SNACK TIME
SNACK TIME
Oh yes, the snack. The meal between meals. They can be used to our advantage or they can completely derail us. Some people advocate not snacking, and sticking to only 3 meals per day. While we are not saying that cannot be a beneficial strategy for some, it doesn’t work for us.
We approach snacks knowing that they have to fit into our overall goals. That means they have to fit within our caloric and macronutrient needs and that we use them to fuel our performance as well as curb our appetite.
I (Jonathan) try to have a high protein snack about 2 1/2 hours after breakfast. Usually it’s 3-4 oz of chicken that gives me 20-25 grams of protein. I will start getting hungry again about an hour to an hour and a half after that and I will have a serving of raw almonds. That gives me a good portion of the fat that I need for the day and it satiates me till lunch around 12:30.
I’m usually hungry again by 3:00 and I have another high protein snack that also contains some carbohydrates. Milk fits the bill for this. If I’m working out in the afternoon I will eat a high carbohydrate snack on the way to the gym. This is usually sweet potatoes or rice cakes. I like to get around 30g of carbohydrates within an hour of working out.
My final snack for the day is a post workout protein shake made with milk or chocolate milk and a scoop of whey protein that gives me about 35g of protein and 15g of carbohydrates. Both carbs and protein are great after a hard workout. I try to limit fat intake around workouts as it slows the digestion of protein and carbs.
Blakley uses her snacks similarly to both curb hunger and to fuel her workouts and recovery.
Remember, snacks can derail your progress if not accounted for. Watch out for high calorie snacks like nuts and chips. It’s safest to weigh these out before eating them. In other words, don’t just sit down with the bag of chips/nuts/cookies. If you’re serious about your goals you’ll need to pre-package out your snacks for the day before you head out and take them on the road with you.
As always, if you need help, shoot us a DM.