Snack Attack

I travel globally and often, this is one of those times that it’s really easy to eat the wrong thing if you are not organised, you are easily at the whim of the Mini Bar or Nearest fast food outlet after all you Room service takes about 20 minutes minimum generally. My best advice is to find a great deli close by and purchase a variety of healthy snacks to keep in your room, think about the size of your mini bar fridge when shopping. This is not always easy, that,s when as a Chef I get connected with my Global Chefs network to find where the nearest good Deli is in my area.

You may have noticed that you feel hungry a lot. This is natural and good if managed effectively, You can boost your metabolism to burn extra calories. Snacks are a great way to satisfy that hunger and get all the vitamins and nutrients your body needs.

You need to pay attention to what you eat. Stuffing your face with a large order of fries at the desk may give you a temporary boost, but a snack that is high in fat and calories will only slow you down in the long run.

To keep energy levels going and not gain fat, avoid foods with lots of simple carbohydrates (sugars) like snack bars, chips, chocolate, ice cream. Look for foods that contain complex carbohydrates like whole-grain breads and cereals and combine them with protein-rich snacks such as nuts, yoghurt or cheese this will help you feel fuller for longer with a smattering of fruit and vegetables.

The key to healthy snacking is being organised, making sure you have healthy options with you before you are hungry so you’re not tempted to eat whatever you can get your hands on and not too eat too much, my grandmother used to say ”eat until you are satisfied but never full”. This has been a great piece of advice and here are my suggestions below.

Cooked Lean Deli Meat (un processed only, Roast Turkey, Skinless cooked chicken, beef, ham or pork) or cheese, roll up on a leaf of lettuce or marinated veggies.Vary the meat and cheese combinations for a snack that won’t get boring

• Yoghurt, a good natural one is best with fresh fruit that’s easy to eat, sometimes there isn’t a knife in sight.

• Pickled vegetables are great for gut health (artichokes, red capsicum, piccalilli) Chargrilled (eggplant, zucchini, etc) Oven roasted (tomato’s, mushrooms) or fresh cut vegetables.

• Nuts, remember a handful is enough get a variety to mix up the nutrients in your body almonds, cashews, brazil nuts, pistachios, peanuts are all good choice.

• Olives – Three or five olives can cure a craving for salty snacks without all the calories in a bag of chips.

• Hard cheeses, Feta is good and some soft  fresh curds Ricotta, Cottage, or Yoghurt Cheese are also good options.

• Hardboiled eggs (pre peeled if you can find them).

• Avocado salad – Half an avocado cubed and tossed with lime juice and a little salt .

• Good Gourmet mustards with cut veggies.

• Steamed soya beans.

• Popcorn (un buttered, check the ingredients list, a little salt and spices are what you need).

• Whole grain crackers and Dips but make sure you know whats in them, pre processed ones can be very deceiving (again another reason to find a good Deli).

• Dried fruit (in moderation as it is high in calories).

• Trail mix nuts seeds dried fruits such as dried apricots and cranberries (in moderation).

• Quality Pre packaged tuna, pink salmon, sardines in tomato sauce or olive oil (check the tins a self opening, using the wine or beer opener in a hotel room is not always successful).

• Pickled fish products roll mops etc;

• Smoked Fish products salmon, trout, kippers etc.

• Water – It is easy to confuse thirst with hunger. If you have snacked and you’re still hungry, try drinking some water, keeping track of beverages is important they also contain many calories depending on what you drink.

• Natural jerky (biltong) South African dried beef.

• A square of dark chocolate ( 80%  and above is good).

“Happy travelling, working and savvy snacking and get networked to find the best deli’s in your precinct”