I have a friend who is working towards changing her diet. She posed some questions around snacking. A box of Triscuits and cheese were her “go-to”, and she was finding that perhaps this particular practice was contributing to her missing the mark on weight management goals. She asked for a little advice, and I let her know that since this is a common question, I would spruce up my response and post it in this week’s blog.
If you are living a paleo lifestyle, what are some snack ideas? Well, we must deal with something first – the word snack. I know this is surprising, but a “snack” is not a thing. ANYTHING really can be considered a snack. It does not have rules and boundaries to which you must adhere. Any particular foods could fall into, or out of this category.
A snack is just a small meal. That helps a little, doesn’t it?
So here are seven great Paleo snack ideas.
- Fruit and fat: Pick a fruit, add some fat to it. I love banana with a little almond butter. Or an apple with cashew butter. It is a great combination loaded with so many nutrients in both!
- Hijack dinner: I always make more dinner than I need, and then put portions in tiny Tupperware for “snacking” later. Examples might include, salmon and sautéed kale, chicken, and steamed asparagus or left over salad with a little tuna on top. In smaller portions these choices can be very satisfying for the hunger monster.
- Bone broth: Newsflash! Bone broth now comes in tiny packaged serving sizes that are perfect to put in a mug and warm up! It is so rich and satisfying, and it will certainly tide you over until that next meal.
- Meat wraps One of my favorites. I take “well-sourced and clean” deli meat like Applegate farms and wrap it around something. A thin slice of avocado slivered veggies or bacon with a slice of tomato. These are packed with protein and so delicious.
- Packaged Paleo: The “packaged” options for paleo have improved so much over the last two years. There are now many options of foods that you can purchase to have on hand that will satiate your hunger. (Be careful to limit how much packaged food you are eating no matter how good it is! Remember, the idea with paleo is to be eating fresh, and whole as much as possible!) Here are some examples of paleo snacks you can click directly to order. JERKY, COOKIES, DRIED FRUIT, CHIPS, GRANOLA
- Trail mix: I use small “bead bags” to portion out trail mix otherwise I find I eat too much! (check out “Why Your Paleo Plan Is An Epic Fail”) But trail mix in small portions is excellent for a mid-afternoon slump. Try this “Seventeen Mile Mix,” it is fantastic!
- Precut veggies with dip: I love to cut up a ton of veggies on the weekend, so I always have them in the fridge, and then I usually whip up some cashew spread to go with it!
As you can see, there are some easy options to use for paleo “snacking.” Think outside the box, get creative and because you have so many great “small meal” options you can kindly put away the Triscuits.
What are your favorite Paleo Snacks?
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Six Reasons your PALEO plan might be a complete epic fail.
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20 Responses
Hi Heather,
Love your posts and I’m always glad to hear from you.
I saw on Facebook a way to use a skate board as a tool for exercising and I thought of you. I would have sent it to you but i didn’t know where to send it and how. Is there a fast and easy way to slip things over to you?
Hope you are enjoying your new adventure….Hilary
Hilary! Thankyou for your comment. I love using stuff around you to workout. The skateboard one might be similar to an inline skate video I am going to be posting.
I’m the “friend” in this article! Thank you, Dr. D, for following up on our conversation! I will try some of these delightful ideas for healthier snacks.
Thanks for commenting Jenni! I hope your pursuit is going well!
I am always looking for new snack ideas. Thanks for some great ones!
I hope you enjoy Annie!
Love these ideas, especially the small dinner leftover portions as snacks, that is such a great easy and healthy option.
THanks for commenting Sara!
Great ideas! My favorite paleo snack is a half an avocado with either balsamic vinegar drizzled on it or spicy kimchi on top. The avocado fat really satisfies your appetite and the kimchi is just so good for your gut. Delicious!
OMG…That sounds amazing. My mum used to do half an avocado with bay shrimp tucked in the hole. It was so good!
I always reach for the nuts when I need a snack. But I need to learn to eat less. The bags are huge and I always tend to eat the whole thing! Thanks for the suggestions.
Oh, me too! I actually started doing the little mini bead bags you can get from Michaels and putting just a few in there as a forcing function to not dive face first into the whole bag.
Broth and meat wraps are my favorite snacks. I do find myself getting into a snack rut because I love crunch items more than soft ones. I tried banana chips for a while.
Me too! More satisfying for some reason! I will try to do a post about CRUNCH! Great idea. Thanks for commenting Regina.
I totally love meat wraps! I try to make a bunch and have them stored in the fridge for easy snacking. I make my own bone broth too but find it hard to drink straight from the mug. Maybe I need to tweak my recipe a bit. These are great snack ideas! Keep ’em coming!
I actually found adding a little extra salt pepper and cayenne to the organic boxed bone broth from Whole foods tastes delicious. I just tell myself I am drinking soup! I had ordered one from an organic online company and found it very hard to get down so I feel your pain! Thanks for commenting Crissa!
Love these ideas! I am gluten intolerant, so Paleo is the way for me, but sticking to it is another story :/ Thanks for sharing!
Valerie
80/20 is a good ratio to stick to for paleo. 100% can be challenging. Thanks for commenting Valerie!
These look like great snack ideas! Many new ones I’m definitely going to try! Thank you!
Thanks, Kimberly. They are easy and whole food options!