Healthy Snack Ideas vs. Your Old Snacks
When many people start eating a healthier, more balanced diet, often they change what they eat for their main meals, but what about the snacks? We all know we should eat healthier, but do you really know how your old snack choices affect you?
Oh! Naturals banana chip snacks are a great way to start on the path to healthier eating. Here are a few ideas to incorporate these tasty treats into your everyday diet:
| - place in cereals | - can use in baking |
| - with granola | - snack with wine |
| - in oatmeal | - use instead of crackers with fruit dips |
| - in yogurts | - garnishes for cakes |
| - in ice creams | - munch them as an anytime snacks! |
| - in salads instead of croutons |
Besides having too much sugar and more calories than we need, some snack choices can be negatively impacting your health and performance.
Sugar is the main culprit that most unhealthy snacks, such as cookies or other baked goods contain that affects many aspects of our bodies. Everything from our weight to our moods can be influenced in a negative way.
When you eat a sugary snack, you feel good almost right away because it raises your blood sugar. This has come to be known as a “sugar high”. You may wonder what would be wrong with that, since it is nice to feel good. However, once your body processes all that sugar, you tend to crash and then you feel tired and sometimes even cranky.
If you are diabetic or even borderline diabetic, this is not just uncomfortable for you, but it could also be dangerous. You will need to consult with your doctor or dietician to decide which snacks will be safe for you to consume.
It has also been noted that children who avoid snacks with sugar keep their blood sugar levels even. Those children tend to do better in school because they can concentrate better. They also have more energy and sleep better at night, as do adults as well.
Some of the other issues with not choosing healthy snack ideas are that you may not be able to process certain proteins, such as those people that have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease. In this case, you will need to choose snacks that are gluten free. There are a variety of gluten free healthy snack ideas on the market today. Be sure to read the labels of the product to make sure that it is appropriate for gluten free diets.
Allergies are also a concern when deciding which healthy snack ideas to choose. Many people have nut allergies, and in particular peanuts. The good news is that you can always choose fresh or dried fruit and know that you will be safe. Now days, many companies label their products “peanut free” to help you choose snacks that will be harmless to allergic people.
If you are opting for anything other that fresh fruits or vegetables as a snack, always read the labels to check the sugar content, the calories and whether the food is gluten free or peanut free. By making smart choices on healthy snack ideas, you will feel better, keep your weight down and your mood more balanced.
