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Snacking is a popular past time. Healthy snacking depends on making wise, nutritious, and enjoyable choices. It is also guilt-free.
If you want to improve your health, lose weight, and lower cholesterol, then restrict fatty foods and low-fibre foods. Restrict snacks like potato chips, biscuits, crackers and pastries. When low fibre foods like these are chosen, there is not enough fibre to make you feel full. So you end up eating too much and taking in too many calories. All extra calories are converted to fat by your liver. Snack foods that are LOW IN FAT and HIGH IN fibre are best. Fibre fills you up without adding extra calories. Select snacks that include lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans. It is recommended that Australians eat at least 7 serves of fruit and vegetables a day. HERE ARE SOME GREAT HEALTHY SNACK FOODS: - fresh fruit
- dried fruit
- frozen fruit
- fruit drink made with frozen fruit
- fruit salad
- vegetable salad
- raw vegetables
- canned beans like chickpeas or pinto beans
- whole grain cereals and whole wheat breads and crackers and
- low-fat bean dips or salsa dips made with fresh vegetables or fruit
Many high-fat foods are available in low-fat or fat-free versions. These healthier low-fat versions should be eaten in moderation because they are also VERY LOW in FIBRE. Examples are: - cheeses, including cottage cheese and cream cheese
- milk, yoghurt, ice cream, and frozen yoghurt
- puddings, biscuits, cakes, pies, and other pastries
- pretzels, bagels, and chips
We get more sugar from soft drinks than from any other food (this means extra kilojoules that convert to extra fat). Every 360 ml soft drink is 700 kilojoules (160 calories) of nothing: no vitamins, minerals, or fibre. Choose a soft drink and you just wasted an opportunity to have a healthy serving of orange juice, or to boost your calcium with a glass of skim milk. Remember, healthy snacking depends on making wise and nutritious choices. Article #6943 Copyright (c) 2002 McKesson. All Rights Reserved. |
