Your Snacks are Killing You - Here's the Solution, Part 2

My winter fruit bowl 

"A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy." -Albert Einstein

Everyone needs to snack.  In Part I you threw away your nasty processed junk food and learned how to make your own Mindful Mix.  If you still held on to a couple bags of snacks, throw them away now.  The first law of food is: if it's in your house, you will eat it. Don't forget a snack strategy for work too.

Your second snack is a Fruit Bowl.  It is simple to make, and doubles as a pretty tableau for your table.  

What you do - Make a Fruit Bowl

1. Go the market and buy enough seasonal fruit for the week.  In the winter you can load up on citrus, apples, pears and bananas.  In the summer your options open up to include peaches, plums, nectarines, etc.  You can also create a berry bowl that you keep in your refrigerator.  If you can afford it, you can support sustainable agriculture by buying organic.  If you are prioritizing your organic purchases, start with no-peel fruit that is more difficult to wash (berries).  Peelable fruit (like oranges) is more protected from pesticides.
2. Find a beautiful bowl that makes you smile.  Arrange the fruit, leave it somewhere convenient, and enjoy. 

If you are counting calories, this is the lowest-cal option you have.  In addition to the Mindful Mix and the fruit bowl, there are always lot of other whole food snacks: yogurt, cottage cheese, carrot or celery sticks with peanut butter, a slice of whole wheat bread. If you are craving sweets, mix together yogurt, fresh fruit and honey.  Use Greek yogurt (Fage or Total) for a rich indulgence. 

 

I know that you will still have that trashy junk food as a snack every once in a while (I do.)  Buy the smallest bag, and be mindful while you are having it so you don't just binge mindlessly.  And only do it on special occassions.  Like a road trip.

 

You should always have the Mindful Mix and the Fruit Bowl available - they will be an easy, convenient option when you need an immediate snack.

What I ate today: 1 coffee, 1 navel orange, 1/2 bagel + cream cheese (it was a breakfast meeting, and boy did I feel lethargic after), roasted vegetables and pasta (resavored), 4 squares dark chocolate, 1 clementine, 1 green tea, udon noodles (need to cut this down), 1 c. spinach, enoki mushrooms, 1 large egg, 4 oz. tofu, 1 hot chocolate, 64 oz. water

 

Exercise: ran 4.75 miles