3 simple summer snacks

We all love convenient snacks. Whereas convenience is important, eating a quality snack is more important AND it will save you time in the long run by providing adequate nutrients to stabilize blood sugar levels. Most store bought convenience snacks provide only a brief increase in energy followed by an increase in appetite and cravings for something sweet because they do not provide adequate quality protein and fat and provide too much carbohydrate or sugar. Striking the balance between protein, fat and carbohydrate is essential to a satisfying snack.

Give these 3 simple summer snacks a try!

1. Nut butter crunch: Combine your favorite nut butter with your favorite crunchy fruit or vegetable such as celery with peanut butter, apples with almond butter, jicima with cashew butter, or pears with walnut butter. Click here for delicious local brands of nut butter.
2. Pemmican: traditional Native American food that you can buy by the tub or in stick form (nice portable option). Pemmican is tallow, meat, and a small amount of cherries, sea salt, and honey. If you’re not a fan of pemmican, try jerky, cheese and a handful of summer berries. Click herefor great brands of jerky and pemmican.
3. Cottage cheese cantaloupe: just scoop out the seeds and put the cottage cheese right in. No bowl required. Choose full fat organic cottage cheese to balance out the macronutrient ratio. Kalona cottage cheese is made with grass-fed milk and can be found in health food stores in the Bay Area.

Fine-tune these snacks so that they work for you. That may mean having more or less fruit if you are especially sensitive to sugar OR more or less fat to keep you satisfied and free of sugar cravings. Listen to your body and adjust accordingly.