Small Zone snacks serve as hormonal touchups, taking us through the times when we don’t have a meal for more than four or five hours. It is crucial to have a Zone snack before going to bed to prevent nocturnal hypoglycemia. The other Zone snack will be taken either between breakfast and lunch or between lunch and dinner, depending upon which is the longer time span. For instance, a person who gets up at 6 a.m. should eat breakfast by 7. If that person doesn’t eat lunch until 1 or 2 p.m., then a Zone snack should be eaten between breakfast and lunch. On the other hand, a person who eats breakfast at 9 a.m., will have a shorter time span between breakfast and lunch and a longer one between lunch and dinner, which means the snack should be eaten in the afternoon.
A Zone snack is really a mini Zone meal. Each contains 1 block of protein, 1 block of carbohydrate and 1 block of fat. The following is a compilation from various Zone books, from Dr. Sears' Web sites and some new ideas for Zoneful snacking.
Deviled Eggs With Hummus
2 hard boiled eggs
¼ cup hummus (contains fat)
Slice eggs, discard yolks and divide hummus among the egg halves
Paprika to taste
Low-Fat Cottage Cheese & Fruit
¼ cup of low-fat cottage cheese
1/3 cup “lite” fruit cocktail or ½ cup pineapple or ½ cup blueberries or ½ chopped apple or 1/3 cup applesauce or 1 block of your favorite fruit
1 macadamia nut or 3 almonds
Berry Smoothie
7 grams protein powder
1 cup (9 grams) frozen raspberries defrosted
1 teaspoon slivered almonds
Place ingredients in a blender. Blend.
Tomato Salad & Low Fat Cheese
2 tomatoes, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/3 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil leaves
1 oz. part-skim or “soft” cheese
Balsamic vinegar to taste
Tuna With Hummus
1 ounce canned tuna fish packed in water, drained
¼ cup hummus
Cottage Cheese And Salsa
¼ cup low-fat cottage cheese
½ cup salsa
1 tablespoon guacamole
Waldorf Salad
1 cup celery, sliced
¼ apple, diced
½ teaspoon “lite” mayonnaise
1 pecan half, crushed
1 oz. part-skim or “soft” cheese on the side
Low-Fat Yogurt & Nuts
½ cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 teaspoon slivered almonds or 1 Macadamia nut
Spinach Salad
2 hardboiled egg whites, sliced
Spinach
1/3 cup mandarin oranges canned in water
1/3 teaspoon olive oil
balsamic vinegar to taste
Veggies & Dip
Mix 3 oz. Firm tofu with:
1/3 teaspoon olive oil and a dry onion soup mix to taste
1 cup slice raw vegetables for dipping
Melon Wrapped in Ham
1 ½ ounces deli ham cut in strips
¼ cantaloupe, cubed
3 black olives
Low-Fat Cottage Cheese & Tomato
¼ cup low-fat cottage cheese
2 tomatoes, sliced
6 peanuts
Chef Salad Snack
1 oz. sliced skinless turkey breast or ham
Lettuce
¼ cup kidney beans
1/3 teaspoon olive oil and Balsamic vinegar (to taste) dressing for the salad
Turkey and orange
1 ½ ounces deli turkey
½ orange
6 peanuts
Cottage cheese and pineapple
¼ cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/3 cup pineapple chunks
1 teaspoon slivered almonds
Taco Salad
1 ½ oz. ground turkey cooked with small amount of cooking spray and a small amount of Taco seasoning
1 tablespoon salsa
Lettuce
¼ cup black beans
1 tablespoon guacamole
Top salad with cooked ground turkey, beans and avocado.
Ham and Fruit
4 slices Hillshire Farms 97 percent fat-free deli ham
½ apple
1 macadamia nut
Applesauce and Low-fat cheese
1/3 cup applesauce
1 teaspoons slivered almonds (mixed in the taco salad)
1 oz. low-fat cheese
Berries and Low-Fat Cheese
½ cup blueberries or 1 cup strawberries
1 oz. low-fat or “soft” cheese
6 peanuts
Cheese and Apple (popular with kids)
1 oz. part-skim mozzarella string cheese
½ apple
½ teaspoon natural peanut butter to spread on the apple
Wasa Pizza
1 Wasa cracker topped with:
1/3 teaspoon olive oil
1 ounce low-fat cheese
Top cracker with olive oil and cheese. Microwave on high for 30 seconds.
Wine & Cheese
4 oz. wine, red or white
1 oz. cheese
You can create an infinite variety of your very own Zone-favorable snacks. Pick and choose one protein, one carbohydrate and one fat choice from the list below.
PROTEINS:
• ¼ cup of low-fat cottage cheese
• 1 oz. part-skim or “lite” mozzarella
• 2 ½ oz. part-skim or “lite” ricotta cheese
• 1 oz. sliced meats (turkey, ham, etc.)
• 1 oz. tuna packed in water
• 1 string cheese
• 1 ½ ounces deli meat
CARBOHYDRATES:
• ½ apple
• 3 apricots
• 1 kiwi
• 1 tangerine
• 1/3 cup “lite” fruit cocktail
• ½ pear
• 1 cup strawberries
• ¾ cup blackberries
• ½ orange
• ½ cup grapes
• 8 cherries
• ½ nectarine
• 1 peach
• 1 plum
• ½ cup peaches
• ½ cup crushed pineapple
• 1 cup raspberries
• ½ cup blueberries
• ½ grapefruit
FATS:
• 3 olives (green or black)
• 1 macadamia nut
• 1 tablespoon guacamole
• 1 tablespoon avocado
• 3 almonds
• 6 peanuts
• 2 pecan halves
• ½ teaspoon almond butter
• ½ teaspoon natural peanut butter