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Back to Work (and Back to School) Healthy Snacks

by Nicole Dorsey Straff

My schedule is suddenly more jam-packed than ever, and yet more meetings and less exercise make Nicole a grumpy girl. To ensure I continue nibbling healthy food throughout the day and avoid huge energy spikes and crabby moods, I’m following these tips from Harvard Medical School to stoke my stamina during these back-to-school frenetic afternoons:

  • Travel with trail mix starring crunchy nuts and big texture-rich seeds. Sure, nuts are high in calories but in a good fat kind of way, like avocados or extra-virgin olive oil. In fact, almonds, cashews, filberts, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, and pistachios pack beneficial nutrients like vitamin E, folic acid and potassium.
  • Add nuts and seeds to morning cereal, your tuna salad brunch or a stir-fry at home. Stick to small servings and try associating them with savory dishes rather than desserts.
  • Pack lunch twice as often you buy lunch. You can more easily control portion sizes, sugar intake and food choices from home-packed lunches.  According to research from Harvard Medical School, it’s beneficial to write out a weekly meal plan that leaves enough leftovers for one or two lunches per week, per person.

Always have on hand for healthy lunch and snack brown bagging:

  1. Bananas and whole fruit
  2. Carrots and veggies for dipping
  3. String cheese and wheat crackers
  4. Quick turkey or tuna fish in a pita

When you pack a lunch the night before — either for loved ones or for yourself — take an extra two minutes to allow the food to tickle your senses with textures that feel good on your tongue, with herbs and seasonings that make your lunch smell delicious. Make a ritual out of truly tasting your lunch the next day, during those first long, slow grateful bites…

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