Is Snaking Healthy? How many and how often is good for you...

There are many different views about whether or not snacking is good for you. I personally think that snacking is a great way of keeping your blood sugar levels on an even keel and stopping you from over eating at mealtimes. It is not the actual snacking that is bad for us, it is usually the type of snacks that we choose.

When we think of snacks, things like french fries, candy bars, ice cream cones, or potato chips, come to mind. This is the reason that many people see snacks as a negative thing and rightly so as many of these snacks can add just as many, if not more, calories than a regular meal. Here are just a few easy substitutes that you can make to keep the taste and snack satisfaction without piling on the pounds:

• Swap fast food fries for baked sweet or russet potatoes with fresh herbs or cinnamon. Still delicious and much better for you.
• Make granola bars instead of reaching for a full fat unhealthy chocolate bar. Use rolled oats, bran, crunchy clusters, and chocolate chips. Dark chocolate is supposed to be better for us, so try some dark chocolate pieces inside or drizzle a bit of dark chocolate on top. Anytime you need a snack, grab a granola bar instead of a candy bar.
• Instead of ice cream, whip up some smoothie mix and freeze it in a container for at least twenty-four hours. When that ice cream craving hits, scoop some smoothie into a bowl and top it with nuts and a dab of whipped cream. Before you know it, you’ll be craving yummy fruit or veggie smoothies instead of that fattening ice cream.

Next, let’s talk about how often to snack. The more times you eat, the more revved up your metabolism will be but this is only effective if you are eating the right foods. If you keep only the freshest and healthiest foods in your home, all of your choices will be good. So, as hard as it may be, curb that urge to load up on sweet, junk food on your next trip to the grocery store.

Ideally you should have 3 snacks a day; one during the middle of the morning, another mid-afternoon, and lastly, one after dinner. That’s three snacks to complement three meals. Also, remember that quantity matters when it comes to snacks, just like it does meal portions. Snacks are not meant to be entire meals but they are supposed to be delicious or you won’t eat them.

By not snacking at all you actually make yourself too hungry. This leads to overeating at meal times. Beyond that, you will opt for dining out more often if you feel starved because you haven’t munched on a few healthy snacks throughout the day. Contrary to popular belief, snacking is good for you, but only if you make your treat choices healthy ones.  Keeping good for you snacks on hand will make snacking healthy even easier. So, snack away, but make them good snacks in order to reap the most benefits.

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