Snacks! Who can resist them? Traditionally snacks were made from whatever was available at home, but with time this has turned into a lucrative business, where packed snacks are sold at supermarkets and convenience stores. For all those who found preparing meals or eating at home not possible due to the work load, this was an incentive; as it serves the purpose for that moment, people opted to buying snacks. Snacking in between meals and after a hard day’s work or as a substitute for a main meal when you cannot find time to spend for sitting at a table, many people have got used to snacking on the run. But how healthy is this? Quite often when you choose to have a snack, you end up picking up fast food items loaded with creams, cheese and oily food that is not healthy for you. Snack food, commonly known as junk food has little or no nutritional value. In order to cater to the masses and being a quick serve, it is loaded with sauces, creams, preservatives, and sweeteners that are harmful to your health. As such, people should be more conscious of what they eat in order to stay healthy.
Starting with home, it is advisable that all high-fat and high-sugar sweets and treats be moved out of your refrigerator. Stop loading your larder with oily fries, chips and fizzy drinks.
Make snacks a part of your healthy diet. Eating nutritious snacks is a good way to get the nutrients and energy needed for growth and good health. Small snacks during the day also could help one from over-eating at mealtimes. Thus it is important that you have the right ingredients at home to make a quick snack. Having a vegetable platter or vegetable sticks could be an ideal substitute for a bowl of potato chips. But one must ensure that sour cream is avoided as a dip, as according to research vegetables dipped in sour cream or rich dips could contain 60% more fat and calories than a bowl of potato chips. Alternatively, low-fat sour cream or non-fat yoghurt could be used. It is important that one should have a fair knowledge of fats and calories when thinking of eating healthy snacks. Dried fruits and nuts are a tasty snack, and easy to prepare and store too. Pop corn is a low fat snack and should be easily accessible.
Fruits are a healthy snack too. Having a fresh fruit basket could make your family get used to fruit, and it is important that at least five portions of vegetable and fruits be eaten for a day to maintain good health.
With a little imagination and creativity one could think of numerous ways to make your family eat healthy. By doing so, you are also ensuring that the required vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and fats are taken for healthy living. |
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