I have been living the low carb lifestyle over a year now. The term “low carb” sometimes evokes negative associations for people, but it is a healthy lifestyle when it is properly incorporated into one’s life. I eat mainly lean meats, whole grains, lots of vegetables and some fruits. When I began eating low carb, it was the first time in my life that I actually understood how sugars and starches affect my body. I don’t count carbs, as with the Adkins diet, but rather I eliminated starchy breads and pastas, refined sugar, and potatoes from my life. I ended up losing weight and feeling better than I could ever remember feeling. My blood sugar stays level so I no longer feel spikes and loss of energy from a rush of sugar. I have heard recent news reports that sugar prematurely ages the skin so I am glad that I have eliminated the white stuff from my diet.
I tend to eat small snacks throughout the day with a sensible dinner in the evening. A difficult transition for me was finding snack food that wasn’t starchy or loaded with sugar. Here are my suggestions for low carb snacks. These suggestions can’t be found in a snack machine, so you need to plan your snacks ahead. This practice actually works to your benefit because you will much less likely to overeat if you have your snacks prepared in advance.
Turkey pepperoni is a great low carb snack. Regular pepperoni is also low carb, but I prefer turkey pepperoni because it is much lower in fat. The protein fills me up and I love the taste. Read the serving sizes on the back of the package and then ration out how many pieces you should eat. I usually divide mine out and place the portions into re-sealable snack bags. This makes them easy to grab when you are hungry or throw in your lunch bag for work.
Almonds are my favorite nut. If you are yearning for a snack that is salty and has some crunch, then grab a palmful of almonds; there is no need to eat potato chips. I prefer almonds over cashews and peanuts for a snack because almonds are higher in dietary fiber. I keep my almonds in the refrigerator because the healthy oils in nuts tend to breakdown more at room temperature.
Sugar free Jell-o will make you feel like a kid again! If you are craving something on the sweet side, then grab a spoon and plunge it into some sugar free Jell-o. You won’t hate yourself after eating it, like you might after eating a candy bar. Sugar free Jell-o is not only free of sugar, but it is fat free too. Most supermarkets sell sugar free Jell-o that is pre-made in individual portions if you don’t want to make it. I, on the other hand, prefer to make my own. There is a really large variety of sugar free flavors if you make the Jell-o yourself so it will be a long time before you get bored with it.
Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries are fruits that won’t spike your blood sugar as long as they are eaten in moderation. We should all be eating in moderation anyway. All three are high in antioxidants which help to fight cancer. In my experience, eating three large strawberries is satisfying without putting too many sugars in my body.
Spinach dip with raw vegetables is so rich and delicious that you will feel like you shouldn’t be eating it. I prefer to make my own spinach dip so that I can control the ingredients and how much salt and fat I am consuming in addition to sugar. There are many easy recipes that can be located in seconds on the internet. My favorite veggie to accompany the dip is uncooked broccoli. You might also want to try green onions, mushrooms, carrots, green peppers, red peppers or radishes with the dip. If you are going to be on the run or want to take it to work, just portion out a reasonable amount of dip to avoid overeating and put your clean, fresh vegetables in a re-sealable sandwich bag. Your body will get nutrients from the spinach in the dip and from the vegetables. If you absolutely won’t eat spinach dip, then try to find a vegetable dip that doesn’t contain a lot of sugar. You can always eat the veggies plain, but that’s no fun.
Cheese is a great low carb snack that also gets some calcium into your bones. I like to buy blocks of cheese and then cut it up into cubes. For convenience, you can buy cheese that is already cubed for you. You tend to get more for your money if you buy cheese in blocks. Once the cheese is in cubes, divide it up into the portions you should be eating and then put them away in sandwich bags. For added selection, buy different varieties of cheese and combine them in the portions. For example, instead of eating a serving of all cheddar cheese, create a serving of mild cheddar, Swiss, and pepper-jack cheeses. I appreciate variety and having a small snack of a couple of different cheeses is more satisfying than just eating one type.
Olives are another low carb snack food. Olives are a great accompaniment to the above-mentioned cheese. In fact, blue cheese stuffed olives are my personal favorite. Olives are also stuffed with garlic, almonds, pimento, and anchovies. Of course, you can find delicious olives that are not stuffed with anything. I hope these suggestions add some variety to your low carb lifestyle. I realize that they may not be as accessible as vending machine snacks, but overall, they are healthier. Besides, if you are not accustomed to planning your snacks ahead of time, then this is a practice that you should try to incorporate into your life in order to prevent eating the wrong foods or overeating. You only need to plan for your snacks once a week (or less) and it doesn’t take too much time. That adds up to four times a month (at most). This practice will keep you on track with your low carb lifestyle.
