Smart and Healthy Snack Time

Written By admin • 3 min read

If you’re like most Americans, an astonishing 26 percent of your calories are sneaking into your body at times other than breakfast, lunch and dinner, government data shows. But it’s not all bad news for nibblers: Savvy snacking can actually help you lose weight by staving off hunger and overeating.

Snacks can be an important part of a healthful diet. Well-chosen snacks can help you manage your weight, hunger, health, and energy. Snacks can help you gain or lose weight. Energy dense snacks can help you eat more in a day for weight gain. Eating several small healthy snacks between meals helps with weight loss by keeping cravings down and preventing excessive hunger that may lead to overeating. Snacks can help you meet healthful guidelines for grain, vegetable, fruit, calcium and protein intake. Snacks keep you going when you are dragging – and nutritious snacks keep you going longer

Smart and healthy snacks can be side dishes with powerful flavor and build harmony with many great meals. Take a Sweet Potato for instance. Not only do they taste like dessert but provide an excellent source of nutrition. Make extra and put it aside you’re your afternoon or mid-morning snack! What type of snack are you in the mood for? Crunchy, sweet, salty or creamy?  Below is a list of snacks for each category.  Check it out!

Crunchy

– apples
– frozen grapes
– rice cakes
– light popcorn or plain popcorn: use coconut oil to pop in a covered pan
– one or two hard pretzels, the large Bavarian variety
– carrots: particularly the super-sweet, organic baby carrots
– crunchy crudités of veggies and dip (hummus, tabbouli, vinaigrette, favorite dressing)
– celery and peanut butter (use non-hydrogenated peanut butter)
– hummus with whole grain toast, baby carrots, rice crackers
– nuts

Sweet Snacks

– wheatgrass
– fresh, whole fruit
– organic yogurt and ripe fruit
– apples and almond butter
– sprouted date bread with jam
– frozen yogurt: freeze yogurt and make your own!
– dried fruit
– use leftover grains to make sweet porridge: drizzle maple syrup and sprinkle cinnamon, add soymilk and bananas, heat with fruit juice
– smoothies: mix whatever you have in the kitchen – fruit, ice, soymilk, yogurt, carob powder, etc
– fruit “ice cream”: peel a banana, freeze, blend in a food processor with nuts, berries or raisins and serve; can be put through the screen of a juicer for a creamier consistency.
– freshly squeezed fruit juices: Make your own and try different combos.
– sweet vegetables: yams, sweet potatoes, squashes (acorn, butternut, kabocha) cut into chunks or fries; sprinkle with cinnamon and bake
– organic dark chocolate chips or carob chips

Salty Snacks

– olives
– pickles and pickled vegetables, such as carrot, daikon, beets and lotus root
– tabouli, hummus
– oysters and sardines
– steamed vegetables with tamari/shoyu or umeboshi vinegar
– tortilla chips and salsa or guacamole: try whole grain chips such as “Garden of Eatin” brand and freshly made salsa or guacamole
– sauerkraut: it will also knock your sweet craving right out!
– fresh lime or lemon juice as seasonings or in beverage
– salted edamame
– small amount of organic cheese

Creamy Snacks

– green smoothies
– yogurt
– avocados
– rice pudding
– dips and spreads, like hummus and baba ghanoush
– puréed soups
– puddings made with silken tofu, avocado or mashed banana
– mashed sweet potatoes
– coconut milk

Here at Premier Fitness Camp in Utah we are a weight loss camp for adults that is very focused on food and nutrition along with fitness. We not only serve you tasty and nutritious meals while you are with us, we teach you all about the health and nutrition of these items, why you should be eating them, and how to prepare these items. We are committed to helping you with every aspect of your journey to a healthier life!

SOURCES:
http://www.self.com/fooddiet/2009/06/slim-snack-guide
http://www.mckinley.illinois.edu/handouts/snacks_smart.html