Healthy Snacking!

While many snacks may not be healthy, snacking can be healthy and is encouraged. Besides helping to appease the hunger pangs that claw at you between meals, snacking can help you get in some of your daily required nutrients. What you snack on and the amount you eat at snack time are critical. Although some may choose to ignore the wide expanse of knowledge on nutrition and how it is related to our health, we should at least know that cookies, candies, sodas, fries and pastries are not the best foods to snack on regularly. That’s not to say that a cookie once in a while will harm you but if you are overweight or trying to maintain a healthy weight, snacking on fruits, nuts and vegetables is wiser.

The problem with some healthy snacks, though, is that they are not always as tasty or enticing as their less nutritious substitutes especially to taste buds which have grown accustomed to the flavors and high sodium content of, say, a bag of chips. It may make sense to kick your snacking choices up a notch or you may find yourself slinking back to the unhealthy, easy-to-reach, already packaged foods. So, if you’re in need of change, there are a few things you can do. One of the main things to remember is that changing your snacking habits will take some effort on your part; if you plan your snacks, your choices will be better.

It does not take intricate science to show that we are more likely to eat something unhealthy if it is within sight and reach, but there are studies that have proven that. So move the unhealthy snacks out of your line of vision. Throw them away, move them to the back, or get your own healthy-snack space – whatever works for you. If you don’t, when the hunger pangs attack, you will grab at the closest snack to the detriment of your health, and weight plan.

It is advisable also to have a variety of healthy snacks on hand. If you have fruit today, vegetables, nuts or yogurt could be a good choice for the next day. An apple a day might keep the doctor away but it may not be strong enough to pull your hand out of the tray of Danish and cinnamon buns left over from the board meeting that suddenly appeared close to your cubicle. You owe it to your taste buds to add variations to your meals. That way you will also get a variety of nutrients.

Preparation is also important. Anything that changes your normal routine of grabbing a bag of chips before you leave the house or from the vending machine will require you to tweak your schedule at least a little bit. Since you can be sure you’re eating healthy by making your own snacks, then it’s probably worth doing. Work it into your schedule. We know that Grey’s Anatomy may be vital to your existence but we also know that you can multitask. It might be a good idea to make your own trail mix of peanuts, almonds, high-fiber-low-sugar cereal and raisins and package your mix into ¼ cup portions while watching your favourite television show, or better still, during the commercial breaks.

You can also combine your healthy snacks in interesting ways to make them more appealing. Adding crunchy cereals and dried fruit to non-fat yoghurt is one option. Some nutritionists suggest using peanut butter spread over a sliced apple. Cheese can also break the monotony. Or try using dips. Try having baby carrots with a Chutney dip. Since chutneys are made from fruit, vegetables and spices, they can add to your vitamin intake.

It is also important to measure your portions. Snacks are meant to tide you over to the next main meal and as such should not be equivalent to your main meals. So, snacking may not be bad even if you’re on a diet. It all depends on your choices and a little willpower.
Happy snacking!   [ back to news ]