Snacking is often thought of as bad, but in reality it can help keep your energy levels up and stop you pigging out when you have a meal. The key is to snack on good things which give your body nutrients to help it, rather than just giving you a sugar high, here we discuss what you should be snacking on.
Anyone on a diet will tell you that snacks can be a very difficult item to handle. It is simply not possible to completely avoid snacking, and snacks can actually help a diet. However, you want to choose snacks that are good for you, and ones that will not destroy your diet. Snack options that provide nutrition, help to keep you feeling full, and boost energy levels are great choices. Below is a list of the three things you should be snacking on.
1. Fruit: Packed with vitamins and minerals, fruit is makes an excellent choice for a snack. Fruits that are brightly colored such as, pineapples, bananas, apples, and oranges, have a good deal of vitamins A, C, and E, and provide many anti-cancer agents. Many fruits also contain a good amount of potassium, calcium, iron, and magnesium. In addition to the nutritional benefits, fruit allows you to eat more, while consuming fewer calories. Consider this, one large orange has only forty-eight calories. Fruit is a guilt free food that keep you full.
2. Vegetables: A wide variety of vegetables should be available to you all the time. Veggies contain several nutritional benefits, however vegetables such as spinach, kale, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, and broccoli, provide anti-cancer properties, tons of vitamins (especially A, C and E), and are high in potassium, magnesium, iron, and calcium. Packed with fiber, veggies keep you feeling full for a long period of time.
3. Nuts: Nuts are packed with fiber, protein, and antioxidants making them a very nutritional snack. Even though nuts can be high in fat and calories, many dieticians and nutritionists recommend eating small portions of nuts as part of a healthy diet. Small portions of nuts can be very beneficial to weight control and weight loss.
Moderation is key to snacking, even when choosing healthy foods. While there are many nutritional benefits contained in the above-mentioned foods, they can also cause many problems if not consumed in proper portions. Portion sizes need to be kept reasonable. Here are few tips to remember when planning snacks: a celery stalk has about 10 calories, a cup of raw veggies has 25 to 30 calories. While nuts can be a healthy snack choice for your diet, keep in mind a serving size is equal to a small palm full. This amount of nuts contains about 160 calories. Consuming too many nuts will undo your diet progress, just one cup of nuts packs over 800 calories.
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