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10 Quick & Easy Snack Ideas to Avoid PMS Meltdowns
We've all been there. You're feeling great, then the week before your period you enter premenstrual hell - making you grab the quickest, and not always the healthiest snacks.
Food is one of your best friends when it comes to avoiding PMS symptoms like bloating, acne, irritability, and brain fog. The trick is to keep your blood sugar stable and reach for foods your body needs in your luteal phase.
Here are 10 snack ideas to ensure your healthy eating stays on point - without PMS meltdowns:
1. Apple and Sunbutter
Apples are loaded with soluble fiber and will keep your blood sugar from crashing, which can leave anyone feeling cranky. Pair an apple with cinnamon and sunbutter, and you've got a super satisfying snack.
Sunflower seeds are part of your seed cycling, if you've been using this technique to balance your hormones and are great in your premenstrual week.
2. Guacamole with Carrots and Cucumbers
If you feel those salty chip cravings hit, reach for a snack of guacamole and crunchy vegetables instead.
Your body is really asking for more essential fatty acid, found in avocado, and the crunch from carrots and cucumbers will feel extra gratifying. The cucumbers will also keep your body hydrated as your body prepares to menstruate.
3. Red Lentils and Asparagus
No woman wants the premenstrual bloat! Reach for a snack of 1/3 cup cooked red lentils with a drizzle of olive oil and grilled asparagus. Your skinny jeans will effortlessly zip!
Loaded with magnesium, iron, b vitamins, and fiber, the red lentils will make you feel unbelievable. Asparagus is a natural diuretic, so you'll help your tissues flush out excess fluid. Avoid salting this to keep bloat at bay and season with other spices like garlic, paprika, and cumin.
4. Apple Pie Slimdown Smoothie
I'm OBSESSED with this smoothie! I drank one of these every day for two weeks leading up to my wedding and the results were unbelievable.
The smoothie is strategically packed with raw honey, apple, parsley, lemon, and cucumber to nix bloating and keep you full, focused, and energized. Perfect for your luteal phase!
5. Banana and Dark Chocolate
Part of your Balanced Bombshells lifestyle is dark chocolate! If you're feeling irritability this snack will make you feel zen and energized.
Opt for 85% dark chocolate or higher, which has less sugar, more fiber and protein than any other chocolate. Lindt and Endangered Species are my personal favorites and don't use any milk products, if you're sensitive to dairy like me.
Eating half of a banana will give your body the potassium, b6, and magnesium you need to stop a case of the cranks.
6. Homemade Trail Mix
Prepackage some trail mix in your weekly meal prep! I love making my own trail mixes and packaging them in grab and go containers. This helps because:
1. they're preportioned and you won't end up eating the entire batch... it happens.
2. you can get strategic on the dried fruit and nuts based on your cycle phases.
For your luteal phase, you'll most likely feel more stressed out as your estrogen and progesterone levels shift. This can cause an increase of cortisol, one of your stress hormones, which makes harder to calm down emotionally.
Whip up a quick trail mix of coconut chips, mulberries, goji berries, and walnuts and you'll wonder where your bad mood went!
These berries are loaded with vitamin C which will detox your body of any built up stress hormones. Walnuts are a great choice before your period as they're packed with omega 3's, which are powerful in reducing inflammation. You may notice a huge reduction in carb and salt cravings 😊
7. Pumpkin Brownie Bites
Whip up a batch of the pumpkin brownie bites from your recipe guide! Precut them for a quick snack or freeze them.
Cacao and pumpkin will make you feel grounded before your period, helping you focus on other things in your life.
8. Veggie Chips and Hummus
Sometimes you just need a good crunchy, salty chip. Instead of potato chips, reach for the classier and more nutrient dense veggie chips. I'm a big fan of Terra chips. Dip them in hummus and you've got a great snack!
9. Sauteed Broccoli and Sesame Seeds
Make some sauteed broccoli for dinner and save the rest for a snack the next day. Add in some sesame seeds for your seed cycling efforts and you're good to go!
Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable and binds to excess estrogen in your body. This will help before your period so progesterone can do it's thing by keeping you calm, relaxed, and happy.
10. One Hard Boiled Egg and Berries
For a great hormone balancing snack, eat one hard boiled egg and one cup of berries like raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries. These berries are low in sugar and will give you a big boost in antioxidants, which are great for your cycle, skin, and hair.
Eggs are a complete protein and will give you a boost in vitamins D and Bs to improve your mood and energy levels.
Now you've got 10 handy snacks to ward of PMS! Share your snack time with us on Instagram by tagging @balancedbombshells.
