I
am a huge snacker and I could munch away all day long at times, which
can easily blow my calorie intake for the whole day. If you are anything
like me, you should keep track of your snacking habits and think about
your choice of food. Snacks can truly make or break your diet, so you
have to make healthy choices and keep your calorie intake under control.
Snacking smart will fuel your body and keep your hunger at bay. If you
have a hard time with keeping track of your eating habits, start writing
a food journal until you get used to a new way of snacking. Here are 10
of my favourite snack, that are healthy and easy to prepare.
Nuts - Almonds, Cashews and Peanuts
Even though nuts are extremely healthy, they are also calorie dense (100g = 500 calories), so prepare a small amount of them beforehand and stick to it. In general they are a naturally high source of vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, and potassium and rich in protein and fibre.Greek Yogurt with Fresh Fruits or Vegetables
Rich,
creamy and tart Greek yogurt with your own choice of sweet fresh fruits
is a dream for snackers. Because of its flexible flavour it allows a
variety of healthy toppings such as cucumbers or carrots, if you are not
in the mood for fruit. Yummy, this is one of my favourites!
Whole Wheat Muffins
There a bunch of recipes for these out there. I love to add low fat cheese and fresh vegetables but often I just use the ingredients I have at home.Oatmeal with Cranberries
I make my own oatmeal with cinnamon, milk and blueberries, which is my favourite one. Sometimes I even add nuts for the crunchiness.Smoothie
Any kind of fresh smoothie is a good choice. My favourite one is a fresh blueberry banana smoothie with carrots and orange juice.Chicken Sandwich
Whole
wheat bread slices, chicken spread and tomatoes. For the chicken spread
I use freshly cooked/baked chicken meat, cream cheese, salt and
parsley, which I blend in a fine spread. This one is a hit at parties,
if you make mini sandwiches.
Peanut Butter with Banana Slices
This combination is pure heaven, but do not eat a lot of them - the are high in calories.
Whole Wheat Bagel with Cream Cheese and Cucumber
My favourite snack for when I am a bit hungrier then usual and I use Philadelphia! So good.
Smoked Salmon Rolls
These are easy, I just make simple pancakes with salt, put some cream cheese on top, add smoked salmon slices, fresh vegetable slices and roll them.Baked Vegetable Chips
My favourite veggie chips are sliced zucchinis, carrots and potatoes, but I make zucchini chips the most. Slice the vegetables, add a tablespoon of oil and a pinch of salt and toss them well. Spread them on a baking sheet in a pan and bake them for 25 minutes on 200 degrees Celsius while turning them often. After that, lower the heat to 150 degrees Celsius and bake for another 5 minutes. Munch away!
And
when all those seem plain to me, I go for Frozen Yogurt with fruit
toppings! Also add a bit of white chocolate sauce, because I am human :)
I try to stick to healthy food, especially since I am pregnant, but I
do enjoy eating my favourite unhealthy meals, snacks and sweets too when
I have cravings. I feel that a huge part of healthy living is being
happy in general and sometimes you just need to indulge in your cravings
to be joyful. At your next meal you just skip back to your normal
healthy routine. Nothing is lost. Have a sweet moment every once in a
while and move on.
M.
