Healthy Snack Foods |
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Choosing healthy snacks is just as important to your nutrition plan as eating regular healthy meals each day. In the western world we are bombarded by high fat and sugary snack foods that are available to us at anytime of the day. This can be very tempting and can easily lead to the downfall of our best ‘healthy eating intentions’.
Ideally, a snack food should provide us with an extra energy boost during the day without taking in any unwanted calories and prevent you from overeating at mealtimes. They should be nutritious and help contribute to our overall daily nutrition.
When it comes to snacks it is essential that you have planned ahead. This is the same advice we give for preparing meals. Keeping a stash of snacks handy can help you resist the temptation of high fat and sugary cakes, cookies, biscuits and confectionary that may be on offer. Planned snacking helps adherence to your daily food plan and will help you to avoid eating ‘empty calories’.
10 Essential Healthy Snacks: plus health benefits.
For more diet, health, food and fitness information visit www.weightplan.com
Tags: biscuits, cakes, empy calories, fruit, Nutrition, nuts, snacks
Ideally, a snack food should provide us with an extra energy boost during the day without taking in any unwanted calories and prevent you from overeating at mealtimes. They should be nutritious and help contribute to our overall daily nutrition.
When it comes to snacks it is essential that you have planned ahead. This is the same advice we give for preparing meals. Keeping a stash of snacks handy can help you resist the temptation of high fat and sugary cakes, cookies, biscuits and confectionary that may be on offer. Planned snacking helps adherence to your daily food plan and will help you to avoid eating ‘empty calories’.
10 Essential Healthy Snacks: plus health benefits.
- Almonds: a handful as they are high in protein and fibre and a good source of magnesium and vitamin E (an antioxidant). Portion: 10-15 almonds.
- Apricots: are high in beta carotene and could have a protective benefit against certain cancers. Dried apricots are the handiest. Take 6-8 apricots.
- Apples: are good sources of vitamin C, fibre and contain quercetin an antioxidant that can help reduce the risk of damage cause by high cholesterol. Which may explain the term ‘an apple a day will keep the doctor away’? Portion: 1 medium apple.
- Banana: is a well packaged snack food that is popular amongst sports people as it contains carbohydrate fuel and potassium. Portion: 1 medium banana.
- Blueberries: are a powerful antioxidant with health protective benefits against heart disease and certain cancers. Portion ½ cup.
- Cherries: they contain vitamin C and antioxidants to help protect us from heart disease and specific cancers and also melatonin which helps sleep.
- Dark Chocolate: chocolate gets a lot of bad press in terms of health. Dark chocolate that has at least 70% cocoa solids can be eaten in small amounts as part of a healthy, balanced diet. It contains flavonoids and antioxidants that can have a protective effect on health and is high in magnesium and iron. Portion: small piece (20g)
- Fruit smoothie: a homemade fruit smoothie which contains berries with no added sugar can help boost vitamin and minerals, and contains more fibre that drinking a fruit juice. You can add in what you like, a low fat fruit yogurt added makes an ideal recovery drink after exercise. Portion: medium glass 250mls.
- Peanuts: choose the unsalted variety. They are an ideal snack as they are rich in B3, and have been shown to help raise (good) HDL cholesterol and reduce triglycerides in clinical trials. They contain a phytochemical called resveratrol which is usually associated with health properties of red wine of reducing the risk of arteries getting furred up. They are also rich in magnesium, folate, fibre, copper, omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin E,
- Yogurt: a low fat fruit yogurt or plain yogurt is high in calcium and the bio-live varieties are good for your gut. Go for a small pot (150g) serving.
For more diet, health, food and fitness information visit www.weightplan.com
Tags: biscuits, cakes, empy calories, fruit, Nutrition, nuts, snacks