My top 5 quick snacks . . .

Question: "How are you?"

Answer: "I'm SOOOOO busy, but good!"

This question/answer seems to be the "in thing" these days, or at least, a common theme shared by a lot of people.

With the crazy, fast tempo of daily life, it becomes a challenge to eat healthy. When people think of "fast food", they think of McDonald's, Snickers ('cuz apparently it 'really satisfies'), chips and soda and more unhealthy options. Whether it's the stress of the "busyness", or the lack of proper preparation for a busy day, that leads to poor choices. I often think that being SO busy is just an excuse to say, "I just don't have enough time to prepare and eat proper foods". People seem to justify their bad choices because of their busy schedule.

So, I wanted to share with you my top 5 healthy foods that fit perfectly in a busy, chaotic schedule:

1. Skoop A-Game. I don't have time to make a big breakfast in the morning, as I get up at 4:30 a.m., roll out of bed and ready for my first client at 5:15 a.m. So, A-Game is my first 'go-to' to kick start my day. It's so easy and tastes so refreshing ~ Pour into shaker, shake and drink. In 1 minute, I can have 10 servings of fruits and veggies and enough clean energy to get me through the morning.

2. Skoop B-Strong. Again, I'm all about "quick". After workouts, I typically go right into more clients. So, I take my shaker bottle, pour two scoops of B-Strong into it, shake and drink. In 1 minute, I'm on my way to a quicker recovery and a stronger, leaner body.

3. KIND Snacks. Variety is the "spice of life". If you're not familiar with KIND Snacks, they have such a variety of products ~ granola, sweet bars, spicy bars. These snacks are in my top 5, because most of the snacks are lower in sugar and taste amazing. My favorite bar is the Almond Coconut bar and the Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt. These are perfect for either a pre or post snack. Even my clients are finding new favorites and bringing them along for their 'post-workout' snack as they head off to meetings right afterwards.

4. Almonds. One trick to keep me feeling full in between my bigger meals is having a bag of almonds easily accessible. I buy "bulk" almonds and leave the bag in my car. Whenever I feel that "hunger" coming on, I eat a handful of almonds. This seems to curb my hunger until either I have time to eat OR it's meal-time.

5. Strawberry Banana Columbia Gorge Organic Smoothie. I try to stick with a 'low sugar' nutritional plan . . . some fruit is higher in sugar than others. However, I find that after workouts or tough training outdoors, that my body craves a little sugar. So, my "go-to" for delicious, refreshing tastes is a Strawberry Banana Smoothie. Add my B-Skoop to it and I have the PERFECT recovery fuel concoction.

With the Holidays coming, our busy days aren't going to get any 'less busy'. So all you need to do is make a little pre-plan for your day and make concious, healthy choices. I hope this list gives you a few options to try.

Enjoy,

Heather Herbeck