Snacks tailor made to help you feel better
Not all snack attacks are created equal. Some happen because you’re tired, or can’t sleep, or you have to wait too long until your next meal.
No matter which kind you’re having, there’s an appropriate snack for that.
#1: Your head is throbbing, and your stomach is growling.
If you’re having a tension headache and you’re also hungry, try some magnesium. “Magnesium helps relax blood vessels, which can help relieve tension and pain,” said Keri Glassman, R.D., author of The Snack Factor Diet.
Sweet potatoes are a great source of this mineral, so you can eat one cooked, or try making your own baked sweet potato chips. Cut a sweet potato into thin slices, drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and bake at 250 F for two hours, flipping once.
No time for that? Try a bowl of magnesium-rich bran flakes with inflammation-calming blueberries, which are high in potassium.
#2: You’ll be eating a late dinner, but you’re hungry now.
If you want to tide yourself over without getting overly full, try crunching on celery sticks dipped in hummus, or roasted red peppers with mozzarella and basil.
“Water-dense foods will fill you up and curb your appetite, and protein will keep that feeling going until dinner,” Glassman said. A few endive leaves topped with tuna salad will do the trick, too.
#3: You tossed and turned all night, and have a meeting that will run into lunch.
After a healthy breakfast of whole-grain carbs and protein, make sure you have a midmorning snack. Coffee’s the obvious perk-up, and we give you permission to grab a second or third mug (research shows that coffee hydrates you almost as well as water).
Just pair it with food that has fiber and healthy fats, Glassman said. “This will give you a steady flow of energy and help you stay satisfied until you can break for lunch,” she said.
A smart snack is five or six whole-grain crackers (with at least 3 grams fiber per serving) topped with 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter. More options: whole-wheat toast topped with a sliced avocado, or a small handful of nuts.
#4: It’s 3 p.m. and your eyelids are heavy, but a nap isn’t in the cards.
“Vitamin C-rich foods will give you the quick energy boost you need until it’s quitting time,” said Dana James, a nutritional therapist and owner of Food Coach NYC.
Have a cup of sliced papaya with a squeeze of lime juice for an extra dose of C. Other C-rich options include strawberries, or a snack mix of chopped dried apricots and coconut flakes.
#5: You can’t sleep because your mind is racing.
“Magnesium is a natural relaxant that encourages a deeper level of sleep,” said James. Drink a glass of warmed almond milk (almonds give it the magnesium) with a few dashes of cinnamon. Or try half a banana drizzled with honey.
#6: You’re giving a big presentation in half an hour and feel drained.
You need B vitamins, which will help keep your memory sharp, and zinc to enhance mental clarity.
Enjoy a small spinach side salad with pumpkin seeds, which, like most nuts and seeds, are loaded with zinc. It’s nice and light, so you won’t get sluggish.
You can also snack on B-rich pear slices dipped in tahini (a sesame paste you can find in the ethnic aisle of your grocery store), or sesame crackers with guacamole.
— Better Homes and Gardens, a magazine and website devoted to ideas and improvement projects for your home and garden, plus recipes and entertaining ideas. Online at www.bhg.com.
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