When you're starving in the middle of the day, it's easiest to reach for something that's convenient. But those sweet treats and salty chips or crackers aren't going to keep you full. And with a little planning, it can be just as easy to get a more satisfying, energizing snack — even on a busy day, doctors tell TODAY.com.
In general, snacks should be lower-calorie foods that help bridge the gap between meals, Dr. Helene Glassberg, director of the pre-operative cardiac clinic and associate professor of clinical medicine at Penn Medicine, tells TODAY.com.
And, when you're picking a snack, "it's really important to make sure there is a balance of what you're getting," Dr. Stephanie L. Gold, a gastroenterologist at Mount Sinai Hospital and an instructor of medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, tells TODAY.com.
"You want to make sure you're getting some type of carbohydrate or starch along with some protein and some healthier, lean fats," she says. These will help keep you full rather than sugary processed treats that will leave you hungry again quickly.
Snacking provides a great opportunity to fit more nutritious fruits and vegetables into your diet throughout the day. But snacks are also a place where "people have pitfalls," Glasberg says, like overeating or routinely opting for less nutritious foods.
"When considering snacking think through the motivation for reaching for a snack," Dr. Mona Bahouth, associate professor of neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, tells TODAY.com.
It might be that your body and brain need more fuel for the day’s activities, she says, or you might be bored or engaging in emotional eating. "I think that we should schedule daily snacks to establish a routine and to reduce the chance of overeating or reaching for low-value foods," she says.
Here's how doctors stay full during the day.
What snacks do doctors eat during the day?
Nuts and seeds
One of Bahouth's favorite quick snacks is a handful of almonds, which contain healthy fats and vitamin E.
Dr. Elizabeth Comen, a medical oncologist treating breast cancer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, tells TODAY.com that she also enjoys having nuts as a snack — especially almonds and cashews. Mixed nuts and dried fruit are also a favorite snack for Dr. Adrienna Jirik, a gastroenterologist at Cleveland Clinic, she tells TODAY.com.
Glasberg likes to have a mix of almonds, pecans and peanuts in a small bowl with fresh raspberries or blueberries, a sprinkle of seeds (like pumpkin or sunflower seeds) and some chocolate broken up into pieces. She prefers going this route rather than buying pre-made trail mix at the grocery store because she has more control over the ingredients.
While Glasberg does like salted nuts, she cautions that people with high blood pressure should stick to the unsalted versions.
The omega-3 fatty acids in nuts also have skin benefits, Dr. Shari Lipner, an associate professor of clinical dermatology at the Weill Cornell Medical Center, tells TODAY.com.
In addition to nuts, legumes (like edamame) can provide similarly filling benefits, Dr. Justin Gregg, assistant professor of urology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, tells TODAY.com.
"These foods do a good job of curbing my appetite and sustaining my energy levels," he explains. "Opting for these snacks ensures I am not ravenous when I return home after a long day."
Cut-up cucumbers, carrots or other veggies
Nearly all the experts TODAY.com spoke to like to have some form of vegetable cut and ready to go for a snack. These provide plenty of nutrients, which could include antioxidants, fiber and essential vitamins depending on the food.
"I like to have fresh cut-up vegetables for my kids after school," Comen says."Cut-up cucumbers and carrots are a staple."
These veggies can be made more filling by combining them with a healthy fat or protein, like hummus, Gold says.
Sliced apple with spices or cheese
One of Glasberg's favorite snacks is a sliced apple topped with lemon juice and a sprinkling of cayenne pepper for extra flavor.
Bahouth also likes apples and might have half of one with a small piece of cheese as a snack during the day.
Yogurt or cottage cheese with berries
Another fruit-forward snack could be a handful of berries with a small serving of yogurt or cottage cheese, Bahouth says.
Greek yogurt is "always a good one for me," Gold agrees. She tops her yogurt with seasonal fruit like blueberries, peaches, apple or pear and a drizzle of honey.
Jirik also likes to eat yogurt during the day and opts for the whole milk version, which contains more filling fat. She puts some granola on top for a little extra fiber and crunch.
"Together these options fill your stomach and provide a balance of vitamins, proteins and healthy fats to help your brain function at its best until the next meal," Bahouth explains.
But, she notes, it's important to watch the sugar content in snacks like yogurt "since sugary snacks will burn off too quickly and leave you feeling low energy."
Hard-boiled egg
Eggs, which contain healthy fats and a hefty 6 grams of protein and each, are a favorite snack for both Jirik and Gold. Hard-boiling them makes them more portable.
Rice cakes or crackers with peanut butter or cheese
For Gold, rice cakes or crackers topped with peanut butter or with cheese on the side is an easy, filling snack. The carbohydrates in the rice cakes or crackers provide energy, and the healthy protein and fats in the cheese or peanut butter make the mini-meal more satisfying.
Jirik also likes whole-grain crackers with cheese or peanut butter.
But the type of cheese really matters for some people, Gold cautions. “If patients are worried about lactose intolerance, it’s really helpful to stick to hard aged cheeses,” she says. “Those are actually naturally very, very low in lactose and some are lactose-free, (so they) can still get the benefits of dairy."
Cheddar, Havarti, feta, Swiss and Gruyere cheeses may be easier for people with lactose intolerance to eat, TODAY.com explained previously.
And if you're on the go, it's just more practical to stick to hard cheeses, like a cheese stick or the servings you might find in pre-packaged snack packs, Gold says.
What snacks do doctors avoid?
Highly processed, sugary treats
"I am definitely a grazer, and if a box of sugary cereal or chips is in front of me, I could easily dig into that throughout the day," Comen says, adding that she's particularly a fan of cereal with colored marshmallows.
But snacks like these aren't likely to keep her full for very long. "Instead, I try to avoid highly processed snack foods, sugary cereals and cakes that taste good in the moment but leave me feeling tired and unsatisfied," she explains.
Gregg agrees: "I try to avoid heavily processed snacks like candy, muffins or donuts," he says. "Despite being tasty, they leave me hungry shortly after and can be calorically dense."
Jirik tells TODAY.com that she also avoids processed sweets like these both because they can cause gastrointestinal symptoms — bloating, indigestion — and because they can lead to rapid changes in blood sugar levels, leaving her feeling fatigued.
Salty crackers (on their own)
Crunchy snacks, like crackers, are off the table for Gregg because they too "lack nutritional value and end up leaving me feeling hungry quickly," he says.
Other experts, like Gold, do eat things like crackers — but only with some protein or healthy fat alongside their crispy treats. "We want to make sure that we're not just having a sleeve of crackers, but having something with it," she explains, like some cheese, peanut butter or guacamole.