A Plate Full of Healthy Snacks

Do you think that eating between meals is bad for our health? If so, you are mistaken!! This I am not saying, this is the saying of many doctors and nutritionists around the world. According to them, if you are snacking between your meals, it actually circumscriptive your hunger and prevents overeating during larger meals.

What is a healthy snack?
A healthy snack is usually whole-grain, unrefined, and low in fat and added sugars. They should be a perfect combination of proteins, carbohydrates and high-fibers. A healthy snack includes:
•    apple slices with peanut butter
•    carrot sticks with hummus
•    grapes and cheddar cheese
•    sliced turkey on wheat bread
•    snack mix made with raisins, nuts, and whole wheat cereal
•    whole grain tortilla or bagel with low-fat cheese or cream cheese
•    bean burrito on a whole-wheat tortilla
•    small salad with lean meat or tuna
•    cut-up fruit or easily portable whole fruit, such as apples, oranges, or clementines
•    steamed sliced sweet potato with cinnamon
•    whole grain cereal, dry or with milk
•    low-fat yogurt with fresh berries

Where to keep our healthy snacks?
While it may not sound a very important issue but the fact is if you don’t keep your healthy snacks readily available, you will end up eating whatever is readily available. Well, adults can get them from wherever they are kept, but what about our little ones in the house? They can’t get it from back of the cabinet, so it’s our duty to keep our snacks readily available to them.
I read these tips somewhere that can make our household a healthy-snack center:
•    Allow your child to help you choose healthy snacks at the grocery store.
•    Have easy-to-eat fruits such as apples and bananas within view on the counter.
•    Keep unhealthy options like chips and cookies on hard-to-reach shelves and tucked into the back of cabinets. Or better yet, don’t bring them into the house at all!
•    Put whole-grain crackers and other smart choices for children’s health on the shelves that your child can reach.
•    Prepare cut-up vegetables like carrots or celery sticks in advance for easy munching.

These points will surely help you in getting your little angels the healthy snacks they require and deserve. And this helps you keep them healthy. So readers bring out your shopping bags; buy some healthy stuff and let your family enjoy some good and guilt free snacking!

image courtesy: http://i.ehow.com