How often have you gone to the office and not had time to make healthy food with you? Probably many times. Sometimes you wake up later than you should, get dressed quickly, and run to the office without realizing that you didn’t put a package of food in your bag. What is the saving solution? A healthy snack that you can buy at any supermarket.

Hopefully, after reading this article, you’ll know what to look for next time you will take a trip to your favorite store! Sometimes we are not aware that we can find some nutrient-packed foods on the shelves, and on top of that, also very delicious! So, I want to share some of the healthy snacks that you can never go wrong with.

Let’s get right to it:

Nuts

Raw nuts and seeds contain essential fatty acids and healthy fats that maintain a healthy brain. They taste perfect and give you a feeling of satiety between meals. Choose almonds, walnuts, cashews, macadamia nuts, pecans, etc. But it is essential to choose raw nuts, as little processed as possible, and avoid fried, salted, or sweetened ones. Also, to avoid consuming a large number of calories, limit your snack to a maximum of a small handful of nuts a day.

Dried Fruit

This one is the easiest to find in any store. Dried fruits have many benefits on the human body and are those fruits that are easy to eat anywhere, anytime. They are easy to store (in a small bag or casserole), easy to buy, and not expensive.

Dried fruits are rich in antioxidants, fiber, and complex carbohydrates, containing many vitamins and minerals necessary for human vitality, offering almost the same health benefits as fresh ones. Rich in sucrose, fructose, and glucose naturally, they provide a constant source of energy.

Avoid dried fruits with added sugar! Some producers add artificial sweeteners to the fruits before they are dried to make them sweeter; these are candied fruits. Read the labels carefully before buying a pack of dried fruits.

Protein bars

Protein bars are a popular snack because they are an easy and quick way to add protein and other nutrients to our diet when we have an active life and are very busy. For a breakfast bar you can make at home, try my dark chocolate strawberry oat bars.

Beware: protein bars should never replace a varied and healthy diet rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants from natural sources. However, bars can be an excellent alternative in some situations, especially when tempted by unhealthy processed foods that we stumble across.

It is essential to read the product label carefully before choosing a protein bar. There are many products on the market that have a very high amount of sugar and sweeteners. Make sure the percentage of sweeteners is as low as possible. Look at the list of ingredients. They are labeled in descending order of quantity.

Pay attention to the number of calories in the protein bar. Do not exceed 300-350 calories per bar unless you want to increase your calorie intake and develop your muscles, in which case you may need more calories. The protein-carbohydrate ratio depends on your lifestyle – whether you are an active or less active person.

Avoid products that contain dyes, synthetic preservatives, or other artificial ingredients. We all already know that it is good to avoid chemicals in food because they can be harmful to our health.

When you are thinking about the winter holidays, I am sure you don’t put into the equation Fitness and working out. But even so, I’ve noticed that there are people who take two different approaches towards being fit during holidays:

1. “I don’t see the purpose of working out because I will probably eat unhealthy food, so in the end, it won’t make any difference anymore. So why not take advantage of this period?!”
2. “I won’t even get too close to the holiday food. I will stick to my regular diet and focus on my fitness.”

Neither is a healthy approach!

If you were looking forward to the days when you would stay home in bed and do absolutely nothing but eat and watch movies, well, in addition to your requirements, try to add one thing, namely: the movement!

After every meal, especially during the holidays, allow yourself at least 30 minutes to walk.

Invite your loved ones for a walk in the park, a mountain trail, or even for a workout.

But at the same time, don’t forget to allow yourself to enjoy the holidays! Otherwise, you might end up in a miserable mood, and that’s not the way to spend the holidays. The bottom line is that depriving yourself of food won’t make you healthy and can even make you sick.

So what’s the solution? It would be best if you ate something to have the energy to work out but the traditional holiday meals and snacks are probably not the best ideas here. If you start your day with a healthy and balanced breakfast, you will get the needed resources for a great workout. As a bonus, you can enjoy a Christmas cookie as a post-workout! Healthy holiday workout recipes!

Here are some valuable tips that might be very helpful:

• There are several days of partying, so you don’t have to eat all the delicious dishes at the same meal.
• If you are at a table with several dishes and they have made you look for some more fat-rich entrees, the recommendation is that you choose fruit instead of a creamy dessert.
• Don’t go to parties on an empty stomach, especially if it’s in the evening. The strategy of skipping lunch won’t work, considering that there will be a lot of calories in the evening anyway.
• If, after a hearty meal, you think of not eating at all the next day or skipping breakfast and lunch, you might expect that in the evening, before going to bed, to get so hungry that you can’t help it. Thus, instead of being just a day with an unbalanced diet, you will extend the period and things might go crazy.
• Make sure you maintain optimal Cholesterol levels by exercising, eating vegetables, fruits, fish, and avoiding excess animal fats.
• After the holidays, try to return to a proper rhythm, with regular meals, eating vegetables and fruits.

I also prepared a quick recipe roundup for those of you who want to keep up with their fitness routine but to enjoy the holiday treats too:

Pre-workout holiday recipes

Kaleigh McMordie shared this recipe for gingerbread waffles that I love. You can easily prepare them ahead and enjoy them for breakfast.

The same goes for Kara Lydon’s gingerbread pancakes. For some extra flavor, top with a teaspoon of peanut butter, but they also taste perfectly well on their own.

Or how about some French toast? Nourished NCE’s Apple Cranberry French Toast Bake gets you instantly in the holiday spirit.

How do some energy bites sound like? Judith Sharman has this excellent recipe for Cherry Power Balls that is both slightly sweet and sour.

A slice or two of No Added Sugar Fruit and Nut Quickbread via Elizabeth Ward’s blog before an intense workout session is what makes me happy.

Post-workout holiday recipes

Since Thanksgiving, I have been making Kelli Shallal’s Pumpkin Coconut Flour Pancakes, and I am still not tired of them.

For all the potato lovers out there, you have to try the Potato Latkes made by Bonnie Giller

For something both earthy and sweet, I recommend Jennifer Hunt’s Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes. Pair them with some protein, like chicken. This White Cheddar Cranberry Apple Stuffed Chicken via Amanda Hernandez and Jan Elliot Evans’ Wheat Berry Cranberry Salad makes a well-balanced meal.

And as probably the easiest one on this list, the Gingerbread Dessert Dip via Emily Holdorf. All you have to do is just cut up some apple slices and eat them with the delicious dip!