When you’re starving in the middle of the day, it’s easiest to reach for something that’s convenient. But those sweet treats and salty chips or crackers aren’t going to keep you full. And with a little planning, it can be just as easy to get a more satisfying, energizing snack — even on a busy day, doctors tell TODAY.com.
In general, snacks should be lower-calorie foods that help bridge the gap between meals, Dr. Helene Glassberg, director of the pre-operative cardiac clinic and associate professor of clinical medicine at Penn Medicine, tells TODAY.com.
And, when you’re picking a snack, “it’s really important to make sure there is a balance of what you’re getting,” Dr. Stephanie L. Gold, a gastroenterologist at Mount Sinai Hospital and an instructor of medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, tells TODAY.com.
“You want to make sure you’re getting some type of carbohydrate or starch along with some protein and some healthier, lean fats,” she says. These will help keep you full rather than sugary processed treats that will leave you hungry again quickly.
Snacking provides a great opportunity to fit more nutritious fruits and vegetables into your diet throughout the day. But snacks are also a place where “people have pitfalls,” Glasberg says, like overeating or routinely opting for less nutritious foods.
“When considering snacking think through the motivation for reaching for a snack,” Dr. Mona Bahouth, associate professor of neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, tells TODAY.com.
It might be that your body and brain need more fuel for the day’s activities, she says, or you might be bored or engaging in emotional eating. “I think that we should schedule daily snacks to establish a routine and to reduce the chance of overeating or reaching for low-value foods,” she says.
Here’s how doctors stay full during the day.
What snacks do doctors eat during the day?
Nuts and seeds
One of Bahouth’s favorite quick snacks is a handful of
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