Healthy snack swaps from Wholistic Nurse Emily

Snacks are an important and necessary part of our diets. From providing a quick midday boost to giving necessary fuel before or after a workout, a healthy snack can go a long way.

Meet Emily Crawford, also known as Wholistic Nurse Emily, a Registered Nurse, Certified Natural Health Professional, and a Holistic Nurse Coach.

Emily has witnessed a lot during her last 15 years as a nurse and more than two decades spent in the world of natural health. The main realization that sent her to create her own coaching business: She saw that patients were not getting the education or support they needed resulting in a lot of time, effort, and money spent working on their health to still feel lost with zero results. She has also experienced lack of support in her own health challenges. 

She uses mindfulness, biohacking, breathwork, supplementation, and more to help create your Whole-istic Journey. Emily practices bio-individuality, and takes the time to get to know who you are so she can support you exactly where you are. Her purpose is to help support you on your journey from where you are to where you want to be.

Emily’s thoughts and findings on snacks

The need for alternatives

Unfortunately, the world we live in has become a huge toxic soup. We can no longer trust many companies and governmental agencies to have our best interest and remove or prohibit ingredients that are hazardous to our health to be sold. That means we must be educated and aware. There are simple swaps you can do to choose products that are less toxic and harmful to your health. The biggest switch you can make is to try to have as minimal ingredients as possible and stay clear of processed foods. 

Ingredients and products to watch out for and why — plus, healthier options. 

When I think of snack food, I think about individually packaged treats that are easy to take on the go. 

Some that come to mind would be applesauce, yogurt, packaged crackers or chips, protein shakes or bars. These snacks don’t necessarily sound bad, right? But if you look a bit further you can see the ingredients that are not ideal. The good news is that you can switch out these not wonderful snack items with products from other companies that are more conscious. 

Applesauce and yogurt

Many applesauce products and yogurt products include a significant amount of refined sugar. Adding refined sugar to these products isn’t necessary as applesauce is naturally sweet and yogurts can easily be sweetened with fruits. Many yogurt companies remove the fat from their yogurt and add sugar to be more filling, but this just leads to the diabetes epidemic. I’ve even seen yogurts with candy toppings to add to the sugar content.

EWG has a food search website too that you can look up  lot of processed food and they rate it from 1-10 and tell you what the concern is.

I love getting a plain Greek yogurt and making parfaits with fresh, cut fruit and granola or nuts. Switch your conventional applesauce for an organic, unsweetened one — or better yet eat an apple. The apple will have fiber in it which will help to blunt the sugar response. 

One of the biggest concerns with yogurt is the type of dairy that is used. Conventional farming practices include using steroids and antibiotics in the production of dairy. Choosing an organic option promises a dairy that is free from ingredients that could be endocrine disrupting. 

Chips

One of the most popular snacks is probably chips. In the health and wellness industry the attack seems to have turned on to seed oils. Seed oils can be highly inflammatory and can contribute to many health issues if used habitually. I love to have bagged popcorn as an option or chips that use palm or avocado oils instead of canola, safflower, or sunflower seed oils. Seed oils are not the only harmful ingredient in a bag of chips. Have you seen the ingredient list for a bag of Doritos lately? You have everything from food dyes, MSG, seed oils, and other stabilizers. Many of these additives in food have been linked to cancer, hormonal imbalances, and other issues .

Even when choosing a healthier version of a chips you still do not get a wonderfully nutritious snack. What about making some kale chips? Or you could enjoy some carrots and cucumbers with some hummus instead?

Snack and protein bars

The problem is some of these snack bars are the dirtiest options out there. The NutriGrain bar looks like it would be a healthy option but when you look at the ingredient list you have all the bad culprits: soybean oil, fructose, corn syrups, and dicalcium phosphate. 

A good switch would be to grab a fruit leather and a beef stick. You will get the protein you need as well as a sweet snack. 

Popsicles

I feel like we can’t talk about snacks during the summer without talking about sweet, cold treats. I remember as a child going to the beach and eating popsicle sticks in plastic containers. Besides being wrapped in plastic these are full of food coloring and sugar. What about switching it out and making your own. There are many recipes online of wonderful DIY popsicles.

If you aren’t in the mood for making your own, grab a Good Pop. Their popsicles are minimal ingredients using organic cane sugar and non-GMO. 

Knowing we live in this world where toxins are prevalent can be a bit overwhelming. But making small, consistent changes is easy. It could also have a huge impact in your life. 

Try to choose fresh, non-processed foods when you are able. When you are on the go and in a rush, stock your pantry with snacks that are low toxin levels and cleaner options.

For more tips, you can follow @wholisticnurseemily.