We All Do It—Nibble & Snack Throughout the Day
Is It Good or Bad For Your Health & Diet?
I don’t know about you but my diet definitely consists of snacking during the day. The problem I had over the holidays was nibbling the wrong things. Too many sweets and processed foods. Yeah, I suppose it’s OK to go off the wagon occasionally, but the key is not to make a daily practice.
With that WELCOME TO THE NEW YEAR 2023. Let’s start off by saying you need to put aside unrealistic expectations. Our diet doesn’t have to be perfect nor does our life have to be perfect. “A common misconception is that snacking is bad if you want to lose weight and stay fit. The idea of grabbing something healthy to tide you over until a meal can help you stay energized, focused and nutrified.”
Now, if we can move forward into the New Year and have the courage to alter our habits and make amends for our holiday “pigging out.” LOL. Even so, it doesn’t mean we have to give up our habits totally—for me that means I will continue snacking and nibbling but focusing on foods that are much healthier and don’t cause significant weight gain. And, yes, I put on a few pounds over the holidays and attribute it directly to my sweet tooth. Bad girl!!!
Let’s take a look at what small changes can do for your diet in the New Year. Don’t be too hard on yourself and if you’re a snacker like me, continue with it, just make some slight adjustments.
The key is to choose snacks that are filling with plenty of protein and fiber. Unfortunately, that does mean putting aside the sweets (donuts, candy, sweet rolls, etc.) and all other processed foods full of empty calories and harmful saturated fats.
The first thing you need to do is visit your local grocery, particularly the cheese and nut sections and purchase several great options for snacking. Cheese is a particularly great snack food, it’s tasty, is high in protein, calcium and Vitamins A and B12. So let’s get started.
COTTAGE CHEESE. I used to eat this all the time as a filler in between means, and sometimes even the meal itself. Then I gave it up based on a new fad diet and have just recently gone back to enjoying its healthy benefits. “One half cup contains 12 grams of protein and only 90 calories.” To make it even more enjoyable, I will often add my favorite fruit such as strawberries, raspberries or blueberries, remembering to leave off the sugar topping.
MOZZARELLA. The granddaddy of all cheese snacks is the string cheese stick. It’s easy to eat and convenient to take along, because all you do is peel off the plastic wrapper and bite off as much as you want. I used to eat Monterrey Jack and switched over to Mozzarella because of its superior health benefits, especially the additional calcium it supplies.
SWISS. They call it mild and mysterious. It has a nutty flavor that’s easy to love. “Two ounces of Swiss provides nearly 40% of your daily calcium requirement, an additional 16 grams of protein and it’s very low in sodium which is important to keep your blood pressure in check.”
HONORABLE MENTIONS. These include Jarlsberg, goat cheese, intense (very sharp) cheddar and the somewhat stinky blue cheese. All have great flavor and texture variations.
THE DO NOT TOUCH CHEESE. It’s of course American cheese which is a processed monstrosity, high in saturated fat and packed with salt.
So, there it is. My recommendation for healthy snacking, thank you to Science Natural for their research on this topic. You certainly don’t need to give it up. Be sure to add healthy nuts to your snack diet, such as almonds, walnuts and unsalted pistachios. If you decide to add crackers or chips to the cheese portions, just make sure they’re not full of empty calories and high in sodium.
It’s never too late to restart, break old habits and to never give up and sometimes baby steps are all you need to get back on track.
STAY RELEVANT, STAY CALM, and CONTINUE ON.
Editorial contribution by Stephanie @ Science Natural