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07.22.2018

THE PERFECT PM SNACK… POPSICLES (WHY I'M OBSESSED)

Click bait? Nope. The reality is that I have popsicles regularly and I’m actually encouraging it if you’re an evening snacker. If you’re thinking, “oh that is me” then this post is for you! 


This tip sounds silly but I wanted to share it because it’s truly helped me curtail my evening snacking. I am all about practical tips like this. So often I read the same generic nutrition tips like: meal prep, drink lots of water, watch your portions. ZzZzZz…. lol. I hope to always provide you with quality, creative ideas to help you get to your goals!
Also… hey… welcome to NUTRITION WEEK! This week has blog posts, instagram story series and giveaways all consisting of FOOD and all the practical tips & tricks to help you thrive with eating well and seeing results.
If you haven’t already, enter the Day 1 Giveaway HERE
 
STEP 1: ADMIT YOU’RE A SNACKER
I am an evening snacker. I can eat healthy all day long but then 7 PM rolls around and I could nibble on this, take a bit of that and have a handful of just about anything.
Knowing yourself – your strengths and your weaknesses – is an essential part of being successful at anything. I find this very true when it comes to health and fitness.
For example… after work, after dinner and after I put my baby to bed, I have zero energy. I used to be able to hit the gym at 7 PM. Now, I know the evenings are my “weakness” for getting anything done so I strategically structure my day to prioritize my most important tasks (including a workout) first.
With nutrition, I know that my weakness is in the evenings. I have a few things that I do to help with this but the biggest one and one I want to share today… healthy popsicles!
 
THE ULTIMATE HEALTHY EVENING SNACK: POPSICLES
What the what?! I know this sounds bizarre coming from me but yeah I think popsicles are the ultimate evening stack to help you stick to your eating routine and your goals.
Tell me if you can relate….
I eat dinner. Healthy – check.
About an hour or two later, I start thinking “hmmm, what snack could I have?!”
I’ll choose a healthy snack and just a little bite of it. Maybe a handful of popcorn. Maybe a hard boiled egg. Lately, I love some red bell pepper slices. Okay, cool.
About 30 minutes later, I’m thinking, “well, that didn’t really satisfy me. What else can I have?” …this never ends well for me haha.
Now, most of the time, this is just mind over matter and I can just tell myself no snack. Eat a healthy little meal and go relax before bed.
BUT, then I discovered healthy popsicles and my evening snacks have never been the same.
 
WHY POPSICLES ARE ACTUALLY A HEALTHIER SNACK
If my above snacking scenario sounded like you then the problem you (and SO many of us) run into is that evening snacking is not the actual issue… overconsumption is. If you decided to have 1 chocolate chip cookie for a snack, it really wouldn’t be the worst thing.
BUT, it’s the fact that again for so many of us one cookie leads to two or twelve haha.
The handful of popcorn turns into walking back into the pantry 10x getting a handful of other things.
Because we are truly never “satisfied” with the snack, we continue to snack and snack, eat and eat.
A lot of the times what it actually the road block in getting to our goals is not that we are eating bad stuff but that we are just eating too much overall. This is especially true when it comes to evening snacking.
Now popsicles… they’re so stinkin’ satisfying. 
Sometimes I crave something smooth and creamy and I’ll have a froyo pop. Sometimes I’m in the mood for something refreshing and I’ll have a fruit pop. 
I eat 1 popsicle and it’s like okay, yum that’s all I need… onto something else.
If you’re a PM snacker and snacking can get the best of you, you really need to try my popsicle trick! It feels like an indulgence but it’s so not.
 
MY FAVORITE POPS
Now, here is the thing… I am not recommending you go to your grocery store and pick out any kind of popsicle and enjoy. Well, I am not not recommending that because you know I am all about balance but I think the best decision here is to look for all natural, low carb popsicles!
First off, I flip over and look at the ingredient list – I just look for the most natural, whole ingredients possible. Secondly, I look at carbs. I try to pick a popsicle with no more than 15 carbs. The majority that I like fall right around there
I have 2 favorite brands as well as some really good homemade options!
GOOD POP – this brand is my favorite for a classic, refreshing popsicle taste. I get mine at my local HEB grocery store. I’ve also seen them in Whole Foods. I linked their website. This isn’t sponsored. Do I still have to always say that or can you just believe in me when I swear I will only share products I’m in love with myself hehe. These are AMAZING! I even give them to my son.
Favorite flavors in case you’re wondering: watermelon agave, strawberry, strawberry lemonade, cherry + lemonade, and banana cinnamon. I’m not a chocolate person but my mom LOVES the chocolate ones!
 
YASSO – now this brand you’ve heard me talk about A LOT. If you’re more into an ice cream treat, these are the better pick.
Favorite flavors: pistachio brittle, mint chocolate chip, cookie dough. Again, chocolate isn’t my thing but my mom and husband rave about the chocolate fudge ones.
 
HOMEMADE – this is the other, amazing option. First things first, I’ve tried a lot of homemade popsicle molds and it can be a nightmare. THIS one is by far the best brand I’ve tried! I’ve had mine for 4 years and still use the same one.
I will make anything in these. Fresh juice is always a good option like orange juice. Trader Joe’s makes an all natural lemonade my family loves that I’ll turn into pops. I’ll blend fruit and put them in these. I’ll make my own FroYo pops by using store bought yogurt. I even put Diet Coke in these as a joke for a Diet Coke obsessed friend. The options are endless!
 
There ya have it… my popsicle trick that has totally changed my evening snacking. I hope it helps you as much as it has helped me!

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