Guilt Free Snacks
Wise Food Choices for When the Munchies Hit
Cravings are a fact of life, something that everyone can relate to. Fortunately, there are plenty of healthy alternatives to most fatty choices. A good rule of thumb is to choose a snack that has plenty of nutrients, but what to choose when dreaming of a salty or sugary treat?
Sweet Snack Alternatives
If craving something creamy, such as ice cream, try a frozen yogurt or even sorbet. These are both still sweet and still have a creamy consistency. When reaching for the candy bowl, dried fruit might be just the fix. The sweet, crunchy, chewy consistency is like eating a piece of candy.
If visions of cookies are swirling about, avoid calorie laden types such as chocolate chip, cream-filled sandwich cookies or peanut butter and give ginger snaps a try. For chocoholics, substitute hot chocolate for a chocolate candy bar.
When trying to come up with a healthier version of dessert, skip the high calorie piece of cheesecake and opt instead for a slice of angel food cake with some berries. Need to take it up a notch? Toss on a serving of low-fat or non-fat Cool Whip.
Something Salty This Way Comes: A Healthier Version
Just about everybody loves potato chips, but not the fat that comes along with them. Pretzels are a much better choice and are still salty and crunchy.
Popcorn is another household staple, although usually coated in butter, and popcorn at the movie concession counter is even worse, loaded with high fat and too many calories. Air-popped popcorn is always the wisest choice. Add some seasonings to kick it up a notch, like cajun or low sodium salt substitutes.
Most nuts are good for you and delicious to boot, but many are heavily salted which is not a good thing. Try the unsalted versions and be sure to keep it to a handful when snacking.
Handy, Healthy Snacks to Keep Around
When grocery shopping, look for tasty, healthy snacks to stock up on such as yogurt and fruit. Mix them up and add in a handful of cereal for a parfait. If granola is the cereal you reach for, be sure to control the portion since granola-type cereals tend to be high in calories. Fruit on its own is a great source of nutrition, but an apple slice with some peanut butter before a workout will keep you energized and able to go the distance.
Graham crackers and rice cakes are a good, crunchy snack to keep in the pantry. Most would admit that rice cakes do not really have much appeal on their own, so try a tablespoon of peanut butter and/or jelly to jazz them up. Just remember to watch portion control with the peanut butter. It is a great source of protein, but high in fat.
Keep in mind that snacking can be a healthy habit instead of a guilty habit. When making the right choices, snacking can help keep you from consuming too many calories later, which keeps the weight away. What a smart move.
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