Choosing Sweet or Savory Snacking

Balance out your snack attack by choosing wisely between the sweet or savory!

Snacks generally fall into one of two taste categories: sweet or salty (aka savory). If we don’t crave one, we often crave the other, sometimes even both. But when you don’t know what you’re craving, I find that it works best to eat what contrasts with your last meal. That way, you not only help balance your blood-sugar level, but you also feel satisfied all day long.

Eating something savory after eating something sweet can help slow down the rate at which glucose is released into your blood, so be mindful of the last meal you ate. Did you last eat fruit salad or a smoothie containing fruit? If so, for your next meal or snack you may want to consider something savory like nuts and seeds with sea salt, seaweed or guacamole with organic corn chips. You may not realize it, but you’ll feel better with this contrast.

Sometimes it’s best to have both sweet and savory flavors in the same snack (slicing two carrots with one knife, so to speak). Try adding a pinch of sea salt to your apple or into your muffin batter. This little bit of salt makes the sweetness taste sweet while helping to balance your sugar cravings. Don’t ask how; it just works!

Here are some ideas for savory munchies and add-ins

• Roasted nuts and seeds with sea salt
• Sliced jicama, cucumber or kohlrabi with olive oil, lime juice, and sea salt
• Seaweed – toasted nori or dulse slices
• Miso soup
• Avocado with sea salt
• Guacamole with sliced veggies
• Cacao nibs
• Green juice
• Edamame steamed with sea salt
• Kale chips or root veggie chips with tamari or sea salt

And here’s a list to appeal to your sweet tooth

• Dark chocolate (at least 70%)
• Trail mix with goji berries, golden berries, brazil nuts and cacao
• Almond butter with apple slices
• Coconut butter or dried coconut
• Fruit or fruit smoothie
• Chia chocolate pudding with dried fruit or banana
• Chocolate protein smoothie with nut butter or coconut milk
• Clean protein bar like Sol Good bars from Sunwarrior

For great recipes, check out Chia Pudding or Karma Krispy Squares or both!