Your figure, weight gain, and even your mood can depend on how and when you snack. Timing, healthy foods, and serving size are just a few of the conditions that must be met in order to feel better. And by the way, smoothies are not necessarily the best option for a snack.
we have collected tips on how to chew properly, choose wisely, and we’ve also suggested 4 healthy snack options at the end.
1. Snack slower.
Enjoy every piece. Stretch the process of snacking. Try to allocate 10 minutes solely for a snack and do not be distracted by other factors, like TV, phone, or a conversation with someone.
2. Choose the right time.
The best time for a snack is between 12 pm to 5 pm. Snacks in this timeframe will not only prevent binge eating, but also help curb unhealthy snack choices — which is often the reason for gaining excess weight.
3. Choose baked, not fried.
Fruits and vegetables are not good in just any form. For example, bananas and potatoes are best baked, not fried. And while roasting sounds healthy, the fact is that it usually occurs with the addition of oil, and fried oil is not a very good friend to our body.
4. Do not eat at your desk.
Mindless eating at your desk, especially without controlling portions, is dangerous. An open stack of cookies in front of a computer can go unnoticed while you are working on a project.
5. Сhoose healthy alternatives.
When your collegues having tea or coffee at work with a sweet, bring healthy alternatives: like cheese and fruit.
6. Eat more fiber and dairy products.
If you have a sedentary job, eat more fiber and dairy products. This will help the intestines cope with inactivity. Fiber is found in all vegetables and many fruits, as well as bran and whole grain bread.
7. Try bran.
Try crunchy bran. They quickly saturate and help lower the level of cholesterol in the blood. You can add it into your smoothie, sprinkle it on fruit salads, or mix it with cottage cheese. But do not eat more than 30 grams of bran per day and be sure to drink plenty of water.
8. Do not drink your calories.
Any high-calorie drinks like juices or smoothies will not satisfy you for a long time and will probably exceed the permissible limits for calorie and sugar content.
9. Prepare snacks at home.
In stores or fast food restaurants, you can rarely find something healthy in ready-made form, so it’s easier to just grab a chocolate bar and run back to work. If you prepare something at home like a healthy cookie, dried bananas in the oven, apple slices — you have more control over the ingredients you are eating and when you bring your own yummy snacks, you will be less tempted to buy something bad for you.
BONUS: What to eat for a healthy snack?
Cottage cheese
A great snack option at any time. For lunch, you can have cottage cheese with berries and fruits. For a salty snack you can try cottage cheese with vegetables.
Any fruit
Apples, pears, bananas, oranges, grapefruit, peaches, 4-5 apricots or a bowl of seasonal berries. But don’t overeat them. Fruits are high in calories and contain fructose, so it’s easy to overdo it with them.
Nuts and seeds
Don’t eat more than 25 grams. Nuts are very healthy, because they contain unsaturated fats. But they are also high in calories.
Healthy sandwich
Make a sandwich in this way: use a thin flatbread wrap, add grilled pieces of chicken or cheese, and top with any vegetables and lettuce.
Hummus or guacamole
These dips in combination with vegetables and whole grains will satisfy your hunger and fill you up, and they’re good for you because of their protein and fiber content.
