Got this question in one of my forums, and I thought I’d address it here.
Does anyone know some high fat snacks that can be consumed on the move other then peppirami and nuts?
Try one of Mark’s low-carb protein bars from his web site: http://www.musclehack.com/homemade-protein-bar-recipe/
They take some preparation time, but are pretty good. Not really high-fat, but very high in protein.
Here are the snack foods I typically eat when I’m on-the-go and don’t have time to stop for a full meal:
* Low-carb Isopure whey protein powder. Some in a bag or a box and a spoon, it mixes fast and tastes fine with water.
* Fresh vegetables and some fruits. Never forget that most of your carbs should come from veggies, and most veggies are ready-to-eat raw! I like to eat green peppers as if they were apples. Cucumbers, too. You won’t go amiss with a small Clementine or Mandarin orange in your lunch sack, either; at only 7g of net carbohydrate, they work fine into a low-carb eating plan.
* Chewing gum. Look for some of the new Splenda-based varieties, but a piece or two that’s Sorbitol-based won’t hurt.
* Extra-dark chocolate. Look for 75% or higher. Lindt makes a wonderful, dark 85% cocoa bar that’s only 5g carbohydrate per serving. With only 2.5 servings per bar, too, even if you “accidentally” eat the whole bar you have not deep-sixed your eating plan too badly!
* Peanut butter and celery sticks. Tasty and easy to prepare ahead of time. Lower-carb if you use almond butter.
* Prepared meats. I often grill up a large number of pork sirloin, beef patties, fish, chicken breasts & drumsticks, and other meats on Sunday nights. I put them into bags/boxes and stuff them in the freezer, then when I’m packing my foods for the day I just toss them into my lunch sack. With one of your fresh, raw veggies, you have an instant lunch, and most non-seafood has zero carbohydrate!
* Protein pancakes. Lots of recipes abound; I use one calling for mostly soy protein and flaxseed meal. Prepare a few dozen in advance in practical serving-sizes, and buy those 1TBSP Tupperware containers to pre-measure your sugar-free, low-carb pancake syrup into. DaVinci Gourmet makes a great pancake syrup for the purpose with 0 carbs per serving. Toss these into the sack, and with 30 seconds of microwave-time you have a low-carb lunch that tastes awesome. Fork and knife optional but recommended!
* Last but not least, convenience bars. Atkins makes a large number of them that don’t spike your blood sugar. They advertise “2” or “3” grams of net carbohydrates, but let’s be real here. Most have around 10-12g of carb after you take out the fiber. That’s still pretty good, and easy to fit into 30-60g of carb per day, but don’t short-change your fat loss by believing the “net carbs” advertising claims without verifying it yourself. But let’s face it: low-carb junk food is still junk food. Don’t eat too many of these; they will stall your weight loss if you pig out!
Eating this way takes some planning to help you stick to it. Eating like a bodybuilder always does. Go cook up some food for this week in advance, and you’ll find all the convenience food you need for the rest of the week right in your freezer.
–Matt B.