Smart snacking: Here’s your guide to making intelligent snack choices

Snacking during the day provides you with sustained energy levels during the day, especially if you lead an active lifestyle

smart snacking Snacking can help control your appetite and prevent overeating. (Source: Getty Images)

At 5 pm, your stomach starts growling and you feel hungry. It becomes difficult to control yourself and stick to your plan of eating healthy food. Instead, you give in to temptation and grab hidden bags of potato chips and sugary cookies. After eating them, you feel uncomfortably full and regret breaking your promise to eat well in less than an hour.

Before you decide to toss your diet altogether, let us remind you that it’s completely okay to snack. You just have to be smart about it! According to Dr Eileen Canday, HOD, Nutrition and Dietetics, Sir H N Reliance Foundation Hospital, Mumbai, “Snacking during the day provides you with sustained energy levels during the day, especially if you lead an active lifestyle.”

Additionally, snacking can help control your appetite and prevent overeating, along with providing adequate nutrition if choosing the right kind of snacks, certified nutritionist Dr Rohini Patil told indianexpress.com.

Here are some tips on selecting the appropriate snacks and smartly them intelligently into your diet.

You can snack on carrot sticks, celery etc. with a hummus or yoghurt dip to make them tastier. (Source: Unsplash)

Pick the healthy alternatives

Dr Patil suggested picking healthier alternatives to your usual snacks. Replace regular potato chips with rice crackers as they can provide that satisfying crunch you get every time you eat a piece of chips, she suggested. You can also choose veggie chips which are an even healthier option. Dr Patil further recommended snacking on carrot sticks, celery, cucumber slices, or cherry tomatoes with a hummus or yoghurt dip to make them tastier.

Go for the grains

According to Dr Canday, whole-grain snacks can give you some energy. “Try some whole-grain low-salt wheat puffs or millet chips or khakhras,” she told indianexpress.com.

Choose nutrient-dense snacks

You should opt for snacks that offer a good balance of macronutrients like carbohydrates, protein, healthy fats, and micronutrients like vitamins and minerals, Dr Patil advised. Some examples of nutrient-dense snacks are nuts, Greek yoghurt with berries, or a piece of whole fruit.

Go nuts

Dr Canday suggested snacking on unsalted nuts and seeds. “Almonds, walnuts, peanuts, roasted pumpkin seeds, cashews, hazelnuts and other nuts and seeds are rich in healthy fats and fibre which will provide you with satiety,” she said.

Nuts and seeds will provide you with satiety. (Source: Unsplash)

Snack mindfully and prepare beforehand

Dr Canday advised against eating your snack while doing something else — like surfing the Internet, watching TV, or working at your desk, as that may have you eating more than you should without realising it. Dr Patil said that it’s a good idea to pre-plan your snacks according to your meals. “Cut up vegetables, portion out trail mix, or make homemade energy balls to grab when hunger strikes,” she said.

Designate a snack-time

Lastly, Dr Patil noted that designating a snack time can be a great idea as it’ll build a routine for you and help in hunger management. “You can focus on enjoying your snack without distractions as well this way,” she adds.

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First published on: 26-06-2023 at 16:40 IST