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Any good list of healthy snacks should help you understand what "healthy" means - or what it does not mean! Let's get this defined first, so you can choose healthy, nutritious snack foods with ease. Not all food is healthy - in other words, not all food is nutritious meaning that it helps your body by providing it with the material it needs to build and repair itself. Healthy food contains nutrients - substances that can be changed (metabolized) into energy and build tissue after consumption. What is your concept of "healthy?" If you said "low fat" or "low calorie," we need to go over a couple of things! "Low fat" and "low calorie" have become famous words that consumers see on packages of processed food that create the impression that they're healthy! Not! "Low fat" often means "high sugar, refined carbohydrate" which is definitely UNhealthy! And the only type of fat that isn't a vital nutrient for the body is "trans fat." There are 3 different types of dietary fat that are essential to health! So a list of healthy snacks would include sources of "good" fat and protein, for example:
Snacks with some fat and protein are very satisfying and healthy. Even a bit of dark chocolate is a great snack. Just avoid the candy bars with milk chocolate and tons of sugar and artificial ingredients. "Low calorie" gets into the area of artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame (Nutrasweet® is one brand) and sucralose (Splenda® is a brand). These substances are definitely not healthy! They are known as neurotoxins, substances that are toxic and harmful to the nervous system. Healthy, nutritious snack foods do not contain artificial sweeteners, preservatives or additives. They also don't contain high fructose corn syrup or tons of sodium. The key guideline in choosing healthy snack food is to choose food that is closest to its natural state or has little, if no preservatives and/or additives. Snacks with whole grains and minimal processing are also healthy. Here's a comparison between some "bad" cheese puffs and some "good" cheese puffs. You'll notice that what I call the "bad" ones have a list of ingredients that you need a degree in chemistry to understand (and note the "artificial flavor"). The point is that there are healthier versions of snack foods you like. Learn to read the nutrition fact label and you'll be able to see what's on your list of healthy snacks.
Fresh fruit and veggies make exceptionally healthy, nutritious snack foods. A banana, an apple or an orange will do more for increasing your energy and pepping you up when you need a boost than anything. They're faster than "fast food" too! Fresh fruits and vegetables are loaded with vitamins and minerals and other things (like enzymes) that the body requires to function properly. They are a primary source of dietary fiber, a substance the body also needs to be healthy. A list of healthy snacks definitely has fresh fruit and vegetables on it. And if you're not into noshing on carrots or cauliflower, learn about juicing. The health benefits of juicing vegetables are numerous, and it's a good, yummy way to have a snack that is packed with nutrition. It would be impossible to make a list of all healthy snacks because there are unlimited possibilities. Follow healthy eating guidelines for choosing healthy, nutritious snack foods and create away! Start stocking up on healthier food
choices - throw away or eat up the stuff that isn't so
healthy. And if you want to be "bad" once in
awhile, go ahead! Just go out and get it, don't keep
evil snack
food lying around because you know it's gonna tempt you! Back
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