What are some healthy snacks that boost your energy and mood during a busy day?

Snacking smartly provides a boost of energy if several hours have passed between meals. It helps curb the appetite and prevents overeating at the next meal. It also provides extra nutrients when you're choosing certain snacks like fruits, nuts and seeds, Makhana etc It's important to eat these snacks at the table. Don't watch TV, play video games or be on phone while snacking, you may overeat.Read the nutrition labels while buying packaged snacks. Look for snacks that are low in added sugar and high in nutrients like fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals

Don't adhere to so-called trendy fad diets; instead, aim for a balanced, healthy diet. It should include a balance of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and nutrition.

Nuts, Makhana and protein bars are smart snacks, I generally avoid snacking, but these prove to be filling. Stops you from overeating during the evenings.

One thing I've found helps is a corn snack such as popcorn crisps and Bananas, I also drink plenty of fluids including tea and coffee without sugar.

Snacking has not always been my "style" of eating. I grew up eating the three main meals with zero snacking, mostly because I don't believe we could afford snacks. But today, I find that I can snack in a healthy and affordable way. Two of my favorite snacks are: big plump green grapes and baby carrots. The grapes are a favorite around the house because I place them in a bowl and grab a few each time I am tempted to open the refrigerator door. The baby carrots are great to-go snacks in a baggy.

Sometimes we really crave something sweet or something from the list to avoid. If we make things totally forbidden it can make us want them even more to the point of distraction. Having a little of what you really fancy can make you feel better. Partnering this with a good snack - add some fruit or nuts for example - and choose a better version (using the label or going for a small bite size) is a mindful way of achieving balance. Important to take time out to really savour the snack so you allow it to satisfy the craving but without over indulging

I used to eat a lot of a certain brand of doughnuts, and I would eat half a box, massive sugar rush, feeling 'fuzzy' and within about an hour I could sleep, deeply.

One of my favorite snacks is apples and peanut butter. I specifically like honeycrisp apples with freshly ground honey peanut butter. The combination of fiber, protein, and fat in this snack is a healthy brain boost.

I always keep protein powder for a quick shake on hand. It's low calorie, high-protein which means I avoid the energy ups and downs.

I keep snacks, apples, grapes and bananas on my desk, this encourages my colleagues to snack on them also, so sharing my change of lifestyle has allowed others to eat better too.

Great ideas from Steve Pearce on this - having a selection of appealing fruits on his desk that he and his colleagues can easily grab. Making the healthier choice the easier choice is a great way to eat better. Having pre-chopped fruit or veg sticks and ready-prepared dips or hummus/yoghurt in fridge also makes this a quick healthy snack to grab (no need to spend time chopping)

Keep healthy snacks readily available to avoid reaching for less nutritious options when hunger strikes. Snack when you're genuinely hungry, not out of boredom or habit. Even healthy snacks can contribute to overeating if portion sizes are too large. So, pre-portion snacks like nuts, dried fruits, or popcorn into small containers to avoid mindless eating.

One thing that is often useful is to practice more mindful eating. Next time you're reaching for a snack ask yourself what type of hunger am I feeling? i.e. Am I physically hungry? - if so have something to eat, or am I eating out of habit or because of what's in my environment? (e.g. are there biscuits beside the kettle). I often encourage my clients to be more aware of the type of hunger they feel - physical-hunger; head-hunger (due to habit or the environment); or a heart-hunger (e.g. comfort-eating). Then we can work on ways to manage these.