Snacks keep your appetite under control between meals. They also regulate your blood sugar by giving your body carbs at a slow, steady pace. Think of a snack as a nutritious addition to your balanced diet. You will find that pairing two different foods in a small snack keeps you feeling full longer so you don't continue to graze until the next meal.
Fruit
All fruits make wonderful snacks due to their nutrition, fiber, natural sweetness and water content. Some, however, have the bonus of containing antioxidants, plus anti-cancer and heart disease-fighting properties. Your best choices include blueberries and other berries, apples, pears, peaches, plums, oranges, grapefruit, tangerines and red grapes. Make fresh or frozen fruit your first choice. Fruit canned in its own juices will suffice if the other options are unavailable.
Crunchy Snacks
To satisfy your urge to crunch, enjoy celery sticks and carrots dipped in your favorite low-fat dressing. If you associate crunching with a salty flavor, try whole-grain tortilla chips with or without salsa; baked potato chips; whole-grain pretzels; dried veggie chips; and nuts and seeds. Find snack-size packages of these or set aside a certain amount and put the rest away. While nuts supply you with fiber, antioxidants, protein and vitamins, their fat and calorie content runs high. One handful coupled with a piece of fruit will hold you over to the next meal and supply you with necessary nutrients.
Nutrition Bars
"Fitness" magazine recently listed its 22 snack recommendations by brand names. They included several bar-type foods such as granola, cereal, fiber and protein bars. Fiber and protein help you feel full, but some of these processed foods run high in calorie and sugar and have added chemicals. An even better option is a half-cup of canned chickpeas or any no-salt-added canned beans. These "whole foods" come closer to nature without extensive processing and have natural nutrients, fiber and protein. They also supply antioxidants. A little pepper and a splash of vinegar make beans a delicious and nutritious snack.
Low-Fat Dairy
This wholesome food group can give you the boost of energy you need between meals. Choose the low-fat variety of yogurt, cottage cheese, ricotta or hard cheeses like mozzarella and Monterey jack. Watch out for yogurts that contain added sugar. A half-cup of soft cheese or a couple of cubes of hard can complement fruit or nuts. To avoid overeating when combining two snacks, use smaller portions of each. The variety will satisfy your taste buds, but make sure you aren't doubling the quantity of food. For example, if you normally eat a cup of grapes, but want to add cheese, cut the grapes to a half-cup and eat a smaller portion of cheese as well.
Other Snacks
A small bowl of low-fat, low-sugar ice cream or frozen yogurt can satisfy your need for comfort food. You can slice about two inches of banana into it or sprinkle with carob chips. Carob has half the fat and calories of chocolate, but can easily fool your taste buds into thinking it's a decadent treat. Don't forget to enjoy a couple of ounces of dark chocolate. If it has 70 percent or more cocoa, it makes an excellent source of antioxidants. Two or three squares will satisfy your palate.
Member Comments