Snacking secrets for women on the go

You're hungry. Right now. However, you want to eat sensibly and avoid gaining weight, so what is a woman on the go to do? The answer is snacking on healthy, balanced mini-meals that seamlessly fit into your busy lifestyle.

Be prepared

Your forte is fitting in all the to-do's on your list. So, make the time to prioritize preparing a delicious and satisfying array of healthy snacks. Fill snack-sized bags with dried fruit and nuts, cut up fruit or vegetables, high-fiber cereal, popcorn, or hard-cooked eggs. Keep them handy in your kitchen, desk or briefcase.

Bypass the vending machine

Vending machines may be one of the most convenient food sources in your office or while you are running errands, but they are often the most diet-damaging.

Instead of opting for vending machine goodies that are high in calories and fat -- and lacking nutritional value -- keep a ready supply of single-serving yogurts, cottage cheese and other cheeses, pudding snacks, and small cartons of milk in your office refrigerator.

Even better, invest in a small ice chest to ensure that no matter where your busy day takes you, you are well-stocked with healthy snacks, and you won't be tempted to eat from a vending machine.

Snack on a variety of foods

Snacking is a smart strategy to ensure you get all the vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients in your diet. However, always snacking on the same thing could compromise the best of healthy diet intentions.

Switch up your snack foods and aim for mini-meals that provide complex carbohydrates, lean proteins and healthy fats. Good choices include nut butters with fruit and baked crackers, cheese paired with fruit or vegetables, graham crackers and cheese, pretzels and cream-cheese dip, hummus and pita chips or cut vegetables, and small portions of meat and cheese wrapped in high-fiber tortillas.

Snack consciously

Despite your on the go lifestyle, make sure you pay attention to your main meals as well as your snacks. Mindless eating, regardless of the meal, can result in overeating, lack of culinary satisfaction, and even weight gain. Eat mindfully and pay attention to your body's hunger and satiety cues: Eat only if you are hungry, and stop eating when you are full.

More tips for managing snack attacks

• Smart snacking is good for your waistline
• Healthy indulgences: Low-calorie satisfying snacks
• Homemade 100-calorie snacks