for migraines and making the appropriate changes. Glad you can do the nuts, seeds and berries (we found several nuts and seeds to be Katie's trigger-sunflower seeds actually bring on a typical allergic reaction followed by a migraine!). You meals look delicious and healthy, yet satisfying. I am working on bettering my lunch choices and Hummus is a huge help in that area.

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    1. Never heard of nuts being a trigger! Migraines are just crazy!

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  2. Your snacks even look beautiful! So happy they helped with your migraines - It really is worth a closer look to see what you are feeding your body and how it affects you!
    xo. Leslie
    Segreto Finishes

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    1. Thank you! I think food plays a huge part in everything, so its good to experiment and see what works!

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  3. These are all great, healthy snack ideas. I, too, have migraines, but food does not seem to be a trigger for me. I am trying to eat healthier, though, in order to lose some weight and improve my lab numbers. Your photography and styling is absolutely beautiful!

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    1. Thanks so much!! Sorry you have migraines, too! Hoping they will get better!

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