Everyone love to eat snacks. It gives us that extra energy during the morning after breakfast and during the evening after lunch. It helps to satisfy those cravings for something sweet, sour or salty to eat, but certainly not heavy. But, is it really okay to indulge in a couple of snacks?
Satisfying Cravings
Who can go through an entire day without craving some snack at least once? When that craving for a snack comes on, some cringe at the fear of overindulging in excess fatty foods while others welcome it with a hearty appetite. I hate to deprive myself, or far less anyone else from the snacks they love. Why suffer yourself, and yearn even more for a good snack. I believe that the more you deprive yourself of these cravings the more you crave for it. However, snack time should be at least twice daily.
Making Snacks Healthy
Snacking can become a healthy activity, but it should be done at least 2 before the main meal. You can use snack time to help your body get the essential nutrients daily. So instead of depriving yourself or even children from snacking, you can make sure that you and your children are eating the right foods by checking the label on the packaging, or by preparing your own snacks.
Checking Labels
Checking labels is a simple task. If sugar is placed first in the ingredients listing you can be sure the snack is a very sweet snack and most likely should be avoided or eaten in moderation. The nutritional content on the packaging can also encourage you to seek low fat alternatives in snacking.
Decreasing Sugar in Snacks
If you are preparing your own snack you may seek to decrease the amount of sugar called for, in the recipe. One way to do this is to replace half the amount of sugar for a fruit sauce, a fruit or dried fruits if possible. Also, when you make your own snacks you can leave out the preservatives and artificial flavors.
Avoiding Unhealthy Snacks
If you wish to decrease your cravings for the unhealthy snacks, I found out that if you buy one less package of snack every week your craving decreases – not to mention the money you save. Over time this could mean a good direction towards a healthier self. By not packing the pantry or refrigerator with a lot of processed snacks, I push them out of my mind ( the classic out of sight out of mind). I buy more fruits and I find myself naturally craving them instead.
There are a lot of homemade snacks on this site. You’re welcome to try them. You can also
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