Healthy Snacking: Choosing the Right Foods

Most people have a negative perception of snacking, believing it to be unhealthy. However, when done properly, snacking can help to stop overeating at main meals and provide your body with energy during the day. It is easy to make good choices when you are sat at the table eating your meals, but it can be difficult to maintain this level of control when you are eating a snack. At first glance, it may seem impossible to eat healthy while snacking, after all, snacks tend to be high in calories and low in nutrients. However, if you make good choices, you can enjoy your snacks without spoiling your diet.

Choose snacks that have a good fibre-to-carb ratio and contain protein, such as fresh fruit with a handful of nuts, yogurt with berries or a slice of whole-grain toast with avocado. Avoid candy, chips and other unhealthy carb-heavy foods and foods high in sugar or bad fats, which will cause you to crash into a ‘food coma’, and eventually pack on some extra pounds.

Timing is also crucial. Small, balanced snacks between full meals can help to keep energy levels stable, and prevent the tendency to overeat later on. Choose a snack that includes a balance of carbohydrates, proteins and fats to keep energy levels up and cravings down.

Portion control is a big part of that: snacking can easily morph into a mini-meal if you don’t pre-portion food, something that becomes particularly important when you’re distracted by work tasks or television. Planning your snacks out ahead of time and stocking up on snacks that are friendly to your weight management goals will help.