It has been a few months since the pandemic started, how many times have you finished your snack and started to feel guilty about the sugar and salt you just loaded on yourself? Have you thought about choosing and making some healthier snacks? It is time to be creative and make some healthy and tasty snack choices for yourself and your family.
During this special time, you may start snacking whenever you are feeling bored stucking at home all day long or stressed or upset, even when you are not hungry. However, too much snacking while you are not hungry may lead to weight gain. To manage the amount of snack you eat, you could put a single portion in a bowl or on a plate instead of eating from a bag or box. Try to avoid unplanned snacking when you are working, watching TV or reading. This could prevent you from eating too much while being distracted.
To bring some sweetness to your day, make one cup of smoothie with skim milk, low-fat yogurt or fortified non-dairy beverage and your favourite fruits. Add some chopped nuts and seeds or nut butter into the smoothie to help balance your blood sugar. Better yet, try adding some diced beets to the smoothie — they make the smoothie pretty and bring out the sweetness! Incorporating dairy or fortified non-dairy beverages in your diet will give you good sources of calcium and vitamin D which are essential for your bone growth and maintenance.
If you are like me who needs to munch on something while working, reading or watching a show, enjoy a bowl of fresh fruits with some popcorn for the extra fibre. Another snack idea is to have one medium fresh fruit such as an apple or an orange and ¼ cup of unsalted nuts to get your fiber and vitamins in. Fruits like apples and oranges contain soluble fiber which helps to lower cholesterol and control blood glucose. Nuts are a great source of insoluble fiber, which helps to keep your bowel movement regular. Or prepare one cup of veggies such as cherry tomatoes, carrots or celery sticks to dip in hummus. Hummus is a great source of plant-based protein, which is essential for building strength, a healthy heart and immune system.
