Why are snacks important?

Leading a healthy lifestyle as you know is a path that we are traveling and in which we must discover what works for us and what does not, the same when you are diagnosed with a disease such as type 2 diabetes, you start with medicines and you have to get to know your body, the response of food, working with the doctor and nutritionist on the doses, diet, amounts, type of physical activity, exercise to perform etc.

But within this path one of the tools that we can count on to keep anxiety at bay, to keep blood glucose levels stable, not to overeat in our main meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) are snacks, the snacks that we can incorporate mid-morning, mid-afternoon.

Broadly speaking society  this is not something that many people have as a habit, perhaps due to lack of time, because they do not know its benefits, because they do not feel hungry at that time, because they do not have something at hand, because their main meals are made daily at different times, etc.

But incorporating snacks into our eating habits as can bring us many benefits, of course when we opt for healthy options that in addition to helping us control anxiety and eat less in our main meals, they will provide us with other nutrients that can help us to maintain good hormonal health and in general to nourish our body.

In the case of people living with a condition such as diabetes, snacks can be an ally to prevent hypoglycemia, for example, people use morning snacks to keep their sugar levels under control, because if only they have breakfast and arrive at lunch without eating anything in the middle of the morning, in some cases their sugar levels begin to drop.

But this topic of snacks, snacks or collations, can be an ally in your good diet, fat loss regimen, diabetes management but if we do not choose the best options it can sabotage us in achieving our goals.

When we are going to select a snack it is important to take into account that it is not composed of saturated fats, simple carbohydrates, sugars such as cookies, chips, ice cream, breads, soft drinks, on the contrary we should choose sources of protein, good fats, fiber.

The other thing that we must always take into account are the portions. Remember that because something is healthy does not mean that we can eat it unlimitedly because again it will be sabotaging us. For example it happens a lot with nuts and is easy to consume more than one’s need. Nuts although they are a source of fiber, vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats that although they are good fats, are the same fat and for each gram there are nine calories, so it is a snack wonderful but you have to eat them in small quantities.

The same happens with fresh or dehydrated fruits such as raisins, dates, figs, they are a source of vitamins, minerals, fiber, but you have to control the portions because they have fructose, which is ultimately sugar.

So which snacks or snacks should we eat?

There are many options available in the market as well as snacks that can easily and healthily be made at home. Examples of these are puffed brown rice cookies with avocado, salt and pepper or with butter from a nut such as peanuts or almonds, with toppings such as chopped strawberry or dark chocolate chips, a portion of carrots with hummus, a fruit such as a small apple, half a cup of strawberries or a peach / nectarine and some walnuts, a portion of pistachios, a chai latte with almond milk and a portion of dried fruit or a piece (two squares) of dark chocolate or sweetened with stevia.

But there are many others that you can choose, such as a hard-boiled egg with a little salt and pepper, celery / celery with a nut butter, chia pudding is very fashionable. Also popcorn (low in fat and salt), if you eat dairy it could be a serving of Greek yogurt (check that it only has between 4-6 grams of sugar), you can add a minced strawberry, some almonds.

The other important thing with snacks is to have them on hand, not only for when we are at home, but to go out with them in the purse, keep them in the car, it will take less than five minutes to put some almonds, peanuts in a bag , nuts and a fruit or a rice cracker, some carrots, or any other snack that is easy to carry because also if we have it on hand we eat that, we keep our hunger under control and we do not fall into the temptation to buy things that are not so healthy on the street.

In the case of people who manage a condition such as diabetes, they should even be prepared and always carry a fruit or other snack with them to help them keep blood glucose levels stable throughout the day.

For those who practice sports, snacks are as important as any other aspects of their routine. Simply spoken, a top up whilst exercising, before or after will ensure you get the best of your work-out and will help you live a fuller and richer life.

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