Healthy snacks for calorie counters
ALL around the world more people are becoming health-conscious and are constantly searching for the ideal diet. Some diets require that you cut out meat or carbs, watch your calorie intake, skip a meal, or take supplements. What many of these diets have in common, however, is the practice of eating small portions throughout the day. According to nutritionist Donovan Grant, eating small portions will help to control your appetite. This also makes digestion an easier process, and so you will feel less lethargic after meals.Snacking is one of these meal options, and involves eating a light meal or drinking a small amount of fluid. In dieting, you should avoid traditional snacks such as chips, cake and candy, which have a high calorie and sugar content. Rather, you should aim for healthy options which can be just as tasty.Grant points out that the choice of snacks will depend on how each individual reacts to particular foods. For example, although nuts are healthy, some people have serious allergic reactions to them. In addition, because of their high calorie content he would not recommend certain nuts to those people who spend most of their time seated at a desk.Likewise, people who are lactose intolerant cannot eat yoghurt. And an overweight person would be better off eating fruits and vegetables instead of drinking the juices of those products, because the juices contain more calories.Below are some healthy snacks which Grant recommends:
Nuts — cashew, almond, walnut, pistachioEating nuts as part of a healthy diet may be good for your heart. Nuts contain unsaturated fatty acids and other nutrients. And they’re a great snack food — inexpensive, easy to store, and easy to pack when you’re on the go. F
ruits and vegetablesFruits and vegetables should be part of any well-balanced diet, but helping to control your weight is not the only benefit of eating more of these items. Studies show that diets rich in fruits and vegetables may actually reduce the risk of some types of cancer and other chronic diseases. Fruits and vegetables also provide essential vitamins and minerals, fibre, and other substances that are important for good health.
Fruit and vegetable juicesFruit and vegetable juices are all the rage in Jamaica nowadays, and for good reason — they are chock-full of benefits. Also a hydrating option, these juices contain antioxidants that help to decrease the chances of heart disease, cancer and high blood pressure, as well as vitamins to help reduce wrinkles, build the immune system, and ward off illnesses.
Healthy snack barsSome snack bars are not very healthy and are packed with calories, so when searching for healthy options, reach for a healthy granola bar that’s packed with fibre, protein, and other nutrients that will fill you up, but not fatten you.
YoghurtYoghurt eaters will get a dose of animal protein in every jar, along with several other nutrients found in dairy foods, such as calcium, vitamin B2, B-12, potassium, and magnesium. Yoghurt is also incredibly healthy, offering benefits for heart health, weight management and more. Reduce sugar intake by choosing plain instead of flavoured yoghurt.
