It’s probably safe to say that almost all of us experience that midday slump anywhere between 2 and 4 in the afternoon. Often, our solution to this slump is to grab ourselves a little snack, which usually helps to relieve those sluggish feelings. But, did you know that what you eat as your snack could potentially make that slump worse rather than alleviating it?
According to nutritionists, it all comes down to the nutrients that make up your snack of choice. Overall, snacks that are high in protein and or fats are the best option for helping you through the rest of your day. According to Dr. Linda Anegawa, proteins, and fats will give you longer-lasting energy, as they provide a slower release of energy, giving your body a longer-lasting source of energy to use. Conversely, snacks high in carbohydrates provide quick, bursts of energy, as our bodies digest them readily, and snacks high in sugar cause sugar crashes, which actually diminishes energy.
With that being said, here are a couple of recommended snacks that will keep you fueled for the rest of your day!
Beef jerky
Leftover cooked ground pork for a quick taco or lettuce wrap
Greek yogurt
Hard-boiled eggs
Hummus and vegetables
Nuts
Chickpeas
Beyond Snacks
It’s important to remember how important protein meat is to our entire diet. In fact, with today’s choices – fish, chicken, beef and pork – our choices are numerous, especially when you consider the variety of cuts within each type of protein meat. Today, most of us are not getting enough protein in our diet. It’s especially important that children are getting the right amount of protein.
So, plan out your snacks for the week and make sure that you’re choosing foods that will help you through your midday slump rather than making it worse!
P.S. Did you know that Arizona agriculture offers lots of locally grown foods that are high in protein, fat, and nutrients in general? Whether it be fresh veggies, eggs, milk, or meats, Arizona agriculture has your snacking and healthy eating needs covered!
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