Hello! Hope you’re all soaking up every last bit of summer before we make our transition into the wonderful, pumpkin flavored and scented world of Fall!
I often get asked, “what do you eat?”. Actually, it’s probably the number one question I’m asked by almost everyone. The answer to that is, I snack. A lot. So I figured I’d share my favorite go-to snacks with you! Before getting into it, let me throw out a quick disclaimer: as a full time Spin instructor I live a very active life. The level of cardio I do on a weekly basis requires a pretty high level of carbohydrate intake. Most people seem to be a bit wary of carbs. If you are an active person, an avid runner or cardio king/queen then you should definitely NOT fear carbs! I like to maintain a high carb and protein diet with minimal fat intake, it’s just what works for me. However, everyone is different. If you lead a sedentary lifestyle (for example, your job has you sitting at a desk all day and you work full time) you do not require as many carbs as I do. A perfect example is my mother and sister. Although they are both active people (they work out and exercise regularly and both walk like crazy on any given day) they have primarily sedentary jobs where they are, more often than not, seated at a desk. They both fare well on a high fat and high protein diet with minimal carbs. It works for them; they are satisfied and look great! So, my snack routine may work great for some but may leave others feeling less than satisfied.
This is not meant to be a nutritional guideline of any sort, simply a recount of my typical snacks. I do eat these things on the regular on any given day, but keep in mind that I work out for a living. These may not be ideal “anytime” snacks for some of you but anything on here is an excellent pre-workout or pre-run snack! One thing you will notice that is consistent among all these snacks is that they are all whole foods. Some are certainly “quick & convenient” but nothing on this list is processed or full of chemicals. So, whether your a carb-o-holic or healthy-fat-addict, as long as you’re eating whole, fresh, natural foods, I’d say you’re good! Enjoy!!
This is one of my ALL TIME FAVORITES! Whether it’s before teaching a class, going for a run or a workout, it’s a GO-TO! It NEVER bothers my stomach and it’s always crave-ably delicious! This is a toasted (until basically burnt and suuuuper crunchy, ‘cuz that’s how I like it!) slice of Ezekiel Cinnamon-Raisin bread topped with 1 1/2 TBSP of natural Almond Butter (Since the Trader Joe’s nut butter recall, I haven’t found a replacement that I OMG-LOVE, so if you have any favorites, pleeease share!) and one half a banana (sliced), a few raisins and a generous sprinkling of cinnamon. This is 99.9% of the time paired with coffee. I love dunking slices of this into my steaming coffee!! The toast maintains its crunch but softens slightly and it’s sooo mouth watering.
Coco-Roons! I get these at Home Goods or random bodegas around the city. They are made simply of coconut, a small amount of agave and almonds. These are one of my all time favorite pre-run eats. I just recently tried this mini version, but I like the full size best.
My husband’s muffins & Larabars. Another pre-work/workout/run go-to. The muffins, however are just an all around any time snack. I mean, I eat them with breakfast, dinner, dessert, you name it. I’m kind of addicted. Larabars are my purse staple.
Yogurts from Chobani Soho. These are MY LIFE!!! I literally stop by this store everyday when I leave work. They have so many flavors! I thought once I tried them all I’d get bored. No. I just get that much more excited to taste it AGAIN! Plus, you get to keep those glass bowls!!! I have quite the collection. However, if you don’t live in the NYC area you can still indulge in these decadent yogurt creations! Apparently this shop wasn’t supposed to be a long term thing. It was originally a pop up that came about as sort of an advertisement to show people how they could “dress up” the plain Chobani. Since it was as amazing as it is it took off and they stayed open as the restaurant-ish storefront that they are now (thank goodness). If you live too far to hit up the store, check out their website and peek into the recipe section! All the ingredients are listed and many are pantry staples, so go ahead and grab some plain Chobanis and try them out for yourself!
Almond butter single serve packets + whole wheat tortilla + 1/2 frozen banana. THIS COMBINATION!! Literally, this is my life. I eat this almost every morning. I love the contrast of the warm tortilla (I heat it up on stovetop, placing it right over the fire) and the chilled banana slices. The almond butter holds it together like glue and gives the snack some serious staying power.
Veggies, cheese, hummus and fig jam. Now this is a daily snack. I have this literally every day of the week, whether I’m chilling at home or on the go. The only thing that changes is the jam. I switch between Fig jams and this amazing Guava jam that I bought in bulk in Hawaii. For cheese, I switch it up between low and full fat. I know a lot of nutritionists tell you to go for full fat and that a little goes a long way. Sometimes it does but sometimes, it really just doesn’t. Sometimes I just want to eat like…half a damn block of cheese, ok? For those days low fat cheeses are my life. If I know I will be good with “just a taste” (those days are rare, my friends) I adore Trader Joe’s Sirah Soaked Toscana, Armenian String Cheese or a reeeeally good Jarlsburg. I’m not a fan of soft cheeses. Hummus comes in all varieties, I love every flavor. Dan and I also like to make our own. When I’m on the go and can’t make a pretty little plate I usually pack a baggie filled with sliced cucumbers, baby carrots (or any other raw veggie I have on hand) and a big handful of roasted almonds.
Sweetie Sushi!! OMG I love this snack!!!! So on the left side is my PB&J roll. That is a slice of Ezekial Cinnamon Raisin bread (not toasted!) rolled out super thin. I place the bread between two paper towels and roll over it with my marble rolling pin until it is super flat. Then I spread on peanut or almond butter and my favorite-at-the-moment jam. Roll it up and BAM!-PB&J Sweetie Sushi! So cute and so fun to eat. On the right is my Banana Honey Roll. For that one I take a whole wheat tortilla and spread it with peanut butter. Then I drizzle on a little honey (sometimes I sprinkle coconut on it as well!) and place a banana right in the middle. I roll it all up and the PB & honey make it stick so I can neatly cut it into cute little rolls. I make these with breakfast quite often but they’re a fun snack when you’re home alone and want something healthy but something that still feels special/indulgent. Of course, I always plate them on my actual sushi plates…because I’m a loser like that.
And, of course, sometimes when you’re snacking nothing quite beats wine & chocolate. That really is the ultimate snack. Oh, and it’s totally healthy too…red wine, dark chocolate? Hello, antioxidants?!?
xoxo|
lindsayylovee 