The Kashmir Monitor
If you think eating in between the meals is bad for your health, well; you might be wrong. Snacking is not bad after all but it depends on what snacks you are eating and in what portion. Snacks like burger, pizza, a packet of chips, fizz drinks, cakes, pastries, plenty of nuts, ice cream or a candy can be unhealthy and harmful for your overall health. Healthy snacking seems to help meet your daily energy needs and even helps incorporate more nutrients into their diet.
The ideal snack should contain three key nutrients: fiber, protein and healthy fat. If your snacks contain these three essential nutrients it will help keep you full for longer, stabilize your blood sugar levels, help curb your hunger pangs and keep you energetic all day long. Moreover, healthy snacking can be beneficial for your overall health, curb your cravings, help you manage your weight, regulate your mood and give you the energy to keep you going throughout the day.
It is important that you add proteins to your snacks as they keep you full and satisfied for longer. Protein-rich snacks can be Greek yoghurt but make sure you do not add sugar to it. Another snack packed with proteins is chicken. You can make a chicken sandwich, chicken soup or stew. Whole eggs are high in protein and the best part is you can never get bored of eggs because of their versatility. Other snacks which have high amounts of protein are a bowl full of oatmeal with your choice of fruits, cottage cheese or a protein bar made at home.
On the other hand, snacks with have high amount of fiber are fresh fruits and vegetables. Make a salad with some fresh vegetables and top it with olive oil. You can even make a homemade fruit smoothie and some healthy nuts and seeds and Greek yoghurt to it. Even beans and legumes have significant amount of fiber and can be added to your soups, wraps and salads.
Many people think that fats are bad for your heath and they completely eliminate fats from their diet. Whereas refined carbohydrates, added sugar and processed food is bad for your health which makes you sick and fat. Some of the healthy fats you can include in your snacks are avocados, cheese slices, full-fat yoghurt, fatty fish like salmon, tuna and trout, healthy nuts like almonds, walnuts and cashews(but be mindful of the portion as they are high in calories as well), chia seeds, olive oil and flax seeds.
