Snack foods are important part of our daily diet regimen as they play a crucial role in filling the nutritional gaps; however, snacking needs a proper monitoring in order to make sure that it not only meets our craving needs but should also offer higher nutritional value.
Snacks are generally food items other than normal full meals, and they can be pre- or post-workout snacks or any other intermediary bites taken to fulfil the hunger. To fill the nutritional holes amply it becomes very important to have right choices for healthy snacking and the intake timing should also be properly planned. Through this article we want to highlight the top seven rules to be followed for healthy snacking. Everybody can use them as a guide or basic rules while choosing healthy snack foods.
Don’t miss these top seven rules for healthy snacking
Rule One: Not eat directly from the packing or box
Snacking directly from the box of snacks food could lose your control over the quantity of eating. It is recommended to always take measured quantity of servings in your bowl, leave the kitchen and sit down on a couch or wherever you feel comfortable to enjoy your snacks.
It has been noticed that when people put food servings on their plate before start eating – it can either include snacks or regular meals – they eat around 15% less than their overall intake capacity. This trick can be applied while snacking and it really helps – the primary reason being lesser indulgence towards top-up of additional servings.
Another big benefit of not eating from the food packs directly, is minimizing direct exposure to the harmful food packaging materials. Most of the food packaging is made from toxic chemicals, so it is always suggested to pour the heated snacks in the bowls made of stainless steel, glass, or other agricultural materials such as bamboo.
According to Sigma Research & Test Centre, obesity, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other health problems are some of the short- and long-term dangers associated with chemicals used in food packaging. So, a high-level of precautions are required to be taken while utilizing the food packaging made from plastics – which constitute chemicals like BPAs, PFAs, phthalates, PVCs.
Rule Two: Make sure your snacks have complete nutritional value
Snacking gives you an opportunity to fill the nutritional holes in your daily diet. For instance, if your lunch has missed the vegetables or fruits, it would be better to have vegetable salad or fruits in your snacks. Intelligent snacking will help in balancing your daily diet. We would recommend you to develop a list of healthy snacks so that it will help you to save your time to think about the appropriate snacks.
Rule Three: Controlling snacks food nutritional value important
Nutritional value of the snacks is very important. If you are concerned about weight gain, the recommended range is between 150 to 200 calories worth of snacks. Our suggestion would be to include couple of snack food items, such as having a combination of carbohydrate and protein or fibre rich snacks and proteins such as one apple and 4-5 almonds. We understand it is bit cumbersome to manage the nutritional value of snacks each and every time, so it is suggested to have a list of easy healthy snacks with nutritional value ranging from 150 to 200 calories handy. Always pick the healthy snacks.
Listing some easy and healthy snacks with balanced nutritional value in order to help you in maintaining your snacking calories and nutrition values under control:
| Healthy Snacks | Benefits and Nutritional Value |
|---|---|
| Mixed nuts | Benefits: Nuts are considered as ideal nutritional snacks, as constitutes good balance of fibres, proteins, and fats. They are filling snacks so help in losing weight at moderate level Nutritional Value: 1 ounce or 1/4 cup is enough at a time, as their calorie level is high. Refer an article from National Library of Medicine for detailed nutritional value by serving for both men and women |
| Greek yogurt or oats and mixed berries | Benefits: Greek yogurt has higher value of proteins, oats are rich in fibres and berries are high source of antioxidants. Mixing them makes a delicious and healthy snack Nutritional Value: Refer FoodData Central database for nutritional value of both Greek yogurt and Oats |
| Kale chips | Benefits: Kale chips are made from a leafy vegetable called Kale. Kale is very healthy as it constitutes incredibly high fibres, antioxidants, and minerals. The lower of oxalic acid as compared to other leafy vegetables helps in better calcium absorption. Nutritional Value: Kale is high in fibre, antioxidants, vitamin A and calcium, as well as B vitamins, vitamin C and potassium. |
| Hard-boiled eggs | Benefits: Boiled eggs are high in protein and it is incredibly filling. According to a study conducted by National Library of Medicine, moderate level of egg consumption (3-3.9 eggs/week) are beneficial for reducing arterial stiffness. Nutritional Value: Egg has high protein value. |
| Whole wheat toast with peanut butter and banana | Benefits: Peanut butter constitutes monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which are good for healthy heart. Banana is good for high blood pressure and helps in prevention of heart stroke. In addition, higher level of potassium in the banana helps in prevention of kidney stone as it prevents calcium excretion through urine. Nutritional Value: Peanut butter is high in energy and protein. Banana is a good source of potassium. |
| Turkey roll-ups | Benefits: They are tastier snacking option, which is a spinach tortilla constituting smoked turkey, cheddar cheese & fresh spinach. Nutritional Value: Turkey constitutes higher protein value and spinach is higher in vitamin A. |
| Spicy avocado | Benefits: Spicy avocado is a filling snack, which includes avocado and a dash of cayenne pepper. Avocados are rich in healthy fats and proteins and consuming them regularly boosts production of testosterone and other growth hormones, which are vital for muscle building. Nutritional Value: Avocado is rich in healthy fat and proteins |
| Popcorn | Benefits: Popcorns are good filling snacks as they contain lesser amounts of calories than many other snacks, i.e., constitutes only 31 calories in a cup of popcorns. Nutritional Value: Popcorns constitutes comparatively less amounts of calories |
| Roasted Chickpeas | Benefits: Roasted chickpeas are very crunchy and healthy snacks. Nutritional Value: Chickpeas are good source of plant-based proteins, fibres and healthy carbs |
| Carrot sticks with Hummus | Benefits: A Lebanese recipe hummus is made from chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, and garlic. They go very well with various types of breads and salads, including vegetables such as cucumber and carrots. Nutritional Value: Chickpeas are good source of plant-based proteins, fibres and healthy carbs. Garlic and olive oil are good for heart. Carrots and cucumber are good source of water and vitamin A. |
Rule Four: Pair your snack foods with water
While having your snacks it is always recommended to sip small amount of water after having couple of bites of healthy snack foods because it will not only help in proper hydration but will also keep your appetite under control by feeling full and satisfied. Pairing snacks with water will prevent additional calories to your body.
Rule Five: Eat slowly to feel satiated
Many people have habits to wolf down their snacks which lose control on how much you are eating. It is always recommended to at least take 15-20 minutes to eat your snack foods with an approximate value of 150 to 200 calories. Eating slow will give you a feeling of fullness and satisfaction once you are done.
Rule Six: Pre- and post-workout snacks are crucial
Proper snacks will not only burst you with energy to have a powerful workout but also assists in proper post-workout recovery. Pre- and post-workout snacks should be a combination of proteins and carbohydrates. It is recommended to have pre-workout snacks at least 30-45 minutes before the workout. Proper post-workout snacks help in repairing and building muscles and recuperate from lost energy.
Rule Seven: Snacking help you lose weight
Snacking when followed with the rules mentioned above can help to lose weight effectively. Proper snacking can prevent you from taking high calorie treats and even reduces size of your dinner.
We are sure that sticking to these snacking rules will help you in achieving healthy lifestyle.