Snacking Healthier

From the time I was a kid, I've always thought of snack foods as chips, candy, sodas, cookies, and cakes. Rarely did I ever think of the nutritional value of what I was eating. What mattered to me was that it tasted good and it was quick to eat. During a semester in college I took a biology class which focused solely on nutrition. I learned all sorts of things about what kind of additives are in foods and what is and isn't healthy for me to put in my body. While having cookies, chips, and cakes isn't always bad, having them in excess is. Three important terms I learned in my nutrition class was balance, variety, and moderation. With my snacking habits, I realized that I had none of these key things. I snacked on the same sorts of foods all the time and didn't pay attention to how much of it I ate. Taking that class has caused me to be more conscious of the foods I eat and as a result, I have made some changes in my snacking and dietary habits.

Let's face it, when most of us are in the mood for a snack we usually grab something quick and tasty like chips, pop, candy, cupcakes, or other equally tasty junk foods. These snacks satisfy our quick cravings for something sweet, salty, filling, or all of the above. However, they also add on many unwanted calories and often contain too much sugar or sodium than is recommended for our diet. Before you know it, you'll find yourself digging in your bedroom stash of Snicker bars and Hostess cupcakes and wondering where those extra pounds came from. Once you're in a habit of snacking on foods such as these, it's not easy to stop cold turkey and reach for an apple.

In order to have good snacking habits, we have to practice good snacking habits. That doesn't mean you still can't have some of the snack foods you like, it just means that you need to replace some of them with healthier options. Start substituting a fruit and grain bar for one of you candy bars. Instead of popping yourself a huge bowl of popcorn with extra butter, cut up some melons, strawberries, bananas, berries, kiwis, and have yourself a delicious fruit salad. You will soon find that fruit can satisfy your sweet tooth cravings just like candy can because fruit also contains sugar. The difference in sugars in fruits compared with sugars in candy is most of the candy has unhealthy sugar like fructose corn syrup and other additives. Over-consumption of these unhealthy sugars leads to a greater risk of developing diabetes.

In addition to health problems such as diabetes, eating too many unhealthy snacks can affect your health in other ways. You may have less energy despite all of the sweets that you're eating, dental problems such as cavities and tooth decay may prevail, and you can also become overweight or obese. In addition to the excess sugars, those little snack cakes and candy bars have an amazingly large amount of calories. If that's what you're munching on every time you're in the mood for a snack you're bound to put on weight. There are other snack foods that are just as tasty that are healthier for you than chips, cakes, and candy. For instance, there are several types of trail mix available, some of which has candy such as M&Ms inside. Other healthier options include yogurts, crackers, whole grain chips, whole food snacks which happen to include cakes and cookies, smoothies, fresh veggies, and lean lunch meats. If you compare labels in the grocery store, you can choose the option that has less sugars and fats. Many people like to shop in fresh produce markets or whole grain food stores for healthier snack options.

Another time to think about snacking healthier is when you're going out to eat. Rather than having burgers, fries, and a soda everyday for lunch, try having a fresh sandwich from Subway or make your own sandwich at home. Try substituting Miracle Whip for mayonnaise, or if you're going to have mayonnaise, spread it lightly. A sandwich is the perfect opportunity to snack healthy since there are so many different kinds of sandwiches you can make. One day you can have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, the next day a turkey sandwich on wheat bread, the next day chicken salad. Instead of always having sodas with your lunch, try juice or water. Bring some cut up fruit or veggies for a side item rather than a large order of fries or onion rings.

There is truth to the saying, "You are what you eat." If you eat too many unhealthy foods, your body isn't going to be as healthy as it could be and you're going to notice the effects. However, if you eat more nutritious foods and snack healthier you will notice that you look better and feel better. Maybe you've tried to eat healthier in the past but haven't stuck with it. It's never too late to get back on track. And remember, you don't have to throw your donuts away, just don't reach for one every time you feel like having a snack. Remember, the key is to have balance, variety, and moderation. There are too many food choices out there to stick with the same old things so start digging in!