For many people, snacking is their Achilles heel when it comes to healthy eating. They manage to adapt their main meals and make them healthy with relative ease but when they get hungry between meals, the lure of candy, chocolate or chips becomes too much. The good news is that with a little extra preparation, you can ensure that unhealthy snacks don’t get the better of you and enjoy healthy snacks instead. In this article I’m going to be showing you how to do just that by listing five top healthy snacking tips.
Tip 1 – Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth With Fruits
Fruits are a fantastic low calorie alternative to sugary snacks. Due to their relatively high concentration of fiber and water, they’re much lower in calories than sugary snacks. In addition to this, they contain plenty of health boosting vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients which enhance your health in countless ways. However, the best thing about fruits is that there are so many different varieties to choose from that you’ll easily be able to find lots of different types you like.
Tip 2 – Replace Soda With Smoothies
Soda contains no nutrients and often packs well over 100 calories per glass. Due to its high refined sugar content, soda also has an adverse effect on your energy levels and causes them to surge and crash in rapid succession.
Smoothies on the other hand contain high levels of natural, health boosting nutrients and fewer calories. Their high fiber content also ensures that the energy you get from smoothies is released in a slower, more controlled fashion and provides you with a steady, consistent flow of energy.
Therefore, by swapping soda for smoothies, you still get to enjoy a sweet tasting drink, consume less calories in the process and enjoy the enhanced health and energy that smoothies provide.
Tip 3 – Substitute Chips For Seasoned Nuts & Seeds
Chips are a popular but unhealthy snack that contain large amounts of calories. However, the most dangerous thing about chips in terms of health is that they contain large amounts of unnatural chemicals which increase your risk of chronic disease, interfere with your body’s processes and much more.
To eliminate these harmful chemicals while also enjoying a snack that tastes similar to chips and is packed full of protein and healthy fats, try making up your own bags of seasoned nuts and seeds. To do this, simply add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to a plastic freezer bag with the seasonings of your choice (black pepper, chili powder, garlic and salt are all good options). Then add 4 oz. of nuts or seeds to the plastic freezer bag, hold the opening of the bag tight in your hand, give it a good shake and pour the seasoned nuts or seeds onto a baking tray. After this, place the baking tray in the oven for 20 minutes at 275°F, leave the nuts or seeds to cool for a couple of hours, divide them up into four portions, place each of these four portions in a small sealed plastic bag and enjoy a bag whenever you fancy a snack.
Tip 4 – Make Your Own Cold Cuts Of Meat
Cold cuts of meat are another excellent healthy snacking option that contain plenty of protein. However, store bought cold cuts of meat are often loaded with harmful artificial preservatives.
To eliminate these preservatives, try making your own cold cuts of meat. Simply chop your favorite choice of meat into thin slices, soak these slices in a homemade marinade for a couple of hours, cook them as normal and then snack on them whenever you feel hungry.
Tip 5 – Fill Up On Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt is a top healthy snacking choice that contains high levels of healthy fats, protein and calcium. It’s also incredibly versatile and can be eaten on its own, with a range of fruits, sprinkled with chopped nuts or seeds or enjoyed with a spoonful of honey. The best part is due to its thick, creamy consistency, Greek yogurt is very filling and is sure to fully satisfy your appetite between meals.
Summary
If you’ve struggled with unhealthy snacking habits in the past, I hope this article helps you make the necessary changes. These five tips are simple but effective and when you apply them, you’ll notice a significant improvement in your overall health.