Nutrition - snacks

CC82CC82 ✭✭✭

Hi folks,

Just looking for ideas for nutritious / healthy snacks.  I particularly find myself getting hungry mid-morning (about now actually!).

Sometimes I'm okay at just ignoring but other times the handy sandwich van that stops at our office door at about 10.30am is just too handy and I find myself buying a chocolate bar or yesterday the even handier burger van that sits not far from our office got used (sausage in a roll...).

I get away with the extra calories due to burning calories in training but I'd rather eat something a bit healthier / more nutritious.

I was reading the chapter in P&D last night about fuelling recovery in my muscles etc. which got me thinking a bit more about this.

So - what do others snack on?  All ideas much appreciated and if you can advise where they can be purchased (from supermarkets / online links etc.) even better!

Cheers image

Comments

  • I usually make sure I have a decent breakfast which is normally a bowl of cereal before i leave for work (7am) and then a large latte when I get into work or a croissant / pastry (8:30am).

    I then have another latte or green tea mid morning (10:30am)

    Then lunch at 12-1pm

    Then I snack on a bannana around 3-4 ish if I get hungry.

    Then dinner at 7-8ish

    I try to snack on things like cachew nuts / pistachios in between meals. I like to eat olives or have wholemeal pitta and humous if I'm really hungry.

    A good snack is to cut up some peppers and dip them in humous, good for you and tastes nice.

    Plenty of water or tea is good to tick you over between meals and keep the hunger off.

    I try to stay away from sugary things as I find I end up wanting more and dont feel satified for long.

  • CC82CC82 ✭✭✭

    Thanks EssexLion.  That's the sort of thing I was looking for (peppers dipped in humous - will need to try that!).

    Just looking for things that are easy to make/buy and can be eaten at my desk without any fuss.

    Quite interested in non-meat things that have a decent level of protein to aid muscle recovery as well??  (I do eat meat but don't want to eat any more than I currently eat and definitely don't want to snack on a steak at my desk...  That actually sounds quite good image )

    Should have said in the original post - I'm just off the back of a half marathon programme running about 30 miles per week, but looking to build that up to more like 50+ for marathon training, so the chances are I'm going to be hungrier as I burn more calories!

    I have read Scott Jurek's Eat and Run and love the idea of his snacks/food but I don't really have enough time to prepare those snacks in advance to take with me to work.

    Cheers image

  • Banana and a cup of coffee.

    Graze boxes.

    Nakd bars.

    Dried fruit and nuts.

    If you think you can or you think you can't you're probably right.
  • CC82CC82 ✭✭✭

    Thanks Little M.iss Happy!  I normally eat a banana as part of my breakfast and for some reason I don't like to eat more than one banana in a day.  I can't remember why to be honest!  I don't like coffee at all, so that's not an option for me!

    Hadn't heard of Nakd bars before - they look quite tasty and good alternative to a Mars bar!

  • literatinliteratin ✭✭✭

    Nakd bars get most of their texture from being made of mashed up dates. So it's quite similar to snacking on dried fruit and nuts. I have yoghurt for breakfast and sometimes have more in the afternoon if I'm doing something like strength training later on. Or cottage cheese.

  • chickstachicksta ✭✭✭

    I have a second brekkie at around 10am. Before I leave work I usually eat a slice of bread with honey (I bake my own wholemeal kind). And then I make porridge that I take to work. In winter I stick it in the microwave, in summer I eat it cold. I like having some fruit with my porridge - it goes well with bananas and pears. That'll tide me over till lunchtime. Afternoon snack is usually more fruit. And if I'm stressed: chocolate image

    Hiya LMH and Lit image

  • Hiya chickadee image I find porridge good if I really have the munchies and the chocolate flavoured stuff (which I wouldn't contemplate for breakfast) makes a nice post workout treat.

    The choca mocha (or whatever they call it) Nakd bar is particularly nice - you can almost kid yourself that you're having something far naughtier.

    Popcorn is good for snacking too - as long as it's not the toffee stuff.

    If you think you can or you think you can't you're probably right.
  • CC82CC82 ✭✭✭

    +1 for Nakd bars.  Grabbed a couple at the supermarket yesterday.  The cashew and dates one is mega tasty.  Surprising when the ingredients are so simple.

    I got some "totally natural" bars that were beside them too - can't actually remember what they are and don't have them with me as I've got a week off next week, so no point taking them to work.

    Pleasantly surprised by the options for this sort of stuff these days.  When I looked for something similar years ago, the best on offer seemed to be those nutri-grain bars which were full of bad stuff.  image

  • +1 for Nakd bars.

    Also, they've just brought a 'crunch' version which is similar to the normal Nakd bars, but has crunchy soya pieces in the bar too.

    I could eat them all day actually...

  • literatinliteratin ✭✭✭

    I think they are way too sweet, but the Eat Natural ones are nice.

  • I keep eggs in the fridge and microwave 1 egg with 2 egg whites. otherwise fruit.

  • CC82CC82 ✭✭✭

    Eat Natural were the other ones I got.  Pretty tasty too image

  • Calum, one of my go to snacks is a Riveta (or cracker of your choice) with cottage cheese, usually with a slice of  chicken on, but optional if you don't want meat .

    If you don't fancy the cracker, lettuce leaf instead maybe, mini pitta. Add some other crunchy veg, tomato, onion. Decent amount of protein. Also good to add CC to a salad.

    2-3 sticks of Celery. I eat 2 apples most days.

    Little lunchbox packs of dried fruit are 69p for 12. Can use these out running too instead of gels.

    The Missus swears by salad leaves with sliced dried apricots, walnuts and flaked almonds.

  • in case anyone interested I've just started a blog about running and I wrote a little about food and running yesterday.......http://www.runningandwriting.com/

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