Care Points

The major problem for weight watchers is the hunger spell that drives them crazy. Well, if you do not want to use diet pills that curb your hunger significantly and still maintain your weight within limits, there is no alternative but to opt for “Smart-Snacking-Regime”. One thing is for sure. If you choose your snacks rightly and do not eat when you are not hungry, you should not gain weight. Munching endlessly in front of television is going to make you fat whatever you choose to eat. But eating healthily without addition of too much fat and sugar is not unwelcome.

What snacking style one should adopt?

1)    Most people like to have three meals a day comprising breakfast, lunch, and dinner with one or two snacks in between. According to latest studies, having a royal breakfast in the morning is the healthiest eating habit. If one has morning breakfast fully, he tends to eat less whole day. No wonder a full breakfast helps you reduce your weight!

2)    Another well-researched theory is that having 5-6 mini-meals a day is the best option to keep your weight in check.

What snacks you will choose?

•    Fruits and vegetables- These are the best options to satiate your hunger spells without consuming fat and/or excess calories. Also fruits and veggies are full of vitamins and minerals, thus adding to your energy levels. As far as possible, go for fresh fruits or fresh fruit juices without sugar. Do not forget to add fruit-peels, for they add fiber and cleanse your bowels, a thing that also helps in losing excess calories. Choose more citrous fruits that can give you enough fiber and vitamin C for fighting against recurrent infections too

•    Whole grains- these snacks are rich in fiber and carbohydrates that give you enough energy to stay fit. Low-fat crackers, wholegrain breads, and pretzels can serve the purpose

•    Nuts and seeds- proteinous nuts and seeds are also better munching options as they provide proteins and vitamins

•    If you go for supermarket items, always be contemplative about the labels on the foods. Always opt for low-fat food and totally avoid trans-fats

Calorie-appropriate snacks

If you are looking out for snacking comprising 60 calories, you can go for 1 small can vegetable juice, 1 cup of grapes, and 2 cups of light popcorns. Yes, looking at the way you satiate your hunger is the crux to lose weight despite effective snacking that liberates essential energy for you to work efficiently.

Easy-to-prepare snacks

After understanding importance of choosing the right snacks, you must be wondering how to prepare the items that can satiate your tongue and at the same time help you keep your weight in check. Let’s see some easy-to-prepare snacks that can work wonders for you and your family-

1)    Use low-fat yoghurt and spread it over a slice of wholegrain crisp bread.

2)    If you love brown rice cake, spread 1 tablespoon of ricotta cheese on to it. You can layer it with fresh fruits without adding sugar.

3)    You can prepare a home-made trail mix using seeds, dried fruits, and nuts.

4)    Cut one half of avocado into cubes. You can toss with lime juice, low sodium salt, and chili powder sprinkle.

5)    Raw carrot sticks with ginger and a cup of fresh ginger tea

6)    Add 1-2 teaspoons of peanut butter to half a mashed banana. Spread this onto a wholegrain small-sized bagel.

7)    Spread fat free yoghurt onto a small baked potato. You can sprinkle this with Cajun seasoning.

You can take online help for understanding the various recipes that can give you fat-free yet energetic snacks. Many sites have cropped up recently because of apt concern of so many people about healthier eating. Even in supermarkets and food bazaars, you find these days the snacks that have apt combination of healthier and nutritious ingredients. Whole world is fighting the obesity menace that is adding to the woes of thousand million people by creating modern-life diseases.

If you want to avoid succumbing to obesity disorders like diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and many more diseases, comprehend the importance of healthy snacking in time. It’s you who can make a difference to your life positively!