How to eat healthy snacks-
- Boiled eggs
- Apple, banana, orange, grapes, any fruits
- Low fat Yogurt
- Nuts
- Atta chapati with banana/veg
- Vegetable salad with chicken /eggs/fish
Forget the disgusting junk food available in every grocery store and restaurant on the planet. Learn to eat clean from now on. Be very selective and enjoy lean meats, fish, poultry, salads. These will give you lasting health and vitality.
What you should avoid
While I suggest that you view all six meals as equal, you may find that meals 1,3 and 5 will be more traditional in nature (breakfast, lunch and supper) because that simply the way the world is set up. Meals 2, 4 and possibly 6, could be termed snacks. However, I don’t mean snacking in the traditional sense. A snack is not a bag of potato chips, chocolate bar or bowl of high -fat ice cream. Your snacks should supplement your good health goals, not destroy them. If you eat garbage like this you might as well through your healthy body dream out the windows. Healthy snacking will keep your energy level high and keep your body infused with muscle-building nutrients.
The key is to pay close attention to what you eat. Stuffing your face with a large order of fries between lunch and supper may give you a temporary boost, but a snack this high in fat and calories is doing nothing for good health. And I think you already know what it will do to your midsection. Lets put it this way -six pack abs are not built with foods from the deep fryer.
To keep your energy level high and avoid gaining fat, steer clear of foods with a lot of simple carbohydrates (sugars) such as candy bars or soda. Instead, go for foods that contain complex carbohydrates, such as whole grain breads and cereals. Combine these foods with protein rich items such as natural nut butter or low -fat yogurt or cottage cheese.
So just what is a healthy snacks ?
Selecting healthy snacks means shopping smarter. Always be wary of the health claims on food labels. Just because something is labelled all natural does not necessarily mean its nutritious. For example, all natural juice drinks or sodas can still be loaded with sugar. And despite being natural sugar will still lead to extra fat around your waist.
Another great example is the granola bar. Although granola bars can contain a certain amount of vitamins and nutrients, many brands also contain tons of sugar and a great deal of fat, including the artery clogging trans and saturated fat.
Snacks on sunflower seeds
Sunflower seeds contain a good fat that we need in our diet. Linoleic acid. Your body cant make this essential fatty acid and yet requires it to help synthesize other fats. Linoleic acid is great for your heart. In a study those who had the highest intakes of linoleic acid had a 23 percent lower risk of heart disease than those with the lowest intakes. To get more in your diet. Add two or three tablespoons of these seeds to low fat granola. Trail mix or hot cereal.
What to check while buying package snacks
Many are no better than a typical candy bars. Always read the nutrition the nutrition facts label on the package to be sure just what you are putting into your body.
Always be skeptical of foods that claim they are low fat. When manufacturers lower the fat content, they often compensate by adding loads of sugar. Many low-fat foods have as many calories as their full fat counterparts and often with less nutrition.
In addition, always read the ingredients section on the package. The nutrition label is usually in a table and lists common items such as saturated and trans fat, cholesterol, carbohydrates, protein, and total calories per serving. The ingredients section is usually in small print and is located in the corner. Even though the table may show zero for trans and saturated fat, the ingredients section may say made with hydrogenated vegetable oil. If you see the word hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated, place the item back on self and move on. As I have discussed earlier, hydrogenated oil and fat rarely exist in nature and therefore the human body did not evolve the enzyme necessary to digest them. Instead of being broken down and used for constructive metabolic activities such as growth, repair, and energy production, they get deposited on your artery walls or fat cells and cause heart disease.
Here are few words to look out for
Triglycerides – contain, in varying proportions, three groups of fatty acids -saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated.
Low carb, low fat, omega this omega that. Every year or two some valid health information is hijacked by marketers bent on parting you from you money. Snack food is more susceptible to this than others-marketers know you rarely do want to eat junk food. If they can convince you its healthy, you will buy food you otherwise wouldn’t. so they put things on the label such as trans fat free , high in omega -3 , low carb, good source of antioxidants, or sugar free. Know that junk food is junk food. Just because they added omega -3 or that research shows chocolate to be high in antioxidants doesn’t mean you should be eating it. Chocolate may be high in antioxidants, but guess what ? fruits and vegetables are higher.
Here are some tips to help you with your snacking
- Out of sight, out of mind
Resisting that snickers bar or bag of spicy potato chips in the cupboard during a snack attack could prove impossible. If you have to get up and drive to the store to buy it, you have a much better chance at resisting. Go through your cupboards and toss any junk food. Your shelf space should be stocked with healthy and nutritious foods, not waist enlarging junk food. When you go grocery shopping, make sure to eat before you leave. That way you will be less tempted by restricted goodies.
2. Don’t forget your drinks
Just because it’s a liquid does not mean it can’t be a snack. In fact, liquid snacks are very convenient. Add some fruits and yogurt or skim milk and you have a complete meal for a snack.
3. Snacking for two
Instead of meeting your buddy for coffee or a beer, meet for a milk shake.
4. Close at hand
keep healthy snacks stashed all over the place. In a desk drawer at work, your bag. If you have healthy snacks readily available when the munchies hit, you will be far less likely to rush out to the coffee truck or the corner store for a candy bar or big of nachos.
Example of good snacks
- Boiled eggs
- Apple, banana, orange, grapes, any fruits
- Low fat Yogurt
- Nuts
- Atta chapati with banana/veg
- Vegetable salad with chicken/egg/fish