Healthy snacks are an opportunity to get rid of hunger by eating healthy and nutritious foods quickly. At the same time, we want to have perfect shape. Doctors recommend having 1 – 2 snacks in a day to fill the body with energy with a minimum of calories.
Frequent fractional consumption of food allows the body to maintain high-quality and fast metabolism, helps the gastrointestinal tract to work in the correct mode and to absorbs nutrients in the right amount. If you eat at least 5-6 times a day, you will give the body the necessary supply of energy. So, you will not overeat during the main meals and control your appetite.
Pros of having snacks:
Frequent and fractional nutrition prevents hunger
Many who follow diets forget about the schedule, because the constant feeling of an empty stomach does not allow you to focus on anything else. Frequent nutrition helps to get rid of hunger and stress that it causes. Also, it is psychologically easier to follow a diet if you know that in an hour and a half you can have a bite to eat, rather than wait for lunch or dinner.
Moderate appetite
Snacks do not allow you to get very hungry, therefore you can make plentiful meals, including basic ones. Even if you eat once a day, then for this reception eat much more calories than the body needs, which means they will “go” into fat cells.
Good digestion
Several years ago, the principles of separate nutrition began to be popular. It is based on the fact that different products do not combine because of their chemical properties. They can also be improperly absorbed by the body. For example, fruits are combined with any other products extremely poorly – they provoke decay and fermentation in the digestive tract. This negatively affects well-being. But if you have a snack fruit separately from other foods, it will positively affect your health.
Deep sleep
If you are in the process of losing weight maybe you know how difficult it is to fall asleep with an empty stomach. However, if you go to bed immediately after a plentiful meal, then sleep will not bring satisfaction and rest too. Therefore, proper snacks guarantee healthy sleep. Eating fractionally, you will not overeat at dinner and will be able to allow you to eat something before bedtime.
Avoid:
- products from fast food;
- pies;
- cookies, bars, corn sticks – these are products that lead to dehydration of the body;
- fatty foods: redfish, caviar, fatty meats;
- coffee. It blocks the functioning of the biliary system and disrupts digestion. It can be consumed no earlier than 30-40 minutes after eating;
- nuts.
The best time for a snack is 10 a.m.-11 a.m. and 4 p.m. – 5 p.m. A long break between lunch and dinner (more than three hours) can cause severe hunger and overeating in the evening.
What to eat:
- fruits (1-2 pcs.);
- berries (up to one glass);
- fruit smoothies (up to 300ml);
- pre-soaked dried fruits – 6-7 pcs.;
- Organic bar with nuts and dried fruits.
If before the main meal it leaves more than two hours, the snack can no longer consist solely of simple carbohydrates, as they will provoke a rapid jump in sugar and its fall in the blood. As a result, a repeated feeling of hunger after a short period will again have to “chew” something. This threatens the depletion of pancreatic reserves, the risk of developing diabetes in the future. In this case, only a “paired” snack will be correct, which will ensure a smooth release of carbohydrates into the blood – simple carbohydrates + protein. For instance:
yogurt + fruits / berries;
cottage cheese + fruits/berries and other sour-milk dishes – cheesecakes, casseroles;
You can eat low-fat cheese (Adyghe, for example) with vegetables.
If the main meal is three hours or more, add complex carbohydrates. For instance:
whole-grain, yeast-free bread, whole-grain bread, vegetables, greens;
also other protein options: hard cheese, boiled chicken breast, eggs, low-fat fish and vegetables to them;
unsweetened cottage cheese casserole;
a combination of vegetables and whole-grain cereals that do not require long cooking (it is enough to steam with boiling water for 20-30 min.) – buckwheat, flax porridge;
black chocolate can be included in the snack, but not more than 25 grams.
Snacks after 5 p.m. should not contain simple carbohydrates and sugar, as they can easily be converted into adipose tissue.
When there is absolutely no time and opportunity to have a snack, drink herbal tea, ideally already brewed in a thermos or thermal mug. Such a drink will protect bile ducts from congestion and forced “hunger” will not harm you.
What kind of snack to take on the road?
For the trip, you can cook a lot of healthy snacks. Consider several options:
• Rolls of turkey, hummus and avocado. Turkey is a dietary type of meat. For rolls, you need pieces of brisket. Avocado also contains healthy vegetable oil. In general, in one portion of rolls about 100 kilocalories and 8 grams of complete protein. For cooking, you will need a couple of slices of boiled turkey meat, the same amount of avocado, one tablespoon of hummus. Cut the meat into thin plates. Grease each hummus and put on top of an avocado. Turn in the shape of a roll;
• High protein smoothies. Such a drink can be poured into a thermos or bottle and taken with. It’s easy to cook: just mix all the ingredients in a blender and beat for a minute. For preparation, you will need the following ingredients: a glass of unsweetened coconut milk, a glass of baby spinach, one banana, a couple of tablespoons of almond oil, two teaspoons of vanilla extract, a quarter cup of whey, ice to taste;
• Fried chickpeas. This is a great snack for those who like various snacks. But, unlike most similar products, chickpeas fried in spices contain little fat and a lot of protein. Also, spices improve metabolism, are beneficial for the work of the heart. For cooking, take a couple of glasses of chickpea, a tablespoon of olive oil, one and a half teaspoons of chili, the same amount of caraway seeds, salt to taste, a little cayenne pepper. Wash and dry the chickpeas. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees; mix the ingredients in a large container so that the whole chickpea is covered with spices. Bake on a baking sheet, stirring chickpeas from time to time. The finished product should be crispy.
