It’s inevitable: you’re walking to your next class and your stomach is growling beyond belief. Your eyes dart over to the vending machine that’s staring at your as you approach your next class. The question is, do you reach for that dollar in your pocket to get yourself a snack?
The real question is, what are you going to get?
The choice you make in that one minute period could actually make or break how you feel during your next class. Nearly every residence hall and lecture hall has a vending machine or two lurking with chemical filled snacks and treats. Marketing strategies such as “whole grain goodness” and “20 vitamins and minerals” may seem like the best choice to get you through until you can make yourself a full meal, but you’d be surprise what’s really inside some of these “healthy” vending items.
Pick: Planters peanuts or sunflower seeds
Seeds and nuts have plenty of heart health monounsaturated fats that’ll help keep you satisfied until you’re able to grab a meal. Just remember to portion out your servings: I can guarantee you that there is more than one serving in that tiny bag.
Pick: KIND Granola Bar
Unlike the Quaker Oats chewy bars, KIND bars are fairly low in sugar and have fiber and protein in them to keep your belly satisfied. Nature Valley granola bars are a runner up if you can find any in your local vending machines. Try to choose a granola bar that contains more nuts and seeds to pack in a punch of protein in your small snack.
Pick: Welch’s Fruit Snacks
Yes, they are mainly sugar but they are made with real fruit juice and foritified with extra vitamins such as A and C. These snacks can curb the sweetness your desiring without putting a huge dent in your daily caloric bank.
Skip: Lays Potato Chips
Choosing a greasy sodium snack to hold you over? I don’t think so. There are much better choices if you’re looking for a crunch snack, such as baked chips or even pretzels. Steer clear of this caloric bomb that’ll leave you feeling hungrier within the next ten minutes.
Skip: Skittles
You might feel satisfied mentally after breaking into that sugar filled snack, but that sugar isn’t going to satisfy you for too long. Sugar breaks down quickly and is used for quick energy, versus fats and proteins which are digested at a slower rate, keeping you full for a longer time period.
Skip: Cheez-It Baked Snacks
No fiber, no protein, no point. Choosing snacks with a combination of protein and carbs is a great way to keep yourself satisfied between meals. Cheez-It crackers are just pure refined flour, aka all carbs. Do yourself a favor and skip it!
The best solution? Bring your own snack. Trust me, it’s not as hard as many college students think it is. Simply throwing an apple and a granola bar or a cheese stick and a banana in your backpack is quicker than sending a good morning text to your boyfriend. It’ll save you when you encounter that midday slump—trust me.