7 Tricks to snack healthier and exercise harder

OHMYGOSSIP — If you’re looking for the better results from your fitness routine, you need to learn how to snack healthier and exercise harder. No matter whether you are trying to lose weight, build muscle or improve your health, snacking smarter can always help.

You should always fuel your body with foods rich in essential nutrients in order to work out better and reach your fitness goal faster. Sticking to a healthy diet will boost your energy levels and help you recover quicker after a workout. I recommend you to load up your diet with nutrient rich foods such as apples, spinach, beets, kale, blueberries, pears, and many other healthy foods to improve your health and boost your endurance and stamina.

Check out a few tips to snack healthier and exercise harder:

1. Always have your favorite nuts on hand
Nuts are a wonderful, portable snack that is high in omega-3 fatty acids, dietary fiber, and protein. Nuts are good for your brain as well as for your heart, so why not snack on them when you are hungry? Moreover, eating nuts helps to reduce your cholesterol and boost your energy levels. A handful of nuts like almonds, peanuts or walnuts, is a perfect snack to eat before and after your workout. I always snack on a handful of almonds before my workout and it helps me exercise harder and feel much better. However, don’t consume more than a handful of any nuts a day since all nuts are high in fat.

2. Munch on veggies
Snack on some carrots, celery, tomatoes, cucumbers and broccoli before your exercise to have more energy to achieve your fitness goal. Not only will this snack keep you feeling full and satisfied during your workout session, it will also help you get ready for your next training session. I love to have my veggies with homemade hummus and it’s one of my favorite snacks for a better workout.

3. Always keep frozen fruits and veggies in your freezer
It can be easier to snack on healthy foods when you keep them handy. Make sure you always keep frozen fruits and veggies in your freezer so that if you don’t have any fresh fruits and vegetables at home (though, you should always have!), you can snack on frozen ones. This snack is ideal before your workout session since it helps stabilize your blood sugar while fueling your body with the essential nutrients that it needs to exercise harder.

4. Carry portable fruits
Consider carrying some portable fruit, like an apple, pear, plum or banana, when you’re going to exercise. When you will feel hungry, you will have a healthy snack to satisfy your cravings. Plus, you won’t have to look for the place to buy some food (usually unhealthy one) when you have your own healthy snack in your purse. If your portable fruit is banana, make sure you eat it in moderation since it’s high in calories – an average banana contains around 110-150 calories.

5. Avoid keeping chips and cookies in your kitchen
I don’t know about you, but when I know that there are a few bags of chips or some delis cookies in my house I can’t think about healthy snacks. That’s the main reason I never have those unhealthy snacks in my house. If you can’t snack on healthy foods, you should remove all unhealthy foods from your kitchen first. It’s okay to have a scoop of ice cream or one cookie when you attend a party or simply dine out, but don’t do it too often if you want to lose weight. Eating everything in moderation is one of the best things you can do for yourself. You won’t feel deprived and depressed, and you won’t starve yourself.

6. Practice portion control
When it comes to snacking healthier, it’s important to learn how to control your portions. A healthy snack should be a quarter the size of your main meal, and you should eat it every 2-3 hours to keep your hunger at bay, your metabolism strong and prevent overeating at your main meals. Moreover, it will help boost your endurance and stamina as well as recover faster from your workout sessions.

7. Plan your snacks in advance
Make a habit of planning your healthy meal plan for a few days or the week and prepare your snacks in advance. I always cut up fruits and vegetables, make hummus and several fruit salads in advance and keep them in the fridge. My food pantry and fridge are always stocked with healthy snacks and meals so that after my training sessions, I’ll be ready to refuel and recover. Give this tip a try! This will help improve your health and reach all your fitness goals.

It’s not difficult to learn to snack healthier; a few little changes can make a huge difference. Consider following the aforementioned tips for the better results and don’t forget to share your own tips and tricks in the comments section.

Source: Jennifer Houston/Womanitely
Featured image:  ©OHMYGOSSIP

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