Everyone is talking about eating healthy and getting in 5 to 6 small meals a day.  Are you having trouble figuring out what to eat.  Do you wish it could just be a little simpler.  Well I have put together a short list of some health “GRAB AND GO” snacks to get you through the day.

I eat three main meals and two snacks during the day.  For me the afternoon snack is the most important.  By two or three o’clock I have already been up for a long time, put in more than a days worth of work and I feel my energy starting to dwindle.  This is such an important part of weight loss and for a lot of people one of the missing links.  They skip this most important snack and wind up starving at dinner time and wonder why they can’t stay on their healthy program.

DON’T EVER LET YOURSELF GET TOO HUNGRY.  This will set you up for a big problem, OVEREATING. Take the time to prepare your meals and snacks so you are prepared.  Now of course we are all busy and running from one thing to the next, so another tip is to keep healthy snacks in your car or purse so you don’t find yourself in the Drive Thru line ordering a Biggie or Grande!!!

Here are some easy and healthy combinations:

1 Apple & 1 - 2 oz  Almonds or walnuts

2 Hard boiled eggs & an orange

2 string cheese & an Apple

1/2 cup oatmeal with berries & protein shake

Cottage cheese & Fruit of choice

Hummus & carrots/raw asparagus/celery

Natural Protein Bar

Spinach with olive oil & lemon juice topped with leftover chicken

Fruit cup from Grocery store

1 porton of chips with Salsa

Natural Peanut/Almond Butter & 1 Apple

Green Smoothie

Frozen Natural Fruit Bar & 1 oz Nuts

Vita Muffin & Protein Shake

1/2 to 1 Cup Organic Greek Yogurt with berries, sprinkle of oatmeal, sprinkle of ground flax seeds sprinkle of stevia

copied from lauralondonfitness.com http://www.lauralondonfitness.com/food-and-diet/healthy-snacks/quick-and-healthy-snack-ideas

The next time you feel like foraging in the cupboard or fridge, consider that mindless snacking can pack on the pounds. Here, Cleveland Clinic registered dietitians team up to offer you seven healthy alternatives to time-honored comfort foods:

1. Crunch time: Rethink chips & dip.

Crunching your way through a big bag of salty potato chips, corn chips or cheese doodles will make your fat, calorie and sodium intake skyrocket. Onion or ranch dip adds calories, saturated fat and sodium.

Instead, try 1-ounce snack packs of tortilla, multigrain or baked, reduced-fat potato chips — or measure out one serving in a small bowl. Scoop up salsa (loaded with lycopene and vitamin C, but watch sodium content), hummus (filled with fiber and protein) or yogurt-based dip (providing calcium and protein).

2. Ice cream: Find a better way to chill.

A big bowl of ice cream seems like a great way to treat yourself. The bad news is that it’s high in saturated fat, sugar and calories.

Instead, try an all-fruit frozen bar, ½ cup of low-fat ice cream or frozen yogurt, or sugar-free popsicles or fudge bars. Make your own treat by stirring blueberries or raspberries into fat-free yogurt and freezing. Or try frozen grapes. If you must have the real thing, go out for a single scoop of single-flavor ice cream. Stick to chocolate, vanilla or strawberry — forget the moose tracks and chunky monkey — and then take a 30-minute walk.

3. PB&J: Time for an upgrade.

Talk about a comfort food — peanut butter and jelly sandwiches take us straight back to childhood! Peanut butter has fiber, protein, B vitamins and monounsaturated fats, but it’s high in calories. Store brands have added sugar and salt. Traditional white bread has little nutritional value, and jelly is 100 percent sugar.

Instead, try spreading just 2 tablespoons of all-natural peanut butter (no added salt, sugar or oils) or almond butter on whole-grain bread. Sweeten with sliced bananas or strawberries, or with 1 tablespoon of pure fruit spread, or drizzle with a teaspoon of honey. Or forgo the bread entirely, and spread natural peanut butter on apple slices.

