This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Planters . The opinions and text are all mine.
When you make Easy Better For You Snacks for yourself you’re setting yourself up for success! Better for you snacks for me include peanuts and stuff that I crave. With Planters Peanuts I can snack smarter with my salty, sweet, sour and spicy cravings! If I put it into my head that I’m on a diet I automatically get discouraged. Living a wholesome lifestyle and consuming better for you foods is a long-term solution for me.
Better for you snacks = staying on tack
Different solutions work for everyone, but I find that if I put into my head that this is a lifestyle change for the better, I will do better. I’m not limiting myself and setting my goal short-term, instead I’m achieving long-term success. Did you know that half of the people who start a diet don’t finish and most that do finish gain most of the weight back? Why is that? Well when someone starts they are super strict, limiting, challenging themselves, but by the end they’re done and just go back to their old ways or become more lenient.
Short-term = less success rate, long-term = best success rate.
The most important part of a balanced lifestyle for me is having foods readily available. I prep my meals twice a week so that I can easily grab and go instead of pull through a drive-thru or order takeout. Snacks are super important to have ready as well, especially after your workout! I like to choose nutrient dense, protein snacks like Planters Peanuts. They come in different flavors so you can satisfy most cravings with varieties like Sea Salt & Vinegar, Chili Lime, Unsalted Dry Roasted, Dry Roasted and Cocktail Peanuts.
How I prep for success:
- Having snacks readily available. I’ll make a snack bag filled with dark chocolate chips, Planters Peanuts and shredded coconut, especially delicious with the Chili Lime peanuts!! This is a great option to grab instead of a bag of potato chips. Planters offers a wide range of single-nut and mixed-nut varieties, to find other options visit: Planters.com
- Monday & Thursday are meal prep days. I prep all of the produce we buy on the weekend for meals throughout the week. I prep baggies of veggies and fruit for easy snacking and I cook anything that I’ll be using for our meal prep like sweet potatoes, chicken, quinoa, etc.
- Sunday is post-workout prep. I prep baggies for post-workout filled with Planters Peanuts. Right after your work-out you need protein.
- Setting a bedtime is not just beneficial for your children, but you as well. I make sure I go to bed the same time every night and wake up the same time every morning. Previously I would stay up late and do my work, but I have found that when I go to be at an earlier hour I can get up earlier and I feel much more productive in the morning.
- Getting the workout in asap! As soon as I wake up I try to get my workout in and it really pushes me throughout the day. I feel energized and ready for whatever comes my way.
Snacking alone could be the reason for most diet fails. It’s important to snack smart!
I remember going to my aunt’s house and she never had any junk. She always had a variety of nuts and I went straight for the peanuts. She’s super strategic about what goes in her body and now I’m following in her footsteps. Peanuts are a great snack option and just a 1 oz serving size provides you with 6 essential nutrients and 7 grams of protein. Peanuts do contain fat, but it’s a heart-healthy “good for you”, fat – it’s monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, not trans fat or saturated fat. These beneficial fats actually help keep your blood vessels supple and may even help lower your cholesterol. Also no need to worry if you have high blood pressure, peanuts are not high in sodium! Planters Peanuts are below the FDA’s required sodium level for Nuts and Heart Disease Health Claim.
By doing all the prep I can stay on track with my eating and snacking goals. Before I would just snack and munch all day with my toddler. What did that look like? Well, it was not pretty. Cheddar bunnies, cookies, pretzels, cheddar popcorn, crackers and the list goes on. It was all food with little to no nutrition and definitely no protein. Now my toddler and I snack on better for you snack foods together!
Scientific evidence suggests, but does not prove, that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts, such as peanuts, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol and not resulting in increased caloric intake may reduce the risk of heart disease.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Planters . The opinions and text are all mine.
The post Smart Snacking | Better For You Snacks and Staying on Track appeared first on Courtney's Sweets.