We can eat a snack and watching our weight if we choose the right food. Here we give you some practical ideas to include snacks that will help you feel energized to noon or mid-afternoon. Above all, we want to give you some ideas if you’re a person who works in the office, going to school or who for some reason are not at home during the day.
Forget what our grandmother told us about not eating between meals. Studies have found that snacks can help us keep the figure as they prevent the table we get hungry and take bad decisions.
Generally the word makes us think of snack snacks like chips, peanuts full of salt, or other foods high in flavoring and coloring. Because as consumers we have been making healthy changes in our food, the industry is looking offer better options, so the word snack can start having better reputation.
Think of snacks as small snacks or snacks that will help us not get too hungry for our next meal, and keep us with constant energy for the rest of the morning or afternoon.
Here are four keys to choose packaged snacks:
The snacks should be between 100 and 200 calories.
We should avoid fried foods and packaged snacks they usually contain saturated fats, dyes and high in salt (sodium).
Must be less than 35% added sugar (ie less than 9 grams per 100 calories).
They must be high in nutrients. If packaging can check the label and make sure they have plenty of nutrients, at least 10% of the recommendations (RDA) for: potassium (lowers blood pressure), fiber (lowers cholesterol and helps to have a healthy gut), Vitamin A (important for vision and the immune system), vitamin C (antioxidant), vitamin D (important for cardiovascular health) and calcium (for strong bones and dense).
Although it may sound complicated to prepare our own snacks at home, we can begin to make us of this healthy habit instead of choosing packaged foods. In this case there is no label for calories, so we give you these tips:
1- Vegetables are usually ultimate food lower in calories and high in important nutrients, water and fiber. We trust that if our snack contains mostly vegetables, we will be choosing an excellent choice.
2- The mid-morning or mid-afternoon are great times to include some fruit. In many countries there are a variety of options juicy and nutritious to eat as snack. A banana, a pear, an apple, an orange, kiwi, 1 cup strawberries are always a snack handy and easy to carry.
3- Other snack food is ideal for low-fat yogurt. Whether for drinking or solid food is a convenient, easy to find, is a source of calcium, protein and probiotics (for good intestinal flora).
4- Drinking plain water along with our snack is very important because most people do not drink enough water throughout the day. This is a good time to do it since along with the snack will give us a feeling of fullness and satiety and will be contributing to a good hydration, it also makes us feel energetic and helps detoxify the body.
Here we give several options under 200 calories:
- Yogurt and walnuts or almonds. 1 cup low-fat yogurt with 1 tablespoon of walnuts or almonds. 165 calories, fat 3.7 g, 9 g of sugar, 1 g of fiber and 17% calcium. Tip: Do not try to choose snacks that you do not like. If we eat things that strike us, then we will eat more of those we miss.
- Carrots with dip. 14 strips of carrots (or baby carrots) with 3 tablespoons low-fat dip (an excellent option is the chickpea humus). 105 calories, 4.5 g fat, 6.5 g of sugar, 3.5 g fiber, 110% of vitamin A, 13% vitamin C, 2% calcium.
- Bread with cheese. Multigrain bread or high fiber black with panela cheese 1 slice. 165 calories, 3.5 g fat, 3 g sugar, 4% vitamin A, vitamin D 10%, 28% calcium.
- Apple and almonds. 1 apple with a handful of 10 almonds. 160 calories, 9 grams of healthy fat, 17 g sugar, 170 mg of potassium, 7 grams fiber, 2% vitamin A, 8% vitamin C.
- Crackers with cheese. 5 crackers with 50 grams of panela cheese. 145 calories, 3 grams of fat, 1.4 g of sugar, 2.5 g of fiber, 2% vitamin A, 6% calcium.
- One solid drinking yoghurt or low fat. Check the label to see the option with less fat and sugar.
Tip: If you feel full, choose foods high in water, fiber or air. The water-rich foods such as soups, dairy, fruits and vegetables can make you feel satisfied with fewer calories. Foods with more than 3 grams of fiber because fiber will help decrease the rate at which nutrients are absorbed, helping you feel full longer, high-fiber foods are quintessential vegetables, fruit and bread or crackers. Food air: we respond to food by sight. Foods with air are bulkier and have fewer calories, and visually help the brain to feel that we are most satisfied. Popcorn made at home are a great option, we can eat between one and two cups and consume less than 100 calories.
