Snacking the Right Way
Coming back to school after the holidays is a difficult task for many students due to the sudden overwhelming amount of work to do and their mixed up sleeping cycles. To get through the long days and nights of school, the after school activities, and the study sessions at night, students tend to turn to sugary foods and fizzy drinks. While these snacks may increase energy for a short amount of time, they ultimately lead to students crashing
Teenagers often find themselves hungry throughout the majority of the day, which is normal considering the amount of energy they invest in their activities. It may be hard to resist the temptation of grabbing a soda or a bag of chips while studying for a science test, but the snacks with simple carbohydrates are proven to slow you down in the long run. Instead of eating something sugary, try fruits like clementines and bananas when you are in need of a study break. Hummus with whole grain pita bread makes for a great late night study snack. These healthy alternatives, filled with essential nutrients, are sure to leave you more energized and awake for that late cram session.
Before even starting the school day, it is important to start the morning right by having something for breakfast. It may be hard to find time to eat something before running off to catch the bus, but a yogurt or whole-wheat toast with a glass of orange juice can provide the energy needed to make it through first period. Cereal is also a great breakfast food, as long as it is not too high in sugar and other carbohydrates. By eating something before heading off to school, you are more likely to stay full for a longer period of time and resist the urge to grab a bag of chips or cookies in between classes while waiting for a late lunch period to finally arrive.
While it is hard to resist cravings and temptations for sweets, try to limit your selections to one a day or a find a healthier alternative. For example, dark chocolate is actually proven to lower high blood pressure and is a rich antioxidant. For a tasty sweet, try strawberries with light whipped cream or a frozen yogurt.
It is important to remember that there are no “good foods” or “bad foods;” any kind of food is okay to eat as long as it is in moderation. Here are some great new snack ideas that can add energy, fill you up, and taste good:
• Apple slices, bananas or celery with peanut butter
• Salsa with whole-grain crackers.
• Cheese toast (whole grain bread with low-fat cheese).
• Cut-up vegetables with low-fat ranch dressing.
• Hummus on a whole-wheat pita.
• Oatmeal made with low-fat milk with strawberries.
• Peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole-grain bread.
• Popcorn
• Trail Mix
• Small bagel with low-fat cream cheese.
• String cheese and whole-grain crackers.
• Tuna sandwich on whole-grain bread.
• Turkey and low-fat cheese sandwich on whole grain bread with lettuce and tomato.
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