When you reach for a snack for yourself or your child, make it a balanced one. So many snacks today, even 'healthier' options, are carb-heavy (almost exclusively carbohydrates). Crackers. Cheerios. Goldfish. An apple or banana. A glass of juice. And that piece of banana bread.
With meals, it is usually easier to balance it out - to get some fat and protein into your body. But with snacks, it is harder. Let's face it: carbs are convenient, crunchy, and shelf stable.
At Eat the Butter, we love the idea of diluting carbs with fat and protein, even at snack time. It is not a new idea - bread and butter - crackers and cheese - peaches and cream. And it still works. So, when your daughter reaches for those apple slices, offer her a slice or two of cheddar to go with them. When you are munching on whole grain crackers, grab a hard boiled egg to accompany them. Or, let nature do the balancing: skip the carb-heavy snack altogether and grab a handful of nuts. It may seem like more calories, but your snack will keep you full longer, reducing future grazing or perhaps reducing what you eat at your next meal. This will also help keep you off the blood sugar roller coaster, as the protein and fat in your snack will slow the rise in blood sugar that follows any snack or meal with carbohydrates