The concept of the snack on the Zone Diet is quite different than the concept most of us have in our minds when we hear that word. In fact, in our culture, "snack" has become a verb, an activity that we do whenever we are bored, hanging out with friends, at a meeting, or watching television. The latter is my personal downfall.
The biggest problem with the "snack," is that we seem to think it should be limitless. An enormous bag of chips with a dip, a huge bowl of peanuts, or popcorn, or (God forbid!) candy. We are looking for something we can mindlessly and repeatedly carry from bowl to mouth while simultaneously doing something else. On the Zone, a snack is none of these things.
A snack is simply a smaller version of a meal. While a meal contains 3-4 blocks, a snack can contain either 1 or 2 blocks. And by now you know that this means 1-2 blocks of protein, carbs, and fat.
Here are some Zone snacks:
1 hard-boiled egg with 1/2 cup of blueberries.
1 or 2 slices of deli turkey or chicken breast with a tablespoon of hummus spread on each and rolled up.
1/4 cup of cottage cheese with 1 cup of strawberries and a teaspoon of chopped walnuts.
1 slice (1/8 of whole) spinach quiche. (I find it very helpful to have things like this pre-made.)
1/2 cup Greek yogurt with 1 apple, chopped and 1 teaspoon of chopped almonds.
4 oz. glass of red wine and 1 oz. string cheese.
1 cup of lowfat milk (You can add a shot of espresso, a dash of vanilla, a sprinkle of nutmeg, or any sugar-free flavoring. This can be served warm, with a chamomile teabag in it, before bed.)
I will try to write additional posts with snack ideas because I know this is always a difficult hurdle for people following the Zone. I hope these at least give you an idea of how to go about putting a snack together. Let me know if you come up with great Zone snacks of your own!
The biggest problem with the "snack," is that we seem to think it should be limitless. An enormous bag of chips with a dip, a huge bowl of peanuts, or popcorn, or (God forbid!) candy. We are looking for something we can mindlessly and repeatedly carry from bowl to mouth while simultaneously doing something else. On the Zone, a snack is none of these things.
A snack is simply a smaller version of a meal. While a meal contains 3-4 blocks, a snack can contain either 1 or 2 blocks. And by now you know that this means 1-2 blocks of protein, carbs, and fat.
Here are some Zone snacks:
1 hard-boiled egg with 1/2 cup of blueberries.
1 or 2 slices of deli turkey or chicken breast with a tablespoon of hummus spread on each and rolled up.
1/4 cup of cottage cheese with 1 cup of strawberries and a teaspoon of chopped walnuts.
1 slice (1/8 of whole) spinach quiche. (I find it very helpful to have things like this pre-made.)
1/2 cup Greek yogurt with 1 apple, chopped and 1 teaspoon of chopped almonds.
4 oz. glass of red wine and 1 oz. string cheese.
1 cup of lowfat milk (You can add a shot of espresso, a dash of vanilla, a sprinkle of nutmeg, or any sugar-free flavoring. This can be served warm, with a chamomile teabag in it, before bed.)
I will try to write additional posts with snack ideas because I know this is always a difficult hurdle for people following the Zone. I hope these at least give you an idea of how to go about putting a snack together. Let me know if you come up with great Zone snacks of your own!
Perfect - thanks!!!
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