Snacking: The good, the bad and the HEALTHY!

Snacking: The good, the bad and the HEALTHY!

We are programmed throughout our lives to think that three meals a day is the norm and we don’t need any more or less than that. But realistically, many of us like to snack between meals, or sometimes snack INSTEAD of meals. We shouldn’t shame ourselves for such actions, we are actually doing our body good by providing it with a consistent supply of food, fuelling our metabolism to keep us cruising through our busy lives. It is more about the type of fuel we decide to snack on that makes all the difference.

Skipping meals or waiting too long between them, causes our metabolisms to slow down, while also putting us at risk for overeating the next time we do sit down to eat. Or remember the slogan, “Once you pop, you can’t stop.” Eating heavily processed foods that have been engineered to make people crave more are how big, corporate food giants make their billions. 

Defining “bad snacks” isn’t an easy task by any means though. With companies latching onto the next health craze like our lives depend on it or endorsing calorie-restrictive diets that deprive our bodies of much needed fats and carbohydrates, how does a person navigate the media-swollen world of food?

Eat your food naked, of course!

Before you start stripping down, let me explain. Eating food it in its “whole form” is the best way to receive much needed nutrition from what you eat. Mother Nature’s snacks are not made with hydrogenated oils and trans fats, they are made with complex carbohydrates and healthy omega-threes. Moderation is not only the key, it is essential to feeling good about ourselves.

Keeping a stash of dried fruit or nuts in your purse, vehicle or desk drawer can really help to satiate that uncomfortable hunger ache and will help you feel comfortable until that next healthy meal can be had! Lightly snacking a few times a day between meals will also help you make better meal choices! It won’t be a starving race to the refrigerator; instead, you can plan your meal with balance and ease.

Enjoy your food and make every bite rewarding!