Macro-Friendly Snack Ideas for the Busy Teacher
Hi Teachers!
Do you ever feel like you're running around like a chicken with it's head cut off throughout the work day?! ME TOO! Between a prep period that almost ALWAYS gets taken up with IEP meetings, PLC's, parent issues or whatever else happens to pop up- sitting down and eating a snack at some point is just not going to happen. I wanted to put together some super easy, QUICK macro friendly snacks for teachers. Please keep in mind- these are not meant to be full nutritious meals but rather quick ON THE GO snack ideas for the busy teacher! :)
What I do: I typically eat breakfast at home every morning. I pack a lunch and 1 snack. We eat lunch at 11:30 and I'll eat some type of protein + carb source (EX: lean ground turkey, reduced fat shredded cheese, tomatoes, spinach and 1 low carb tortilla). For a snack I'll pack one of the options that are listed below. I usually eat this snack right after school 3:30pm and it serves as my 'pre-workout' snack because I try to head to the gym right at 4.
Helpful Tip:
Pack extra fruit in your lunch box. A banana or an apple has about 20-25g carbs (depends on size) and is a great nutritious snack! I like to make sure I ALWAYS have an 'extra' snack on hand just incase I get stuck late in an unexpected meeting after school or end up staying late for whatever reason. This girl does NOT want to be hungry...EVER so I plan ahead ;)
Mangos are one of my favorites!
SNACK OPTION #1:
Rice cakes! I love the chocolate and white cheddar kind! Some people say they taste like cardboard but the flavored ones really don't...and the macros are INCREDIBLE so... it's worth it. They have about 10-12 carbs per rice cake (depending on flavor) and thats it. 0g fat and 0g protein.
SNACK OPTION #2:
Small fruit/veggie pieces are quick and easy to munch on! Some good options are carrots and low fat ranch dip, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and hummus, sliced apples, mango chunks, a mix of berries and etc.
SNACK OPTION #3:
These granola cups are SO good! It's safe to say i'm addicted! You can find them in any grocery store in the "granola bar" section (where all the fiber one bars are too!).
MACROS FOR GRANOLA CUPS: 4g Protein, 10g Fat, 20g Carbs
SNACK OPTION #4:
Cheese stick! A cheese stick has a about 5g of protein and 5g of fat (depending upon what kind of cheese and whether or not it's reduced fat or regular). I like these ones!
MACROS FOR SHARP CHEDDAR CHEESE STICKS: 5g Protein, 7g Fat and 0g Carbs
SNACK OPTION #5:
Greek yogurt is a great alternative to your sweet craving! Greek yogurt has higher protein than regular yogurt. The non fat kinds taste SO good and it's a bonus because they are super macro friendly! They have TONS of options with different things you can put in them (like the FLIP kind) or you can also just get plain greek yogurt. I'm personally not a fan of plain, unflavored- but I'm all for the flavored kinds! Below are two of my favorite options...
MACROS FOR FLIP GREEK YOGURT: 11g Protein, 4g Fat and 24g Carbs
MACROS FOR LIGHT & FIT GREEK: 12g Protein, 0g Fat and 8g Carbs
I hope some of these ideas helped! :) For snacks I keep it SIMPLE! We all know that nobody has time for super elaborate recipes everyday ;)