When I hear people say that it’s not healthy to snack, I get really sad. Because I love snacking and I feel that the right snacks have been so helpful in my healthier lifestyle. Snacks fill me up, and keep me satisfied so I don’t feel like I’m starving and have to pig out later in the day. It’s just important to be aware of how to choose diet friendly snacks.
Ideally we’d eat entirely fresh, whole foods. But who the hell has the time for that? I’m busy and constantly on the run. So often grab-and-go it is.
Today I want to talk about on-the-go diet friendly snacks. So that when you’re extra busy like me, you can grab something that will be awesome for you.
Let’s talk nutrition labels.
So I’m gonna talk about a U.S. nutrition label. I know they differ a bit from country to country, but much of the basic information will be the same. I’m going to talk about the mistakes I used to make interpreting the label, and how I do it better now.
Where would you look first on the nutritional label when picking an on-the-go diet friendly snack? If you said calories, great answer because that is where I always looked. But what I learned is that there are much better places to start.
Finding on-the-go diet friendly snacks
The first thing i do is read the ingredients. Every last one. Because this provides all sorts of beautiful information. Ideally, the ingredients list is somewhat small. Because the longer the list, usually the more crazy, processed ingredients.
So Trader Joe’s has a newer, on-the-go diet friendly snack. I just tried it for the first time yesterday. It is Trader Joe’s Crispy, Crunchy Okra. Quiet honestly, I’d never tried okra! I wasn’t sure what to expect. But surprise! I loved it.
So here’s the ingredients list for Trader Joe’s Crispy Crunchy Okra:
- Okra
- Rice Bran Oil
- Salt.
Wow, that’s all things i know and can identify and pronounce. These are foods that will be more effectively processed by my body because they are real foods. This an awesome start!
A personal pizza feeds 4 people?
Next, I’m going to look at a serving size. Because a serving is a vague term. I once bought a personal pizza crust that said it contained 4 servings. Are you kidding me!! Who shares a personal pizza with 3 other people. The only way to understand the rest of the important information on the label is to understand their definition of a serving.
Carbs and Sugar
Next, I’m going to look at sugar. Because, if a food has a lot of added sugar in it, it is inherently fattening even if it is low in calories. (why didn’t someone tell this to me sooner?)
The Crunchy Okra had 3 grams of sugar. And, from looking at the ingredients, I can tell that the sugar comes from natural sources, not added sugar. So, that’s pretty good.
Next, I look at the carbohydrate content. I’m not against carbohydrates, but I’m against empty carbs (without nutrition), because those are empty calories and therefore fattening.The Crunchy Okra has 19 grams of carbs.
But wait! Before I jump to any conclusions, I’ll look at the fiber subheading under carbohydrates. And there are 11(slimming) grams of fiber. Wow!
Fiber is a great diet food because it slows digestion and helps stabilize blood sugar, thereby helping with weight loss. So there are only 8 non-fiber carbs in a serving and lots of diet friendly fiber. (As a reference, Lays potato chips has only 1 gram of fiber and 14 grams of non-fiber carbs)
Let’s talk about fat baby!
Even in the year 2017, people are still afraid of fat. But fat is not the enemy. BAD FATS are. So the first thing I look for is trans fat. If there’s trans fat, I just usually move on. There have got to be better options.
The next place on the label I move to is saturated fat. Because saturated fats are usually inflammatory and not diet friendly.. The Crunchy Okra has 3 grams which is acceptable
Finally, I look at total fat. I give less weight to the total fat, but I’m still mindful of the number. As long as the rest of the fat from something like an oil or nut, I don’t sweat it. (again, this is why I read the ingredients first!)
If it t comes from something like cheese powder, something overly processed or something fried, then I usually take pause. The Crunchy Okra has 14 grams of fat which I’ll say is also acceptable. Especially because you get so much in a serving!
Hold the salt shaker
Finally, I look at sodium. My gosh, there is so much sodium in everything. I often forget to be mindful of that one. But too much salt can make you bloated. Plus it’s bad for your heart, so…
Most on-the-go diet friendly snacks are going to have a bit of sodium. This is inherent in anything processed. My goal, when looking at a label, is just to keep it as low as possible. The great news about the Crunchy Okra is that it has only 100mg of sodium which is only 4% of your daily allowance. Not too bad.
Things to keep in mind when choosing diet friendly snacks
I’m still mindful of calories even though it isn’t my main focus. Because, even if the food is healthier, I still don’t want to eat too much. Moderation is totally important. But I don’t give it quite as much weight (no pun intended) as I used to.
I’m looking at on-the-go diet friendly snacks that should supplement a relatively healthy diet. If you’re eating crap at mealtimes, you probably don’t have as much room for extra saturated fats, extra sodium or whatever.
It’s vital to be open to trying new things. I honestly thought Crunchy Okra would be icky. But when I tried it, I was really happy. It fulfilled my salt craving, and satisfied my hunger even though I only needed to eat half a serving!
Here are some of my favorite, on-the-go diet friendly snacks!
Rxbars (see all my favorite protein bars here!)
