Crafting the Perfect Balanced Snacks: A Step-By-Step Guide |

Discover the art of crafting balanced snacks in this step-by-step guide. Utilize different nutrition components to build the best snack for you!

fresh sliced vegetables served with sauce in black bowl on tray as balanced snacks

Is Snacking Healthy?
Why You Snack
What Are Balanced Snacks
Protein
Carbohydrates
Dietary Fats
Frequently Asked Questions
Balanced Snacks Considerations
Ideas for Balanced Snacks
Crafting the Perfect Balanced Snacks: A Step-By-Step Guide Takeaways
Craving More?

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Is Snacking Healthy?

Some will make you believe that nibbling on a snack (or few) throughout the day means there’s something going wrong with your main meals. This is NOT usually the case!

It is important to start your days with balanced and satisfying meals. After you’ve got those nailed down you may still be reaching for a snack. This is completely normal!

Why You Snack

For some, snacking throughout the day is their regular way of eating. Others, choose to have larger meals and skip the snacks. Whichever way you lean towards, snacking is always an option.

If you are not a regular snacker but find yourself looking for them between meals there could be a few reasons!

Exercise- Working out burns energy. It is very normal to feel hungrier the day of and the next couple days after a workout.

Growth- During a phase of life where you are growing your body needs more calories to function properly! Think about it this way: if your body is attempting to grow two inches, you physically need more calories for this extra energy expenditure and creation.

Pregnancy– During the second and third pregnancy you need 300-500 (this range varies person to person) additional calories. Sprinkling in snacks is a great way to ensure there’s sustained energy and makes reaching these new calorie goals more attainable.

Some other situations that may reason towards snacking are: times of illness, breastfeeding, stress, change in monthly hormones, taking certain medications, environmental or social situations, not consuming enough at meal times, change in metabolic rate.

Choice- Food isn’t just about reasoning and precise nutrition. Having a snack because your best friend made you a treat, you need some comfort, or simply because you are! There does not need to be an explanation to snack!

ham and cheese with crackers on the plate as balanced snacks

What Are Balanced Snacks

A balanced snack is one that contains at least two of the three macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates, and dietary fat.

My choosing at least two of the three categories ensure you are more satisfied and won’t be reaching for another minutes later.

Building A Balanced Snack:

Step 1: Pick 2 or more foods from the 3 macronutrient categories.

Step 2: Consider fiber, cultural preferences, how much time you have, and what you’re craving!

Protein

This macronutrient help repair and maintain your muscles.

Greek yogurt
Beef sticks
Cottage cheese
Tofu
Deli meat
Cheese
Nuts
Hummus
Edamame
Milk
Hard boiled egg
Seafood

close up of raspberries in bowl on table

Carbohydrates

Our bodies love to utilize carbs as its main source of energy! Be sure to keep fueled with these.

Veggies
Oats/Oatmeal
Rice
Crackers
Bread
Fruits: Fresh, dried, frozen- any variety!
Rice cakes

Dietary Fats

These are concentrated forms of energy. Enjoy dietary fat in moderation!

Nuts
Cheese
Olives
Most dips/sauces
Nut butter
Avocado
Oils
Seafood

This is not an exhaustive list! There are SO many different protein, carbohydrate, and dietary fat options that can be incorporated into balanced snacks!

Did you notice there’s a few that are on more than one macronutrient category? This wasn’t a mistake! Some foods inherently have more than one component to them. Something like a cheese stick does have about 7 grams of protein but also has about 5 grams of dietary fat.

It would be easy to have it set in your mind that a cheese stick is considered protein. But, if you did that you wouldn’t be accounting for the dietary fat in it as well. This just shows the importance in understanding your food in order to make the choices you’re aiming for!

white popcorns on round white ceramic bowl

Frequently Asked Questions

What about those 100-calorie snacks?

Think of calories as fuel for your body. Consuming a small amount of calories is a small amount of fuel. There’s nothing inherently ‘wrong’ with a 100-calorie snack pack but it is unlikely to keep you satisfied until your next meal.

What if I just want a plain apple?

Not every snack needs to be completely optimized! I will never tell you to not eat an apple! You can totally eat a plain apple without pairing it with something such as yogurt or nut butter.

What time should I stop snacking at night?

Some groups have the belief that eating after a certain time at night directly leads to weight gain. This has been repeatedly proven false. You body doesn’t begin processing food after a certain time. Have a snack when you want or need it.

How many snacks a day is too many?

THE LIMIT DOES NOT EXIST! (from Mean Girls, ya know!?)

So that’s not exactly true. There should probably be a line to draw somewhere but that’s not possible to draw without knowing more about you.

What snacks are good for mindless snacking?

Sometimes you just feel like eating. If you have a relatively healthy relationship with food and are making this choice every once in a while, that’s totally fine! If you aren’t having a craving for a specific food opt for lower calorie and higher fiber foods. Some ideas for these moments could be having popcorn, veggies, fruits.

Balanced Snacks Considerations

On-The-Go

If you are in a rush and there’s no time to make these balanced snack choices and prepare them, no fret! There are tons of on-the-go options on the market these days.

In the dairy aisle of your grocery store are now Balanced Breaks. These are pre-portioned snack containers of cheese, nuts, and fruits. These are delicious and easy all-in-one balanced snacks.

Some other on-the-go balanced snack options are: meat and cheese packs, individual chicken salad kits, protein bars (they have both protein and carbs!).

Fiber

Fiber is a type of carb that is not digested. There are two types of fiber that work in different ways, but essentially, fiber helps keep you full. If you are interested in reading more about fiber check out this deep dive article: Fiber, an Important Carbohydrate.

Cultural

The macronutrient examples are normal in my culture. That doesn’t make them the gold standard or specific options you should be reaching for. Incorporating foods significant to your culture should be considered when making a snack!

Cravings

Sometimes you are craving some chocolate. Just because it is not your typically recommended snack doesn’t mean you can’t have it! If you’re craving it, it is usually best to enjoy it!

For this example, there are some strategies that could make having chocolate as a snack more balanced. You could pair the chocolate with some greek yogurt, peanut butter, or nuts to add in some more nutrients for satisfaction.

Ideas for Balanced Snacks

Cheese Cubes (protein/fat) + Apple Slices (carb/fiber)
Rice Cakes (carb) + Avocado (fat)
Greek Yogurt (protein) + Blueberries (carb) + Granola (carb/fat)
Trail Mix (protein/carb/fat)
Hummus (protein/carb) + Carrots (carb)
Tuna (protein/fat) + Cucumber (carb)
Banana (carb) + Nut Butter (protein/fat)
String Cheese (protein/fat) + Pretzels (carb)
Cottage Cheese (protein) + Peaches (carb)
English Muffin (carb) + Cream Cheese (fat)
Mini Bagel (carb) + Deli Meat (protein) + Cream Cheese (fat)
Toast (carb) + Olive Oil (fat) + Cheese (protein/fat)
Roasted Chickpeas (protein/carb) + Oil (fat)
Chicken Salad (protein/fat) + Crackers (carb)
Whole Grain Cereal (carb) + Milk (protein/fat)
Oatmeal (carb) + Egg (protein) + Tomato (carb) + Pesto (fat)
Celery(carb) + Cream Cheese (fat) + Everything But The Bagel Seasoning
Date (carb) + Nut Butter (protein/fat)

Basically, there are TONS of potential balanced snack ideas possible. If you have other snacks you reach for, leave them in the comments down below so others (and I) can give a taste!