Have you ever wondered why snacks lean towards both the healthy and not-so-healthy side? A snack is anything you eat between main meals. Many of us indulge in snacks more than once a day, and most times, it goes with distraction. We don’t only snack when we’re hungry; we also snack when we’re bored, to distract us while working or watching movies, or just by seeing something that triggers our interest. We often act as though snacks are no meals at all! Subconsciously, they don’t count on our health and fitness journey. While snacking can boost your energy levels, it is important that you make intelligent snack choices depending on your health goals; do you gain weight or lose it? Are you trying to manage your blood sugar or blood pressure? Whatever goal you have, snacking can help you achieve or obstruct it.
For instance, if you are trying to keep your blood cholesterol and blood pressure down, you shouldn’t go for a highly processed biscuit full of sugar and saturated fat. Your snacks should improve your overall diet quality. Likewise, if you want to lose weight, munching on a bottle of nuts while working will not help you achieve your goal even though it’s healthy. One handful of nuts contains between 160 and 200 calories, so imagine calories in half a bottle….This is where I give you the knowing side-eye. So how can you practice mindful, intelligent, and intentional snacking, especially if you want to lose weight? Here are a few tips!