- Plan ahead when it comes to nutritious snacking. If the right foods are at hand, the high fat foods will be avoided.
- It goes without saying that fruits and vegetables are at the top of the nutritious snacking list. Prepared in snack bags, the portability of such snacks also adds convenience.
- Pay attention to the times the tummy is most likely to grumble for food. If you think ahead, the right nutritious snacks will be the snack of choice.
- Make a running grocery list. Stick to the list without deviating to cookies, candy, and other high calorie snacks.
- Besides choosing healthy foods for snacking, it should be likewise for your drinks. Avoid diet beverages and reach for the vitamin fortified drinks, juices, or water.
To stay healthy and keep physically fit, nutritious snacks which are fiber rich with fewer calories are recommended. Healthy snacks will prevent you from overindulging at regular meals. At the same time, you will also be provided with an energy boost for the day. Predetermining the healthy, and preferably low fat snacks, you would like to munch on when those hunger rumbles begin will keep you from reaching for the donut or candy bar midmorning or afternoon. Even the sight of sugary, high fat foods will trigger a craving for the very foods which should be avoided. Eliminating high fat snack stashes from the cupboard and replacing them with nutritious snacks is recommended.
Snacking on fruits and vegetable is highly suggested by dieticians. Preplan your snacking menu before every day begins. Slice bell peppers, gather celery and carrots sticks along with some broccoli florets and store them in a baggie for easy transport to the office, the kids’ sporting events, school, or anywhere. The same goes for your favorite fruit. Sliced bananas, strawberries, apples or pears can be just as portable and convenient. Fruits may also be cut up and frozen for future nutritious smoothies. Frozen fruit blended with soy milk or your favorite fruit juice will provide a magnitude of nutrients which will keep you from reaching for fattening and unhealthy foods. Snacks which consist of good fats like omega-3 amino acids are also recommended for mid-meal munching. Such foods include nuts, hummus, or lean protein.
Be conscientious of the times of day you are most likely to snack. Perhaps it is mid-morning or just before dinner. Perhaps the cravings come while you are relaxing with late night television. Your stomach begins to grumble and the visions of potato chips begin to flood your mind. Thinking about your snacking options ahead of time will place you with healthy options no matter what time you tend to snack. When grocery shopping, be selective about snack time foods as well as the main meals you plan on eating. Choose low fat snacks which are high in fiber. Avoid diet beverages and choose vitamin enhanced fruit juices, energy drinks, or just plain old water. The artificial sweeteners as well as other substances found in diet beverages are not the healthiest to quench your thirst.
If you do not make a grocery list before shopping, begin to do so and only purchase the items on that list. This list should include the obvious, fruits and vegetables. Also on your list should be lean protein and dairy products like string cheese, low fat yogurts, almonds, pretzel sticks, meal replacement bars or beverages, and any other low calorie items. Planning ahead is the key to healthy snacking.
I always hated going to the grocery store because I always would spend way too much money because I would get so hungry while I was there. Making a shopping list before I went not only made it easier to pick out healthy foods, it also cut down on my grocery bills.
I have tried to snack healthier but the problem is I still get the cravings for the “bad” foods. Just because I’m eating celery and carrots doesn’t mean that my body isn’t craving salt or sugar. I’ve tried fruits too, but it still didn’t help. I fell back on simply better-for-you chips and ice creams. It’s not vegetables, but it’s been better than what I was eating.
I’ve started to prepare, not only snack foods, but full meals in advance and that has really made things healthier for me. I would buy things for specific meals, put the meals together and then refrigerate or freeze them (depending on the meal) and then cook them later. It helped me avoid the standard “let’s order a pizza or eat microwave meals for dinner” because I didn’t have to actually do anything other than put my “good meals” in the oven.