Avoiding the Afternoon Slump – Snack Ideas

Why do you feel an afternoon slump? It all starts with how your day begins, and what you eat throughout the day. Yesterday we talked about the importance of eating a sugar-free breakfast, and that lesson is so important here as well. Eating a healthy breakfast with protein and healthy fat can set you up for a day that's NOT filled with cravings for junky and sugar-laden foods. It's one of the most important things you can do to set yourself up for success all day long.

It's also important to make good choices at lunch. If your go-to lunch is pasta salad, a big sandwich or a large heavy meal, you will inevitably hit that afternoon slump. Heavy meals can make us feel tired as the body works hard to digest, and large portions of carbs at lunch cause the classic blood sugar spike and crash, which will leave you reaching for more of the same in a couple of hours. Make sure your lunch contains protein, healthy fat and complex carbs. This 5-Day Sugar-Free Challenge provides some great lunch examples, so you can start to adopt that way of thinking when putting together your lunch meals in the future.

It can take your body a little bit of time to break old habits, so if you do find yourself in an afternoon slump, craving all the things you shouldn't be eating, try these snacks to help you get through.

Sugar-Free Afternoon Snack Ideas

• Handful of oven roasted chickpeas

• Turkey and veggie roll-ups with mustard

• Coconut fat bombs – see recipe below*

• Veggies and hummus

• Boiled egg – can be stuffed with guacamole

• Celery sticks and unsweetened peanut butter

Lastly, avoid sweet coffee drinks with sugar and cream, try drinking green tea, which provides a small boost of caffeine, while also curbing the appetite.

Coconut Fat Bombs:

Ingredients:

5 tbsp coconut butter, softened

4 tbsp coconut oil softened

2 tbsp finely shredded coconut, unsweetened

1 tsp stevia

Directions:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and stir or whisk thoroughly to combine. You can also place in a high-speed food processor with a touch of water.

2. Once the mixture is smooth, pour into ice cube tray.

3. Freeze for 1 hour and then allow to thaw for 10 minutes before serving.