The Yachtie Glow: Five healthy grab-and-go snacks

The Yachtie Glow: by Stew Angela Orecchio

Yacht crew have many days when they barely have the chance to sit down, let alone eat a healthy meal. Maybe it’s boat show time. Perhaps the guests are about to arrive or already on board.

Hard working crew need fuel to keep up with the demands of the job. A lot of us reach for coffee or junk food to stay energized. It works in the short term and it’s easy.

But once the coffee buzz wears off, that quick fix can leave us feeling even more tired than before. And once that sugary or salty junk food has been digested, we can get a little moody or having major cravings.

We’ve all been there, and we’ve all suffered the consequences when the season, trip or charter lasts a while and the quick-fix becomes a regular routine.

The good news is that even when there’s no time to have a healthy meal, yacht crew do have time to choose a healthy snack that will leave you feeling better with more consistent energy.

The trick is to plan ahead and always have healthy snacks available. This will make eating healthy so much easier when temptations arise.

Check out these five quick and healthy snack ideas for busy stews I’m loving right now.

Homemade Trail Mix

Mix any combination of unsalted or lightly salted nuts with chopped up dried fruit for a protein-packed snack.

Try almonds, walnuts, cashews and pecans mixed with goji berries, dried coconut, raisins or cranberries, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Make sure to check the label of any dried fruit for any unwanted extra ingredients other than fruit.

Mix the nuts and fruit together and portion into a small bags or containers so they are easy and quick to grab and take along.

Fruit and Nut Bars

Any brand that is a good balance of whole foods will work nicely. Stay away from syrups, added sugars and other random non-whole food ingredients. In the U.S., Lara Bars have been my go-to brand; in Europe, I like Nakd. Both contain only fruit and nuts.

Apple with Almond Butter

Spread any high quality nut butter on apple wedges for the ultimate sweet and creamy treat.

Buy nut butters without extra oils and preservatives. At the most, nut butter should have nuts, oil and salt. Nut butters that only have nuts are the highest quality and can be found in most health sections of the store, even in Europe.

Hummus with Crackers or Veggies

Find a good quality hummus and pre-cut veggies or high quality crackers for this delicious dip.

Whole Fruit

A piece of fruit is the ultimate snack. The natural sugar is easy to digest and supplies energy, and the fiber balances blood sugar to prevent those energy crashes. Always keep the crew mess stocked with tangerines, apples, bananas, grapes and other quick and easy fruit.

Angela Orecchio is a chief stew and certified health coach. This column was edited from her blog, Savvy Stewardess, The Smart Girl’s Guide to Yachting (www.savvystewardess.com). Comments are welcome below.