If the middle of the afternoon often becomes
your “I wish I could take a nap” time, the reason may be that your body needs
energy.
Spacing meals three to four hours apart makes
it easier to stay energized throughout the day, so an afternoon snack can be
your key to making it through. Remember, snacking from a box often results in
overeating. Keep your snack portions small by placing the food on a plate or
small baggie and eating slowly.
Try some of these snack ideas:
Fruit pops: Freeze puréed fruit (mango,
papaya, apricot) or juice in ice cube trays or paper cups with wooden
sticks.
Fruit mix: Mix up a bag of your favorite
dried fruits, such as apple slices, apricots, blueberries, cherries,
cranberries, pear slices and raisins.
Frozen chips: Slice bananas into thin
rounds. Spread them flat on a baking pan and cover. Freeze and serve frozen
as a fun snack. Do the same with seedless grapes or berries.
“Frugurt”: Top a variety of sliced fruit
with low-fat yogurt.
Baked Chips with hummus or salsa.
Half a turkey or peanut butter and jelly
sandwich
1 cup pudding made with fat-free milk
1 cup dry cereal mixed
with dried fruit
½ cup cottage cheese
and fruit
Peanut butter on apple
slices, crackers or bread
Tortillas rolled
around sliced turkey or beans
2 cups microwave
low-fat popcorn
One cup of low-fat
yogurt with two tablespoons whole-grain cereal
Six to eight carrot
and pepper strips with low-fat salad dressing
