Many adults shy away from eating snacks, assuming that they derail a healthy diet. However, snacks are an important part of your day because they fuel your body between meals and offer you the energy you need to exercise. A snacking poll conducted by "Fitness" magazine discovered that only 30 percent of participants checked the calorie content of their snacks and only 19 percent of snackers regularly choose something healthy, such as fruit or nuts. Choosing the right snack increases your nutrient intake while keeping fat and calories low.
Step 1
Plan the snacks you will eat each day. This allows you to shop for all the ingredients so they are on hand when you are ready for a snack, preventing you from opting for an impulse snack when hunger strikes. Make and pack a snack to take to the gym or the office so you are prepared for snack time. Take a snack when you go to the mall or your child's sporting events so that you aren't tempted by the snack bar or food court.
Step 2
Choose snack foods that come from all the food groups. Use snacks as an opportunity to reach your daily recommended servings for fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, lean protein and healthy fats. Snacks from these food groups contribute to nutrient intake while keeping fat, calories, sugar and salt to a minimum.
Step 3
Combine healthy snack foods so that you get a good mix of fat, carbohydrates and protein. This combination supports energy, concentration and information retention, making it ideal for adults. Try string cheese with nuts, whole-grain crackers with low-fat cheddar cheese, fruit with low-fat yogurt or vegetables with hummus.
Step 4
Practice moderation. A snack should not be the size of a meal, but is simply something to prevent hunger pains until your next meal. A snack prevents you from getting so hungry that you make poor meal choices and overeat. Opt for a snack that falls between 100 and 200 calories. Budget your snack calories into your daily total so that you don't overdo it, which can lead to weight gain.
Step 5
Pair your snack with a low-calorie beverage. Having a soda at snack time derails your healthy-snack efforts. Many fruit juices and sports drinks are also very high in calories. Choose water or unsweetened tea instead; both are calorie-free and will quench your thirst between meals.
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