Snackaliscious – Quick & nutritious snacks for work or school

By Emma Jones, Lifestyle Elements

The work and school year has started again (can you believe it’s already April!). One of the largest barriers to eating healthy and one of the many causes of the obesity epidemic in Australia is our lives are so much busier than ever! Finding the time to prepare nutritious meals and snacks is often difficult and people tend to buy ready-made snacks (think packets of chips and biscuits) and take-away meals, mostly for the convenience.

Below are 5 ideas for healthy, nutrient rich snacks to sustain energy throughout you and your family’s busy day, all of which can be found at a supermarket. If grocery shopping on a weekly basis is time-consuming in your busy schedule, Lifestyle Elements offers a grocery shopping service specifically tailored to your usual weekly purchases at your own supermarket. Simply tick the items you want for that week and we will shop, deliver and put away your groceries. Email Tim for more information.

• Low-fat Yoghurt – A good source of calcium and protein to keep you feeling full. Simply take a small tub from your fridge and a spoon!(Make sure it is low-fat with no added sugar, most brands will advertise this on the packaging).
• Fruit – A good source of vitamin C and fibre, once again to slow the release of energy into the bloodstream, to once again keep you full. An apple, pear, peach, nectarine, banana or grapes are perfect as you can eat the flesh (peel the banana!), there is no cutting or cooking involved.
• Muesli bar – Choose a wholegrain one with real fruit and seeds. Be aware some “muesli bars” coated in chocolate or high in nuts like peanuts are likely to have just as much sugar and fat as a chocolate bar, so steer clear of them. I like brands such as Uncle Toby’s chewy and Uncle Toby’s bodywise, Be Natural muesli bars, and Carmen’s bars to name a few.
• Can of tuna – Very high in omega-3s for heart health and in protein to fill you up. There are so many different varieties in the supermarkets, choose one (plain or flavoured) in spring water, not in brine (high in blood-pressure increasing sodium) or in oil (high in kilojoules). Bring the individual serving can and a fork.
• Vita wheats with vegemite and cheese – Ok, so a little more preparation than the other snacks is required, but cutting low fat cheddar cheese (calcium) and spreading a little vegemite (the best source of vitamin B and folate for energy) onto a wholegrain cracker (more energy) will take one minute at the most!

Basically healthy snacks are about simple staple foods in small serving sizes (think carrot sticks and dip, not highly processed junk food) to keep you full and nutrient rich!