The snack conundrum is something that we come up against time and time again. We all love to snack and we all find that there are various non-meal times in the day when a little energy boost is needed. Classic snack times are mid-morning and mid-afternoon and are usually the times when chocolate or some other handy, sugary filled convenience sends your healthy eating off in the wrong direction. The problem is that snacking on something sugary with no nutritional value releases insulin into your bloodstream, which then processes the sugars from your food and helps store it as excess fat.
There is actually nothing wrong with snacking. Having 3 nutritious meals and 2 nutritious snacks is a great way to keep your blood sugar levels steady and to avoid overeating at mealtimes. The trick is not to let snack times creep up on you. Plan for them. Decide you’re going to have them twice a day, what they are going to be, and make sure you have what you need at the time you need it and… Enjoy (with a nice cup of tea).
Snack facts:
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A healthy snack made up of complex carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats increase your energy levels for a longer period of time than sugary snacks do.
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Choose nutrient-dense snacks, such as fresh vegetables and hummus, a boiled egg, a handful of nuts, an apple or some melon chunks, greek yoghurt and berries, rice cakes with cottage cheese, rice cakes with peanut butter (personal fav and sometimes easier to organise than a boiled egg!).
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Snacks have to be small and not too calorific. Snacks are there to keep you going, but not to add 2 more meals to your day. Around 150 calories per snack is a good guide.
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Timing is everything, your first snack should be consumed around 2 hours after breakfast, and your second snack about 2 hours after lunch. This will help keep your blood sugar levels constant and hopefully stop you from raiding the work vending machine.
Snacking wisely can really help you to lose weight and can add many essential nutrients and vitamins to your diet to help your body remain in a fat-burning state!
Happy snacking…
Snack the ACE way! We’re doing a bit of a snack deep dive over the next few weeks – look out for our blogs, recipes and some tasters at our classes. Make sure you put December 17th in your diary for our healthy Chana TeaCember – we will have loads of snacks on offer, with recipe cards and endless advice!
For any more information on snacking or other nutritional matters do not hesitate to get in touch info@ace-london.com.
