Snacking is a necessity for most people. Eating a snack between meals will curb your appetite so you don't find yourself overeating at your next meal. A between-meal snack will also help regulate your blood sugar, allowing your body to optimize energy levels and mental focus. Make your snacks not only healthy, but fun, too -- or else you may find yourself at the vending machine getting a candy bar.
Fun
If your snack is fun to eat, you are more likely to look forward to eating it. And if you're looking forward to it, you're less likely to derail your healthy eating plan by grabbing an unhealthy snack on impulse. The goal is to make your healthy snack more appetizing than the donut that's sitting in the break room. Colorful whole foods that taste good, garnished with flavorful condiments or served with dips, will keep your interest piqued as you enjoy your snack.
Satisfaction
Many snacks are high in carbohydrates, like chips, crackers, pastries and sweets. When a high-carbohydrate snack is digested, your blood sugar levels increase quickly. Insulin is released from your pancreas to combat this sudden rise in blood sugar, and then later, you feel sluggish and hungry for more carbs. Add protein and some healthy fat -- such as olive oil or the omega-3 fats in nuts, fish like sardines and tuna, and flax seeds -- to your snack to offset the insulin reaction. This will make you feel more satisfied and less likely to indulge in another snack before your next meal.
Planning
To plan your snacks, first consider the nutritional value and calorie content of each food. Snacks should center around whole grains, fruits and vegetables, low-fat protein and low-fat dairy -- these should make up the most healthy components of your diet in general. Snacks should also fit within your personal caloric intake guidelines. For instance, if you consume 2,000 calories a day and allot 600 calories for each meal, you will have 200 calories left per day for snacks. Have one 200-calorie snack, or two 100-calorie snacks.
Suggestions
Dipping foods is always fun! Instead of eating plain fruit, dip apple, pear or jicama slices into a sauce made of plain yogurt and a bit of honey. Rather than plain vegetables, dip sliced bell peppers, cucumber, carrots and squash into low-fat vegetable dip, natural peanut butter or hummus, a flavored dip made from crushed garbanzo beans. Have fun creating different combinations of foods from a platter filled with low-fat, whole-grain crackers or cubed bread, an array of low-fat cheeses and low-fat deli meats, green and black olives, and a selection of produce such as halved cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced radishes, halved red and green seedless grapes and sliced avocado.
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