You know when it happens. It's mid-afternoon, and suddenly, hunger hits. The get-out-of-my-way type of hungry. The vending machine is blinking madly at you in the office. At home, the snacks are freely available and well within reach.

You start playing the 'should I or shouldn't I' game. Lunch wasn't that long ago: Should I have a snack or wait? I shouldn't have ___ (pretzels, chips, cheese). I should have something healthy. What is healthy after breast cancer?

Whether in the office, or working at home, with just a bit of preparation and the right ingredients on hand, here are three steps to building a healthy snack to power you through the day.

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Before I get to the actual snack components, let's backtrack and talk about mindset. There's 2 prevalent views about snacks. One: Snacks are bad. Two: Snacks are good so you don't overeat. Both are wrong. These views assume we can't control ourselves because of the plethora of snack choices (most of them in a bar or a bag). But they don't take into account the mindset that you can respect your hunger cues and still nourish yourself.

Using this mindset takes practice, but ultimately, works better for your peace of mind and nutrition. An example of using mindset is to first allow yourself to eat any snack type food without judgment. Then check in with your body after eating, and explore how you felt afterwards. Ask yourself:

• Was I hungry very soon after?

• Did my energy flag later?

• Was I too hungry to make better choices?

• I'm checking in with my mood. Am I bored, angry, or feeling stomach hunger?

Once you master this type of food and body exploration, you can listen effectively to what your body needs, and ultimately, tune out the other snack "noise." You'll be better prepared, such as perhaps eating more protein at lunch, or prepping a fiber-filled breakfast.

We use both are brain and our body to choose the type of foods we want and need. Diet culture will say, you can't. But working with clients, I've seen how we all have the potential to nourish ourselves properly.

Here's how to plan your snacks for optimal nutrition. Step one: Check in with your mindset. Step two: Choose 2-3 categories of what's called macronutrients for each snack. Step three: Put the snack together and enjoy it mindfully.

A power snack includes the macronutrients protein, carbohydrate, and fat, in any combination. For example, a smoothie with 1 cup berries+ 1 tablespoon nut butter + 1 cup plant milk of choice, offers all 3 macronutrients. Another combination, celery + almond butter + sunflower seeds, hits all the right nutrient notes too.

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Need more examples of combination power snacks? Here's a sampling:

Raw or roasted low GI-vegetables +dips:

• cucumbers + hummus

• roasted cauliflower + salsa

• carrots + tahini sauce

• peppers + black bean dip

Raw fruits or vegetables + nut or seed butter: + topping:

• apple slice + nut butter + flaxmeal

• celery + almond butter +

• sunflower seeds

Options for different textures:

• Smoothies [1/3 fruit + 2/3 vegetable and liquid]

• Chia pudding + fruit + seeds

• Rye toast + guacamole/mashed avocado

• Cooked quinoa + fruit + milk of choice

Don't forget about high-quality fats like avocado, nuts, and seeds. A protein source includes fiber-rich beans and and even pumpkin seeds. Be creative with your combinations!

Want a cheat sheet of putting a power snack together? Click this button on the top of the blog page and you'll be directed to the subscribe link.

You're invited to join our new private nutrition group for thrivers on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/groups/afreshstartforbreastcancerthrivers