Top 5 Healthy Snack Foods
Snacking is more common than you may realize. Food companies have recognized this trend and have been quick to take advantage. A glance at the shelves of popular retail stores confirms the fact that snacking is here to stay.
We're not vilifying snacking. Sure, snacking can be a healthy way to boost energy levels between meals. But, this is true only when we choose the right foods to eat.
Take your pick from among these top 5 healthy snack foods:
1. Almonds
The nutty and crunchy flavor of almonds makes it a hot favorite snack for many people. Extremely good for the heart owing to their content of monounsaturated fats. See the irony? A food that's rich in fats is good for you!
Munching on almonds also protects you against diabetes and lowers your chances of gaining weight. A handful of nuts every afternoon gives you some much needed potassium, magnesium, and vitamin E.
Be careful, though, if you're allergic to nuts.
2. Yoghurt
It is tasty, nutritious, and filling. Perfect snack food! Since yoghurt is made from milk, it contains all the goodness of milk - protein, calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin B-12, and vitamin B-2.
Known to be good for the bones and the gastrointestinal tract, yoghurt is best eaten plain and with added probiotics.
Flavored and sweetened yoghurt have high amounts of sugar, so it's not really a healthy choice.
3. Dark chocolate
Yes, the dark chocolate that you have been considering as a sinful luxury is actually quite good for health! In moderate amounts, it makes for a delightfully healthy snack. Full of soluble fiber and minerals like copper, manganese, iron, and magnesium, dark chocolate is the good stuff.
Since it also gives you some calories and sugar, limit the amount of dark chocolate you eat at a time.
4. Raisins
Good things come in small packages. Raisins are obtained by dehydrating grapes, thus concentrating the nutrients present. Full of iron, potassium, and vitamin B, raisins are a good way to beat the afternoon energy slump.
The fiber content of raisins keeps your blood sugar levels stable and lowers cholesterol.
5. Avocados
Who can resist the delicate, slightly nutty flavor of avocados? It contains oodles of vitamin E, healthy unsaturated fats, potassium, and fiber - all good things for the skin and body.
They're rich in antioxidants called zeaxanthin and lutein that promote eye health. By keeping you feeling full for longer, avocados have mastered the art of preventing weight gain.
Snack time does not have to mean eating boring, tasteless food. Nor does it have to be a calorie-ridden, guilty pleasure. By making healthy food choices, you can ensure a more rewarding and fulfilling life!
- As people have less and less time to spend on shopping for food and cooking fresh meals, the dependence on packaged snack foods is increasing.
- This is a potentially worrying situation, since research has suggested that snacking adds more unwanted calories and fewer essential nutrients.
We're not vilifying snacking. Sure, snacking can be a healthy way to boost energy levels between meals. But, this is true only when we choose the right foods to eat.
- In fact, if you get too hungry before your next meal, you are likely to eat far too much at that meal.
Take your pick from among these top 5 healthy snack foods:
1. Almonds
The nutty and crunchy flavor of almonds makes it a hot favorite snack for many people. Extremely good for the heart owing to their content of monounsaturated fats. See the irony? A food that's rich in fats is good for you!
Munching on almonds also protects you against diabetes and lowers your chances of gaining weight. A handful of nuts every afternoon gives you some much needed potassium, magnesium, and vitamin E.
Be careful, though, if you're allergic to nuts.
2. Yoghurt
It is tasty, nutritious, and filling. Perfect snack food! Since yoghurt is made from milk, it contains all the goodness of milk - protein, calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin B-12, and vitamin B-2.
Known to be good for the bones and the gastrointestinal tract, yoghurt is best eaten plain and with added probiotics.
Flavored and sweetened yoghurt have high amounts of sugar, so it's not really a healthy choice.
3. Dark chocolate
Yes, the dark chocolate that you have been considering as a sinful luxury is actually quite good for health! In moderate amounts, it makes for a delightfully healthy snack. Full of soluble fiber and minerals like copper, manganese, iron, and magnesium, dark chocolate is the good stuff.
Since it also gives you some calories and sugar, limit the amount of dark chocolate you eat at a time.
4. Raisins
Good things come in small packages. Raisins are obtained by dehydrating grapes, thus concentrating the nutrients present. Full of iron, potassium, and vitamin B, raisins are a good way to beat the afternoon energy slump.
The fiber content of raisins keeps your blood sugar levels stable and lowers cholesterol.
5. Avocados
Who can resist the delicate, slightly nutty flavor of avocados? It contains oodles of vitamin E, healthy unsaturated fats, potassium, and fiber - all good things for the skin and body.
They're rich in antioxidants called zeaxanthin and lutein that promote eye health. By keeping you feeling full for longer, avocados have mastered the art of preventing weight gain.
Snack time does not have to mean eating boring, tasteless food. Nor does it have to be a calorie-ridden, guilty pleasure. By making healthy food choices, you can ensure a more rewarding and fulfilling life!
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