4. Thirsty? Get tough on soft drinks.

Pop open a can of soda when you’re thirsty, and you’ll feel refreshed. But you’re basically drinking sugar water with zero nutritional value. And the phosphates in soft drinks aren’t healthy for your bones.

For a healthier alternative, try making a juice spritzer. Add a splash of soda water, diet ginger ale or diet lemon-lime soda to half a cup of 100 percent grape, orange or cranberry-blend juice with ice. Or cool off with diet tonic water and a wedge of lemon. Better yet, try water —it truly is “the real thing!”

5. Cake cravings: Take on your sweet tooth.

Leftover birthday cake just begs to be eaten. Store-bought cakes are high in sugar, saturated fat and trans fat (especially that fabulous butter cream frosting).

Try baking home-made angel food or sponge cake, then dressing it up with a fruit topping or spreading fruit-flavored “lite” yogurt on top. Or choose to limit the damage by ordering a single decadent piece of cake at a restaurant and sharing it. Then you’ll have no leftovers to tempt you at home.

6. Starved? Build a better sandwich.

Old-fashioned bologna and cheese sandwiches, typically made with white bread, are high in fat, saturated fat and sodium. Bologna and other processed deli meats also contain preservatives and other agents linked to increased risks of heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

Instead, buy low-fat, reduced-sodium turkey, chicken or lean beef slices, or water-packed tuna. Place them on whole-grain, rye, pumpernickel, light or thin-sliced bread. Top with reduced-fat cheese, avocado slices, lettuce, spinach leaves, alfalfa sprouts, or thin-sliced apples or carrots for extra vitamins, nutrients and fiber.

7. Condiments: Get creative.

Slathering sandwiches with ketchup, mayo or butter only adds unwanted fat and/or sugar. The sugar in ketchup comes in the form of unsavory high-fructose corn syrup.

But don’t settle for a dry sandwich — try mustard, hummus, olive- or canola-oil based mayo or sandwich spreads, or low-fat cream cheese. Moderate use of apricot chutney or marmalade and additive-free organic ketchup can also add flavor and moisture.

Maxine Smith, RD, LD, Outpatient Nutrition Therapy; Julia R. Zumpano, RD, LD, Preventive Cardiology and Rehabilitation; Kathleen McLaughlin, RD, LD, Inpatient Nutrition Therapy; and Andrea Dunn, RD, LD, CDE (Certified Diabetes Educator), provided these nutrition tips

Add Snacks to Subtract Pounds

— By Liz Noelcke

While some dieters happily accept when someone suggests a snack, others feel pangs of guilt when a nibble is merely suggested. However, there is nothing inherently wrong with a bite between meals. In fact, snacking might be the missing ingredient that will help you reach your weight loss goals.

But how can this make sense, since snacking theoretically adds calories?

Snacking doesn’t serve to replace a meal. In fact, you should spread meals and snacks out by an hour or two, and snacks should total a couple hundred calories or less.

Munching between meals can actually reduce your overall caloric intake by curbing overeating at your next meal. By controlling later binging, snacking can help you stay on track. You can actually use this to your advantage. If you know you are going out to a big dinner with friends later, for example, make sure you have a healthy snack before you head out so you’re less likely to order (and finish) a large entrée.

• Fill a small plate with your snack, and leave the kitchen. Just walk away. When your plate is empty, snack time is over. 
• Never bring the entire container with you in front of the television or computer. Enjoy your snack without distraction and you won’t be tempted to reach for more.
• If you stand around the snack table chatting at a party, you may find yourself reaching for food when the conversation lulls. This can often lead to an unintentional binge because you simply aren’t paying attention to what you are eating. 
• Limit yourself to a single serving. 
• Plan out your snacks just like you would a meal. Is one cookie worth the calorie cost, when you could eat a plate of fresh fruit instead?