Eating Lighter, Eating Smarter – Snacks

Snacks are in-between meals, not additional meals. Snack food should give you an energy boost when you need it, not fill you up and make you feel even more sluggish.

Snack food preferences are very individual. Some people like crunchy and salty items. Others crave sweets. Temperature, of course, also plays a role. In the winter, you probably want something hot for comfort, while cold or frozen snacks are most appealing during the summer.

Eating a Snack Can Boost Your Energy
But It Is Not an Additional Meal

Fresh fruit is always a good choice. Especially citrus fruits provide lots of vitamin C and many other important nutrients. Fruit drinks work as well, but be careful that your blood sugar does not get too elevated and you feel hungry again within a short time. The same goes for all sweet and sugary items.

Avoid snack foods that contain mostly empty calories, like candy and pastries. Cookies are alright, as long as they are low-fat or fat-free and you can limit yourself to one or two. Nuts provide important nutrients but also plenty of fat.

As with all food, most snacks are perfectly acceptable if consumed in moderation. One of the greatest problems with snacks is that it is so hard to keep track of how many you eat. For that matter, it is not recommended to munch directly out of the bag or box your snacks come in. Rather put the amount you want on a separate plate and stick to that. This way you don’t lose count.

Snacking while doing other things can quickly lead to mindless eating. Working or watching a movie while stuffing yourself is never a good idea. So, when you want a snack, treat it like a sit-down meal and consciously savor the tastes.