Bulletproof Vanilla Collagen Protein Bar
Saffron Road crunchy chickpeas (sea salt)
Flackers crackers
Mary’s Gone Crackers (super seed)
Alive & Radiant Kale Crunch
Rhythm Superfoods Kale Chips (Zesty Nacho)
Grass-Fed Paleo Jerky
Trader Joe’s Organic Popcorn With Olive Oil
Dang Coconut Chips
Mavuno Harvest Dried Jackfruit
Raw almonds – any brand
Of course, I have other go-to snacks for when I’m not worried about eating so healthy. It’s not about eating healthy all of the time. But these are good staples because they won’t screw up my diet. They keep me full. And they don’t make me feel like I’m eating rabbit food which is what I used to think I had to eat while dieting. Back when I was a yo-yo dieter.
There lots of good options out there. And now you should be empowered to choose wisely. So, when you’re on the go, stock up on these on-the-go diet friendly snacks that won’t send your diet into a tailspin.
I loved seeing this post. I am a snacker, too, and I don’t want to give that up. What I want to do is find an appropriate snack that makes me feel like I have treated myself without making serious diet mistakes. I am going to check out the snacks you mentioned!
I agree with you completely! It’s all about being smart with your snack choices, just like you are with your meals. It’s not bad to find snacks that will fit your fitness plan. And these are amazing tips!
I habe never tried okra as a snack before. That’s so interesting! I think it’s important to be careful when choosing snacks but it’s not at all bad to snack while you’re on a diet.
I am such a lousy snacker. I grab what’s easy, not what’s healthy. I seriously need to make better choices.
oh man these look incredible, love these snacks, coconut chips are a staple in my pantry, rx bars have an entire whole foods bag dedicated to them hehehe.
I didn’t think I’d like kale chips until I tried them, but they are actually really good–at least the ones I’ve made at home.
I’m all about the snacks! I get seriously grumpy if I don’t eat every couple of hours and so I need to be prepared by packing healthy snacks!
Crispy Okra sounds amazing and I love that it only has 3 ingredients! Snacks are great so long as they’re healthy, that’s for sure! I think this is a great guide for people who would like to get snacks but are not sure what to get.
I wish I had a Trader Joes where I live. I’m a terrible snacker so thank you for these suggestions!
Haha my version of snacking is chips so I definitely need to take a leaf out of your book and start eating some more raw almonds and crackers. YUM X
These are really good tips for healthy snacking. I am on the go a lot, and have my 2 kids with me. Of course, they always want a snack while we are out. We have been really cutting down on salt and sugar lately, and can really tell a difference.
It is really hard to control temptation to snack. I am so glad to know that I am not the only one looking for such alternatives.
Eating healthy these days is the only way to go. Of course, cheating a little is okay too. For the most part, I’m a healthy eater and I do like some of your snacks here!!
Snacking is definitely what I do instead of big meals a lot of the time. This was such great info to make sure that I stay healthy with it.
This is a great post! I love how you point out the importance of serving size.. One time I bought 1 Organic cookie thinking it had 230 calories, then I noticed that it meant for half the cookie…YIKES!!!
I always eat whatever I want in moderation but I do like healthy foods too. Just need to eat a lot more of that.
wow! didn’t think that much about it but reading this, there is a lot that goes into picking out the right diet friendly snacks.
I am a snacker – so smart snacking is the key. For me, I look for high protein snacks: hardboiled eggs, almonds, peanut butter on protein bread.
I have been trying really hard this year to eat healthier. I am always so busy with the kids so it’s been hard to find quick and healthy snacks. The best thing I do is prep early too.
It is so hard to decide on healthy snacks when you’re on the go. If I am traveling and I need to pick something up, I have a hard time knowing what is actually good for me. I like these tips!
these re great tips for people having a hard time staying on track with their food! i love snacks and i think everyone has a hard time not grabbing snickers some days!
I am saving this post because I need it. I am trying to lose weight from my last pregnancy which was baby #7 and I had gestational diabetes so the pounds were packed on. I am trying so hard to eat healthy to get healthy but its been a challenge for me especially on the go!
Okra, eh? Well, I’m a tj’s fan, so I’ll give this wicked vegetable a go. I just came off a road trip and we had both healthy and unhealthy snacks. I’m recovering from the bad ones by upping my fruit & veggie intake. Balance, right?
Oooo! Coconut chips! I do a lot of raw almonds, but I’m going to try some stuff on your list for sure. Thanks! And hey–on a splurge day maybe you, me, and two other people can share a personal pizza! LOL
This is a great post. I try to go for protein bars when I can, but apparently those, too, can not be as good as you think they are!
TJ is such a great place to get snacks. They have so many awesome choices.
I always am on the go so snacking is my go to method when I get cravings. Good to know which things to aim towards!
Looking at portion size when you’re reading a label is SO key. I’m always shocked at what qualifies as a portion with some foods.
Ooo I want to try those coconut chips!
Great snack ideas! With two daughters always hungry the second we leave our house I always have snacks in my bag. I try to make sure we have healthy snacks appropriate for all of us so I’m not lugging around a buffet during every errand. Almonds are a go to snack for us!
What a great post! I find snacks so hard! Sometimes I want them but most times I don’t. When I am craving them I prefer to go for something that has caffeine in it.
I’m a grazer. It’s the only way I can stop from overindulging at regular meals. These are great options for me.
I’m a big fan of Planters’ Redskin Spanish Peanuts, whose level of saltiness is just right for my taste. The ingredients list on the can reads “Redskin Spanish Peanuts, Peanut Oil, Sea Salt” – this would certainly seem to pass your ‘ingredient simplicity’ test.
My brother is starting a new diet and so this is perfect for him too! I will definitely be sharing this with him! Love these healthy snack ideas!