No matter how nutritious your meal plan is, chances are it could use a few snacks to stay healthy and properly fueled throughout the day. Smart snacking involves selecting good, wholesome foods and making sound choices to give you the energy you need without sabotaging your dieting efforts. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the best snacks for healthy eating, and how you can make the best snack choices for a balanced diet.
1. Healthy Snacking: Fast Fuel for the Mind and Body
With a busy lifestyle, healthy snacking is a must for keeping your optimal mental and physical health in check. Eating three square meals a day isn’t always possible, and having a healthy snack handy is an easy way to fuel up without undermining your good habits.
To ensure you always have wholesome snacks on hand, fill your kitchen pantry up with the following:
- Fresh Fruit: A great way to get vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Keep some oranges, apples, mangoes, berries or your favorite fruits handy for regular snack times.
- Nuts and Seeds: An excellent source of protein and fiber for energy. Don’t forget to give those salted varieties the miss, and opt for unsalted or flavored options instead.
- Yogurt: Packed with beneficial bacteria for a healthy gut. Top it up with some fresh fruit, nuts, and/or granola for added nutrition.
- Carrot & Celery Sticks: A great source of dietary fiber and lutein. Dip them in hummus, salsa, or guacamole for fun snacking.
These snacks not only fuel your body with essential nutrients, but help you improve your overall well-being too. Thoughtful snacking helps keep your blood sugar levels in check and provides you sustained energy throughout the day!
2. Saving Time and Money While Eating Smart
Eating smarter doesn’t mean you have to invest more time or money. In fact there are several ways you can save both while still ensuring you’re fuelling your body with the right nutrition.
Here are some things to keep in mind:
- Plan your meals: decide what dishes you’re going to make in advance and create a grocery list of all the items you need to buy. This will help you save time when shopping and reduce food waste since you’re only buying the items you actually need.
- Go no-frills shopping: opt for supermarkets with cheaper prices. You can still make sure you’re buying quality ingredients. For meats, look for the “value” or “no frills” lines and check the sell by date.
- Cook in bulk: avoid eating out and cook large batches of food. You can divide it into smaller tupperware containers and keep them in the freezer. This way you’ll have a ready-made dinner when you don’t feel like cooking.
- Take advantage of discounts: subscribe to stores’ newsletters and look out for special offers, discounts and coupons. You can also pay much less for food that is in season – fruits and vegetables for example.
Eating smart doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming. A little planning and understanding of what’s on offer can help you save time and money while still eating healthy, nutritious meals.
3. Creating Nutritious Snacks with Everyday Ingredients
A healthy snack doesn’t have to be expensive or difficult to make; in fact, there are plenty of easy snacks you can whip up with everyday ingredients!
- Veggies and Hummus: Start with a tray filled with delicious crunchy veggies like carrots, cucumbers, radishes and celery; serve with a bowl of creamy hummus for a dose of healthy fats and protein.
- Whole-Grain Toast: Toast your favorite whole-grain bread and top with a dollop of nut butter, a sprinkle of cinnamon and sliced banana for a simple and wholesome snack.
- Yogurt-Fruit Parfait: Layer yogurt with your favorite chopped fruit and crunchy granola for a snack that satisfies hunger and tastes like a treat.
These are just a few of the many nutritious snacks you can make with everyday ingredients. Next time you’re looking for a quick and healthy snack idea, get creative and see what you can whip up with items from your pantry!
4. The Benefits of Eating Healthier Between Meals
Breaking Up With Snacks:
Healthy eating is the key to better overall health and improved wellbeing, so it only makes sense to practice good eating habits. But did you know that there’s more to eating healthy than just cutting out unhealthy foods? Watching the snacks between meals is equally as important. Eating healthy snacks is great, but the real trick is to break up with snacks altogether. The benefits of nosh-free periods provide clarity and balance in the day—particularly important for those of us living fast-paced lives.
Unleashing the benefits of spacing out larger meals of unprocessed, real food can lead to improved gut health, allowing us to absorb greater amounts of nutrients and have regular bowel movements. Additionally, without the constant snacking, the body’s digestive enzymes can work more effectively, regulating blood sugar levels and keeping us looking and feeling healthy.
- Potential for improved gut health
- Regular bowel movements
- Improvement of digestive enzymes
- Increased absorption of nutrients
- Regulated blood sugar levels
- Better overall health and improved wellbeing
5. Snacking 101: Knowing Your Portions and Goals
Eating healthy can be quite a challenge! If you’re a snacking enthusiast, you may have some trouble finding the balance between snacking and striving for a healthier lifestyle. Don’t worry, though. With a few simple tricks, you’ll be snacking smarter—and achieving your health and lifestyle goals in no time!
Understanding Portion Sizes
Knowing your proper portion sizes is the key to smart snacking. You should always pay attention to the size of your snacks and keep them in proportion with your caloric goals. It’s also a good idea to make sure you’re eating mostly whole foods, rather than processed options. Here’s how you can gauge your portions:
- A light snack should be around 100-150 calories.
- A moderate snack should be around 150-250 calories.
- A heavy snack should be around 250-450 calories.
Setting Goals
Setting goals is another great way to stay on track with your snacks, and help you make smart choices. Set a goal of eating only healthy snacks once a day, and then slowly increase your goal over time. Reward yourself for reaching your goals and aim for a variety of healthy snacks, not just the same ones every day. Try to incorporate fruits, veggies, and whole grains into your snacks whenever possible.
6. Smart Snacking Decisions for a Healthier Future
When it comes to diet and nutrition, smarter snacking habits can have a major impact on your health. The following tips will help you make healthier snacking choices and set yourself up for good health in the future.
- Go for whole-grain options. Whole-grains provide more nutrients, fiber and other important elements that your body needs. Look for items like whole-wheat or multigrain bread, or crackers marked with the “whole grain” designation.
- Watch your portions. Eating too much, even if it’s healthy food, is not a good idea. Pay attention to serving sizes on labels and measure out your servings accordingly.
- Opt for healthier snacks. Reach for healthy snacks like raw fruits and vegetables, low-sugar energy bars, air-popped popcorn, seeds, and yogurt.
- Drink your snacks. Instead of munching on high-calorie treats, quench thirst with water or tea. Add fresh fruit slices to your drink and enjoy!
- Replace sugary snacks with fruits. Fruits can satisfy sweet cravings while providing your body with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Look for fresh, frozen or dried, unsweetened options.
- Pay attention to nutritional labels. Compare labels on different products and select the one with more vitamins, minerals, and a lower amount of added sugar and unhealthy fats.
Smart snacking requires discipline and good planning, but it will make all the difference in your long-term health. Take the time to explore new snack options and enjoy healthier snacking choices in the future!
When it comes to snacks, being healthy doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice flavor or convenience. It doesn’t have to be hard to make smart choices that will give you the energy you need to get through your day. Start snacking smarter today to feel your best!
