Can you indulge me for a moment why I rant for just a minute?
A while back I was doing a long 8hr road trip and we had to stop to use the lady’s room (for all the women out there, I’m sure you can all relate).
I thought we would get a snack to tide us over until lunchtime when I could eat something healthier and more nutritious.
A coffee and banana bread sounded like a reasonable option… you know – it can be hard to find decent food when on the road. And I was thinking this should be much better than a greasy burger – right?
I mean, I have banana bread often as a mid-morning or afternoon snack… It’s probably one of the most common treats to be found in any coffee shop near me and possibly where you are too.
Is That Snack Really a Healthy Option?
I was mortified to discover what was only a ‘snack’ was actually just as many calories as if I had chosen to eat a decent-sized sandwich.
This 1 slice of banana bread and 1 small cappuccino had approx. 720 calories, before I added anything else – just as it was!! (shock horror!)
720 calories for a roadside snack… I almost felt sick…
That’s more than an entire day’s calories when fasting… It was after all just a simple snack – right??
>>> Delicious low-calorie recipes for a snack
Now when I say I felt sick… it’s not because I felt guilty or anything… I mean it’s not like it was fasting day and was calorie counting or being restrictive as such.
But…
Eating these snacks from a coffee shop can seem harmless enough when in actual fact they are really anything but! – They can be the hidden danger that sabotages your diet.
I knew the calories in the bread weren’t coming from the bananas – those excessive calories were from high amounts of fat and sugar (and not the good fats either!).
Better Snack Options…
So what may have been a ‘better choice’ to eat??
After scouring the menu I realized that a Big Mac had fewer calories than this snack! – Who would have thought!
I thought that a burger would have had much more – but I was wrong and by a long way!
So what was a healthier option?
A grilled chicken wrap still had fewer calories than this one piece of bread.
I was starting to think we should have just ordered that wrap and ate lunch now rather than ‘snacking’ and eating a bigger lunch meal later.
My point… Be careful about what you eat as a snack.
>>> Get your low-calorie snack options here
Snacks really can be where many of your hidden calories are coming from… whether it’s a fasting day or not.
It’s your snacking that could be hindering you from your weight loss goals!
Sure… you are losing a few pounds but if you made smarter choices across your entire diet, then perhaps the results may be far greater too.
So do you give up on all your treats – well that’s your decision… but you know you don’t have to!
I don’t and I don’t think you have too either!
Did you know that my banana bread recipe only has 145 calories per serve?
That’s over 4 slices of my banana bread compared to one slice of this banana bread… It makes you wonder, doesn’t it!
>>> Some of the more delicious meals that are suitable for any time of the day
So don’t feel that you have to give up on all your snacks or treats, but do consider that you must be aware of what you’re eating… otherwise what you think is harmless may actually be the hidden enemy undoing all your hard work!
So when grabbing that next coffee or when reaching for that next snack, why not pack your own before saying yes to that ‘expensive’ calorie-laden one in the coffee shop.
… Or perhaps have lunch and have that healthier chicken sandwich instead!
To your health,
Sarah
PS. If you haven’t got your hands on our fasting recipe book you can get it here. With low-calorie options like banana bread at 145 calories a slice – it may be one of the wisest decisions you make today.
PPS. Make sure your snacks are a snack and not a meal; it’s this awareness that will have a huge impact across your entire diet.
PPPS. My coffee and banana bread were from one of the large well-known burger chains – proof that fast food can be packed full of unwanted calories!
