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!

Fried farro with vegetables, the most straightforward recipe for a quick and easy dinner. Tasty, healthy, and ready in less than 20 minutes. If you like spicy food, you can add a few chili flakes or a few drops of tabasco sauce. It can be served as such or as a side dish next to the main dish.

When I return after a trip, I always want to enjoy all the little details that give me the feeling of home. The most effective in restoring the sense of home comfort I noticed is cooking an unpretentious but delicious dish. Fried farro with vegetables is one of the dishes that give me that comfortable feeling.

This farro with vegetables looks appetizing and smells great! In addition to the vivid colors of vegetables, we find interesting textures (soft, crunchy, etc.) and a divine taste! Umami is the taste that makes us feel good, makes us feel comfortable, and creates a special pleasure.

Fried Farro with vegetables has a rich taste and has the advantage that it immediately makes you feel full, giving you the energy you need during the day. Because it is enriched with vegetables, it also provides you with a good part of your fiber needs.

This recipe is a good idea to recycle the boiled farro leftover from the previous day as well as the various vegetables. Vegetables can be fresh or frozen: carrots, peas, peppers, corn, mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, or even beans.

It is a food to share with the family, colorful and tasty, which will bring joy to everyone, and I hope you will discover its delicious aroma and texture soon.

Nutritional Information (without toppings):

• Servings: 4
• Calories: 350
• Carbohydrate: 55 g
• Sugar: 5 g
• Total Fat: 6 g
• Saturated Fat: 1 g
• Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g
• Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g
• Protein: 18 g
• Fiber: 7 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Sodium: 205 mg
• Potassium: 450 mg

Fried Farro with Vegetables

Necessary equipment:

• a medium pot
• a medium saucepan

Ingredients:

4 servings

• 1 1/2 cup of dry farro grains
• 2 cups Champignon mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 medium bell pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 2 cups water or low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon of chili powder

Instructions:

1. Prepare the farro according to the instructions on the package.
2. Wipe the mushrooms well using clean kitchen paper towels and cut them into quarters or halves, depending on how big they are.
3. Peel the onion, wash it well and finely chop it, as well as the garlic. Finely chop the pepper, peel the carrot, wash well and pass through the grater with large holes.
4. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat and add the mushrooms. Saute the mushrooms, without salting them, for about 7 minutes or until they soften and brown. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and keep them covered.
5. Add the remaining olive oil to the same pan used to cook the mushrooms and immediately add the onion, garlic, carrot, and pepper. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the onions are soft (4-5 minutes).
6. Then add the cooked farro and sauté it together with the vegetables, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes.
7. Pour over the water/vegetable broth. As soon as the liquid starts to boil, reduce the heat to a minimum and cover the pan with the lid. Boil for about 8 minutes over low heat.
8. After 8 minutes, add the mushrooms to the pan. Stir gently and cover the pan again, cooking everything, farro, and mushrooms, for another 2 minutes.
9. Turn off the heat after exactly 10 minutes from the moment the water started to boil. Season with chili, salt, and pepper to taste and then cover with a lid and leave to stand for 10-15 minutes before serving, during which time the farro will absorb the last drop of liquid from the pan.

Serve the fried farro with vegetables warm, sprinkled with chopped green parsley, along with a salad of vegetables.

Healthy habits improve the quality of life over time and reduce the risk of disease and illness. It’s hard to change your lifestyle all at once; it is easier to set small goals. It is equally important to give up bad habits or negative behaviors that affect our health. Changing habits is a complex process that involves several stages. Sometimes it takes some time for changes to become new habits.

If you don’t know where to start, consider monitoring basic health behaviors, such as sleep, eating, hydration, exercise, and stress management, and see what areas need to be improved and how.

I want to give you some tips for how you can introduce small habits that lead to a healthier version of yourself. Don’t try to do everything at once, just take it slowly, be patient and you will see the results.

EATING HABITS

• Make a shopping list before going to the supermarket. During the weekend, plan ahead out all of your meals for the following week and make a shopping list based on what you are going to eat. Make sure you stick to the list when you are at the store. Don’t buy unnecessary products just because you might need them. If it is not on the list, it means you don’t need it!
• Eat at the kitchen table. Respect meal times and eat quietly, sitting at the table, not standing, and not in the car. If you pay attention to what you do, you are not distracted, and you are not on the run, the chances of eating more than you need decrease. Food must be chewed well before being swallowed.
• Eat more fruits and vegetables. We often choose to eat unhealthy snacks, because we are hungry and do not have time to prepare something to eat. Try to always have fresh fruits in your kitchen, so you won’t be tempted to eat less nutritious foods. When you get hungry in the first part of the day, a portion of fruit is ideal. When it comes to an afternoon snack, one of my favorite combos is veggies sticks and hummus.
• Have emergency healthy snacks on hand. Try to keep some fresh fruit on the table in your kitchen or even in the drawer at the office. This way, you will see them before you get to the high-calorie snacks or candies. Bring a banana to work or keep a bowl of grapes or cherries on the table. Dried fruits can be a good choice if you stick to one handful serving size.
• Organize your fridge contents. Make sure that the vegetables and fruits are the first things you see when you open the fridge. We tend to grab whatever is the closest when we open the fridge out of boredom, to have a quick snack. This will make you more likely to choose vegetables and fruits, and forget about the chocolate bars.
• Choose the right food containers. Sealed packaging for ingredients – easy-to-wash silicone bags or containers in which you can store ingredients. These bags keep them fresh and crispy for a long time.Sealed packaging for ingredients – are easy-to-wash silicone bags or containers in which you can store ingredients. These bags keep them fresh and crispy for a very long time.
  BPA-free microwave containers – BPA is a chemical used in the production of plastics and at high temperatures can have negative effects on our body. Therefore, choose BPA-free plastic packaging and containers.
  Containers suitable for the freezer – not all containers can be stored in the freezer, as they can crack at very low temperatures. However, there are special, frost-resistant containers that are ideal for cold food storage.
  Food organizers – practical plastic or glass organizers, in which you can put all the food at once. Thanks to them, you can separate in a bowl the garnish or sauce, the main course.
• Get a reusable water bottle. We are all aware of the importance of drinking enough water during the day. Reusable water bottles are a very good option when we need to stay hydrated and, at the same time, protect the environment.

EXERCISE HABITS

• Make sure to stand up at least once an hour. Take a break of 5 minutes for every hour spent sitting in a chair. Get up from your chair, have a glass of water, talk to a colleague or just walk around the office.
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator. If you have a habit of taking the elevator every time you have to climb even two floors, it’s time to give it up. Climbing stairs is an excellent physical exercise if you want to tone your muscles, improve your circulation and gain endurance. Five minutes of climbing stairs can burn up to 150 calories, so the next time you have a few more floors to climb, stop calling the elevator.
• Take a 20-minute walk every day. Walking is an ideal way to get some exercise when you can’t do an intense workout because it helps you burn calories, strengthens your leg muscles, and improve your mood.
• Don’t use the car when shopping for groceries. When you only have a few things to buy, avoid taking the car and walking to the store. You will feel the change, especially if you are one of those who created the stupid habit of getting behind the wheel even if the supermarket is on the corner. Besides the fact that you will save time because you will not have good minutes to find a parking lot, you will be more active: carrying your shopping bags home will strengthen the muscles of your arms and back.