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Healthy Snacks for Kids and Adults

 “Snacking”. It’s a most dreaded word in the lexicon of the weight-watcher and men and women intent on staying fit. But don’t despair. Healthy snacks are a good substitute.

 Snacks Are Not Junk Food

 Snacks are usually equated with greasy junk food like hot dogs and burgers and are therefore a killer for any weight-watcher’s programme.

 That does not necessarily mean an end to snacking. It’s about what you eat rather than how much you consume. But there are some snacks you must give up such as aerated drinks, candy bars, chips and burgers.

 Any nutritionist work their salt will tell you that eating small portions regularly through the day is better than tanking up and then waiting for hours for your next meal.

 This way, the stomach is never empty and you don’t have a sudden hunger, which leads you to eat large portions. This is a sure way to gain weight.

Among the many healthy snacks you can munch on are vegetable sticks with a low-fat dip. They are delicious and a favourite with kids and adults. Fresh fruit is another great snack. Make that grapes, strawberries or an apple.

And if your tummy is in the mood for some more, chomp on a crackly celery stick with peanut butter. It’s a great way to get some protein.

Leftover Snacks

Anther useful and time-saving suggestion is to save easy-to-eat leftovers from an earlier meal and carry t to work for later.

Sandwiches are a good option and use the opportunity to the maximum benefit. Shop for a couple of low-fat spreads and lean meats like turkey. Alternate between meats though the week.

Need some more ideas for healthy snacks? Low-fat cottage cheese, tuna salad and baked bagel chips are par for the course.

But what about fussy kids? Children are a favourite target group for the makers of unhealthy snacks. These include all sorts of fried fast foods like burgers, French fries, crisps, fried chicken. Discounts and special offers make it that much harder to resist.

These snacks are extremely unhealthy and promote cholesterol. Of course, the packaging doesn’t say so but your doctor will!

In fact, thanks to the wide array of snacks on the supermarket shelves, obesity and cholesterol are atop the list of killers in America. It’s become such a problem that the Food and Drugs Administration stepped in some years ago and made it mandatory for food manufacturers to list ingredients on the labels of their products.

Easy-to-Eat Snacks

Proteins make for a good snack when paired with whole grain products that are rich in fiber. Other suggestions for healthy snacks include cheese cubes and sticks, cottage cheese and yogurt which are calcium foods. They are also good sources of protein.

To make it more interesting, put some with cheese slices, cottage cheese or peanut butter on whole grain crackers. That’s got to one of the most super-delicious healthy snacks ever.