Your midday snack could be the reason you swim (or sink) through your afternoon to-do list! Snacks are really just smaller meals. And, they can maintain our blood sugar levels when they’re made of nutritious and balanced ingredients. Snacks help avoid feelings of lightheadedness, a lack of energy, midday moodiness, or that hangry feeling. As a dietitian and diabetes educator, I want you to feel confident in choosing a snack that helps you feel satisfied all afternoon long.
Snacks with Munk Pack
When it comes to snacks, it’s always great to incorporate a fresh fruit or veggie! But, I realize this isn’t always realistic! That’s why I’ve partnered with Munk Bar to share about some smart snack strategies, like their low glycemic nut and seed bars! My busy patients have conference calls, errands, and snacks need to be quick and easy. This is when it’s important to have prepackaged snacks on hand that are made with wholesome ingredients to provide fuel. Skip the vending machine options and plan ahead by having some tasty favorites on hand. And now- I’m here to help completely eradicate that 3 o’clock crash with these smart snacking tips! Stabilize your blood sugar, and get smart and savvy when choosing a snack with these six recommendations.
Six Easy Ways to Choose a Smart and Stabilizing Snack Bar
1. Read the nutrition label!
What is the fat, fiber and sugar content of the snack in your hand? A quick snack of chips or a candy bar is guaranteed to leave you hangry in less than an hour. Why? These snacks are made of only fast-digesting, low glycemic, blood sugar skyrocketing, carbohydrates. What goes up, quickly, follows with an impending crash of energy. More on this under #3!
2. Be wary of sneaky packaging
Many brands are guilty of using pretty packaging that distracts from the less than ideal ingredients and actual nutrition of the product. Rather than getting frustrated and reverting to an overly processed and packaged snack, I want to help you decipher what makes a snack smart AND stabilizing. Compare the big, bold claims with the ingredients and nutrition breakdown on the back. Smart snacks should come from reliable and honest brands who’s nutrition info is straight to the point! Leave those sneaky brands behind.
3. Leave the Lonely Carb Club
This concept is mastered by every Whitness Nutrition patient. A lonely carb, such as a Nature Valley granola bar or bag of Lays, raises blood sugar quickly and then follows with a crash. A lonely carb is only going to provide a quick source of energy, but won’t do long term good for your body. Instead, pair your carbs with fat or protein to keep your blood sugar steady. This strategy keeps you energized and feeling full longer. If you’re craving a savory snack, go for corn tortilla chips with guacamole or hummus. If it’s a sweet you’re craving, grab some almond butter with a banana, or even make some protein muffins smeared with peanut butter. Need something quick and easy? Keep reading to learn about my new favorite snack bar and why it’s a better alternative to LARA, Luna, Clif and Nature Valley.
4. Prevalence of Ingredients
The order of ingredients determines their prevalence in the product. If you notice your snack starts with the ingredients sugar, corn syrup or maple syrup, you have collateral to put that snack back on the shelf and deem it a lonely carb. So, real talk, when you pick up a LARABAR, Luna Bar, Clif Bar, Z Bar, or a Nature Valley Bar; you’ve picked up a lonely carb. When choosing a pre-packaged snack, look for the ingredients list to start with whole food sources of nuts and seeds, like Munk Pack nut-based keto bars and almond flour crackers. If there’s inflammatory ingredients listed like added sugar or seed oils (canola, soybean, vegetable) but they’re towards the end of the list, this means they’re less prevalent in the recipe and I wouldn’t be too concerned.
5. Fuel with (real) fiber!
A fat + fiber snack ensures a low blood sugar and sustained energy you need to continue hustling through the day, while fiber slows and improves digestion for consistent blood sugar levels. Most Americans fall short of their daily fiber needs, so this is a great excuse to stay full but also need your nutrient needs. Pairing healthy fats, such as nut butter or guacamole, with a banana or baby carrots is a great example of two fat and fiber snacks on the go. Another option? Primal Kitchen avocado oil ranch with sliced cucumbers, super hydrating and full of heart healthy fats!
6. Whoa! Sugar Alcohols, who dis?
Sugar alcohols are one of the largest culprits of modern digestive issues, especially when consumed in large amounts. Common sugar alcohols end in the suffix “-tol” which makes them easy to identify. Common sugar alcohols you want to avoid include, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, lactitol, isomalt, and maltitol. Sugar alcohols are indigestible by our bodies, and get stuck in the large intestine, which causes bloating and stomach pain. Avoid these and look for items made with less, quality, sweeteners, such as maple syrup, dates or honey.
A smart snack bar solution
Don’t stress, difficult snack endeavors are over! A new snack that I am loving and recommending to patients, are Munk Pack snack bars.
Munk Pack is a real food based snack brand that creates low-sugar, low-carb snack bars in a delicious variety of flavors.
Munk Pack has created a variety of snack bars that appeal to those who follow a keto, gluten-free and plant-based lifestyle, but the best part? Their snack options also work well for the diabetic community, with 1g of sugar or less per serving and no more than 3g of net carbohydrates per bar. These are the perfect option for a low-glycemic, fat and fiber snack to fuel your afternoon!
The typical granola bar on the market is full of high-fructose corn syrup and minimal sources of healthy fats for sustained energy. These snack bars, made primarily of nuts, seeds and natural sweeteners, provide a much better option. You get a variation of fat, protein and fiber through Munk Pack keto bars. You’ll avoid blood sugar level spikes and get a steady source of energy Chewy Bars could never touch!
Munk Pack Varieties!
With a variety of keto-friendly bars in flavors like Caramel Sea Salt or Macadamia White Chocolate, the Munk Pack bars are a great option for families, kiddos, and individuals looking for a snack option that won’t cause a spike in blood sugar. There are two varieties to choose from.
- Nut and Seed Bar – this is their OG bar with six different flavors and the addition of both sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Each bar has 5g of fiber.
- Chewy Almond Bar – I really like this alternative, although similar, this version doesn’t contain any pumpkin seeds. They come in five different flavors but the Blueberry Almond Vanilla is definitely my favorite.
Sweetened with low-glycemic options like allulose and monk fruit extract, these bars aren’t filled with the fake sugars found in many bars on the market now. Grab a box of Munk Pack bars on Amazon or the next time you’re at Sprouts and experience what it’s like to fuel with a wholesome snack!
This blog post was sponsored by MunkPack through the creation of a thoughtful partnership with the intention of educating the masses on wholesome health concepts. Whitness Nutrition takes every partnership seriously and Whitney upholds her role of #honestinfluencer to a high standard. Never hesitate to reach out with comments, questions, or concerns.
