Snacking - What Is Healthy And What Is Not?

SHHHH!!!!  I'm Having A Snack!!

Do you feel this way? That it's not okay to snack when you're trying to lose weight?  Should it be like this?

NO!! It Shouldn't Be Like This!!!

Snacking doesn't have to be unhealthy, it can, in fact, be healthy and part of your balanced daily diet.

Yes, it's the choice of snack rather than the fact that you are snacking that makes the difference between a healthy snack and an unhealthy snack.

Unhealthy snacks often include:

• chocolate bars (high in fat and/or sugar)
• muesli/granola bars (can be high in sugar)
• frozen yoghurt (often contains more sugar than icecream)
• chips/crisps (high in salt)
• nuts/seeds/pretzels covered in salt
• most vending machine snacks (usually high in fat/salt/sugar)
• often low calorie, low fat foods in the supermarket are high in sugar content, do check this out

Healthy choices for snacks include:

• hard boiled egg
• fruit (e.g., blueberries, cherries)
• cottage cheese
• yoghurt (plain, unsweetened, or Greek, not with added flavours or syrups)
• foods with fibre or protein, as these release energy slowly and make you feel full 

Finding a snack that curbs your sweet tooth, makes you feel full for longer and slowly releases sustainable energy can seem a hard thing to do.  However, by looking at your food choices and being prepared, you can still keep the calories low.  Using choices such as vegetables along with a protein source such as the egg or cottage cheese, can provide you with a nutritious, filling and tasty snack.  Remember also, when you're using foods such as cottage cheese, that adding spices or herbs is a great way to increase flavour, without adding calories.

Happy snacking!

Protein Balls, includes fibre and protein