Talk of snacking and it rings in negative connotations associated with unhealthy weight gain, binge eating and what not. And with recent work from home culture the trend has caught on only more. But that doesn’t always have to be the case. The so-called over-indulgent treats can be healthy snacking if done on nuts and dried fruits which may be an effective control mechanism and may help you control consumption of over calorie food at meal times.
So what does snacking mean, something you eat in between your meals. And as long as you know your physical activity for the day and you adapt your snacking habits to your daily routine you have done half the job.
So, what should you snack on? Many of us know the benefits of a plant-based diet, including fruits, whole grains, healthy proteins, legumes and nuts and that they should form the main part of your diet. Snacking on them is a good way to get those extra portions of the above-mentioned food groups into your daily routine. For example, boiled vegetables with home-made hummus can be a healthy option. Hummus, which is made with a variety of nuts such
as cashews, walnuts and peanuts, all containing unsaturated fats, considered as ‘good fats’ known to help lower bad cholesterol and therefore prevent heart diseases. Snacking on almonds may help decrease LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol and lower blood sugar levels over a period of time. Researchers have observed eating an afternoon snack of pistachios compared to that of biscuits leading to more nutrient intakes such as vitamins B1 and B6, copper and potassium.
Whichever way you fancy them, sweet, savory or raw, they are easy to take with you when you are on the go making sure you’ve always got a healthy snack to hand.
