3 Quick Healthy Snack Hacks (For When You're Famished And Short On Time)

3 Quick Healthy Snack Hacks (For When You're Famished And Short On Time)
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One of the biggest things I preach in my wellness coaching practice is the importance of planning ahead. Whether you're trying to eat clean, exercise more, or stress less, having a plan makes it much more likely that you'll honor your healthy intentions.

Food planning -- especially when it comes to snacks -- is ultra important for people who are trying to lose or maintain their weight, cut out sugar, adapt to a new eating lifestyle, or eliminate certain problem foods from their diet.

Having the right snacks on hand can make all the difference in allowing you to meet your eating goals. When that wagon full of donuts gets carted into your office conference room, you can rest assured knowing you prepared a healthy snack to munch on instead. If you're traveling and you can't find something reasonably nutritious to order, you'll always have a back-up plan. Or when you're already 10 minutes late for ballet/soccer/Russian math and dinner isn't for another few hours, you can quickly grab a snack while you're racing out the door.

But sometimes life throws you a curve ball and your plan turns to shit. That's when you can find yourself snackless, 10 short seconds away from a hangry temper tantrum you'll wish never happened.

So what's a busy and starving girl to do when things don't go according to plan? Grab yourself a healthy bite that can easily be prepared in two minutes or less.

Here are the top three healthy, go-to snack options I reach for when time is tight, my belly is empty and I need something to hold me over until the next meal finds my face:

1. TWO MINUTE OPTION: Fruit and veggie smoothie
As long as you have a blender and some healthy ingredients on hand you can whip up a smoothie in no time. Really, making a smoothie is as easy as 1, 2, 3. Umm. 4.

Just take it step by step:

Step 1: Add your fruit and veggie ingredients
Step 2: Add liquid
Step 3: Add superfood boosts
Step 4: Blend

A little of this plus a little of that. It all adds up to yummy! Click here to download my Smoothie 101 Basics handout for a look at some of my favorite smoothie ingredients, including 12 mighty tasty recipes!

2. ONE MINUTE OPTION: Avocado with lime, salt and red pepper flakes
If you don't have two minutes to spare, try this 1 minute option instead. Take a ripe avocado, cut it in half, then sprinkle it with some lime juice and a pinch of salt. If you like heat add some red pepper flakes and -- boom! -- hunger crisis averted.

3. 30 SECOND OPTION: A banana with nut butter
Maybe you don't even have a minute to waste but you need something more satisfying than just a simple piece of fruit. Simply grab a banana, smear it with your favorite nut butter, and scarf that sucker down. And onward!

Just because you're starved for time doesn't mean you should have to starve for real. Now you have some super simple, healthy options that couldn't be faster to prepare. Try 'em out and let me know what you think!

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