While many of us might begin our days with the best of intentions, a sweaty workout and a green juice, by the time the afternoon rolls around often it’s a different story altogether.
Dubbed the ‘3pm slump’, many will turn to coffees, sweet drinks, chocolate and sugar to pick them up post lunch.
But you needn’t. FEMAIL spoke with the Sydney-based food blogger, Sally O’Neil – also known as ‘The Fit Foodie’ – to find out her favourite afternoon snacks.
‘Keep these in the office if you can and you’ll keep your cookie cravings at bay,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.
FEMAIL spoke with the Sydney-based food blogger, Sally O’Neil (pictured) – also known as ‘ The Fit Foodie ‘ – to find out her favourite afternoon snacks
Top of Sally’s list is a homemade Bliss ball (pictured) – which are much better for you than chocolate and can keep you from reaching for something not very healthy
1. Bliss balls
For Sally, there could not be a ‘more perfect 3pm sweet treat’ than a Bliss ball.
‘It’s perfect to satisfy all of those sweet cravings and keep you for reaching from something not so healthy,’ she explained.
Sally recommends making yourself aware of the sugar content of many protein balls that are sold to us in health food shops – which are often ‘heavy on the dates and contain as much sugar as a chocolate bar’.
Instead, she is a fan of making her own – with the use of Fit Mixers, which contain just a ‘little bit of sweetener and a good dose of protein to keep you full until dinner’.
If you’re really craving chocolate, you can also make your protein balls or bars a little bit more exciting.
Sally’s Snickers protein bars are rich in protein and good fats (while also being utterly delicious).
Fit Foodie’s Snickers protein bars
Serves six
Sally shared a recipe for Snickers protein bars with FEMAIL (pictured)
INGREDIENTS
62g Fit Mixes Cookie Dough Protein Ball Mix
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Tbsp coconut nectar (or liquid sweetener of choice)
1 tsp water
10 Medjool dates
1 heaped tbsp macadamia butter (or any other nut butter)
1/2 cup raw cacao powder
1/4 cup shredded cacao butter
1/4 cup coconut oil
METHOD (using a 15cm x 4 cm plastic box as the pan)
For the biscuit base:
1. In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients well until it obtains a dough-like texture. Add more water if needed.
2. Line the pan with baking sheets. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan firmly and place the pan into the freezer while you are making the raw caramel.
For the raw caramel:
1. Pit the dates and place them into a food processor. Process until it turns into a date paste.
2. Add in your choice of nut butter and process until it is incorporated into the paste.
3. Take the pan out of the freezer and spoon the caramel mixture on top of the biscuit base.
4. Put it back to the freezer for 1 hour until both layers are hardened and ready to cut.
For the chocolate coating:
1. Melt the cacao butter using the double boiler method.
2. Mix everything in a small bowl until smooth.
3. Remove the pan from the freezer and cut it into 6 even slices.
4. Using a fork, dip the bars into the chocolate mixture. Drip off the excess chocolate mixture and place them into a baking tray.
5. Repeat with the remaining bars and freeze for 30 mins until the chocolate coating is set.
6. Sprinkle with cranberry powder and matcha powder ( I used the one from Matcha Maiden ) and enjoy!
Sally said that hummus and vegetables are a great healthy option in the afternoon; she is especially a fan of making your own beetroot hummus (pictured)
2. Hummus and vegetable sticks
It’s a classic and healthy snack choice. But Sally said snacking on hummus and vegetable sticks come 3pm can work wonders for your health.
‘The great thing about these is that they are super simple to prepare and can easily be put into a Tupperware in your handbag,’ she explained.
Sally said you can make your own hummus, or opt for store-bought options.
However, she said when buying at the supermarket ‘just look out for the ones made with olive oil rather than sunflower oil or rice bran’.
Sally also swears by a delicious homemade beetroot hummus.
Sally (pictured) is also a fan of making your own veggie nori wraps at home to bring in for the afternoon, filled with veggies, lean protein and healthy fats like avocado
3. Veggie nori wraps
While many will agree with Sally when she said there ‘is no getting past the fact that sushi is awesome’, countless others will also nod their heads when she adds that ‘sometimes a carb spike via the white rice at lunch can leave you feeling extremely hungry by mid afternoon’.
Enter Sally’s veggie nori wraps, which can either be swapped into your lunch or eaten when you get hungry at 3pm.
Simply invest in some nori sheets, available from health food stores and Asian supermarkets, and fill them with raw and cooked vegetables, some lean protein and avocado for healthy fats.
Your brain power will be amplified in no time.
Fit Foodie’s green detox smoothie
Serves two
INGREDIENTS
Sally shared a recipe for a detox green smoothie with FEMAIL (pictured)
½ green apple
½ banana
¼ cup chopped cucumber
¼ cup fresh lime juice
¾ cup spinach
1½ cups coconut water
METHOD
1. Place all the ingredients in blender and blend until completely smooth.
2. Feel the goodness flood your body!
Sally (pictured) also said that smoothies or yoghurt topped with nuts, seeds and berries are all sound healthy choices
4. Smoothies
For Sally, smoothies are a ‘great way of increasing your fruit and veggie intake’.
She added that they’re ‘also perfect for work because they’re portable and can even be sneaked into meetings’.
The Fit Foodie recommends ‘whizzing one up at home and pouring it into a thermos to store in your office fridge’.
A green smoothie is also a great way to fill your diet with vegetables, should you reach the afternoon and realise you haven’t eaten enough.
Sally shared her green detox smoothie recipe with FEMAIL above.
5. Yoghurt with berries and nuts
Lastly, Sally said that even though what you might be craving is sugar at 3pm, what your body may in fact need is protein.
‘A perfect way to skip the sugar is by buying plain Greek yoghurt, and then loading it up with berries, nuts and seeds for healthy fats at your desk,’ she said.
To read more from The Fit Foodie – or to see more of her recipes, visit Sally’s website here.