Should you snack between meals? It depends how fast you burn what you ate the meal before. Again, there is no straightforward answer because everyone is so different. Some people need to snack between meals; others do better waiting for the next meal. If you have an active lifestyle and need to re-fuel between meals, here are some good tips on what to choose.
The following is a guest blog from the original Snack Queen, Mary Rand. Queen Mary is a very active snowboarder, surfer and skateboarder. You might be surprised by the amount of food she can pack away on any given day.
In Queen Mary’s words:
‘My friends call me the ‘snack queen’, rightfully so – at all times, my backpack can be up to 5 pounds heavier than my friends… STOCKED with food.
Before I leave for the day, I fill my bag with a tasty assortment of nutrient dense snacks.
Most of my snacks are of the non-perishable variety. I usually pack some nuts and dried fruit. I love raw roasted cashews, tamari flavored almonds, dark chocolate and nut trail mixes, pistachios, dried mango, apricots, coconut, dark chocolate covered dried fruit and more. These snacks hold up great in the backpack.
I also try to pack something crunchy and salty, like homemade popcorn, rice crackers or chips. 
‘Mary’s Gone Crackers’ are one of my favorite snacks. Crackers pair well with protein rich spreads like hummus, goat cheese, baby Belle cheese, no nitrite salami, Greek yogurt spinach and artichoke dip and almond butter.
I also pack whatever fresh fruit and vegetables are laying around as I’m on my way out the door. Large organic carrots are a go-to for me and don’t have to be peeled…just rinsed. Carrots are satisfying and make me slow down because I have to chew a lot, besides they are really tasty! Apples, bananas, pears, oranges, grapefruit, pretty much whatever is on the counter and won’t get squished in my back pack…bananas are risky but are worth the risk because they are really filling!
In addition, I do like to buy some already prepared snacks like date balls or cookies, filled with nuts and seeds.
I’ve also been known to lug around some very interesting snacks, such as kimchi, left overs from the night before, and pickles.
My friends look at me like I’m crazy, but secretly I think they are jealous because they always end up asking me to share my food with them.
My diet varies because of my hectic schedule, but I have noticed that my system prefers several small feedings throughout the day as opposed to eating three large meals. This grazing seems to keep me alert and warm. My metabolism is constantly working to digest my snacks which keeps my blood pumping to warm my toes and keep me mentally alert. I definitely feel fueled both mentally and physically to accomplish what I need to do throughout the day without ever feeling empty, bitchy or lethargic.
Grazing around like a farm animal and feeding on high fiber, plant based proteins packed with vitamins and minerals leads me to portion my ‘bigger’ meals a little smaller. If I don’t eat on the regular, every 2-3 hours, my mood can get a little dark to say the least; besides, I just don’t feel balanced.
You can follow Mary on instagram @bigairmare
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
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