Snacks are just as important as main meals. Snacks are small meals that are eaten between main meals. It is better to choose snacks that contain protein, fiber and healthy fats for snacks. This way, you will feel fuller for longer. It does not matter if you follow a weight loss diet or an obesity diet, you need these small snacks in any case.
Some studies have shown that increasing the number of snacks helps manage hunger and improve blood sugar regulation. In addition, it helps you increase your intake of nutrient-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables. Many people choose fatty or sugary foods as snacks. These unhealthy foods have a very bad effect on the body and cause weight gain.
They also increase the risk of diseases such as heart disease or diabetes. In this article from the Perimah Beauty Clinic, we are going to explain about healthy and essential snacks in the diet. So we suggest you stay with us until the end of this article.
Healthy Snack
What are the benefits of eating healthy snacks?
The United States Department of Agriculture believes that an American adult can get a quarter of their total calorie needs from snacks. These small meals have a great impact on health. Healthy snacks increase the absorption of nutrients and help maintain the body’s energy levels. They will also help the body recover after exercise.
Some snacks are effective in improving the quality of diets. It is better to choose snacks that are rich in nutrients such as vitamins, fiber, protein and carbohydrates. These small meals are suitable even for people with low blood sugar levels. After consuming a snack, blood sugar levels increase and then decrease after a while.
Therefore, small meals prevent a sharp drop in blood sugar between main meals. For this reason, we suggest choosing protein snacks with high fiber. Because these foods are digested more slowly and prevent severe fluctuations in blood sugar. This is very important for people with diabetes.
Types of healthy and essential snacks
In the following, we will examine the types of healthy and essential snacks and explain the properties of each:
۱٫ Mixed nuts
One of the healthy and essential snacks in the diet is nuts. Nuts are one of the energy-rich snacks. They contain a lot of healthy fat, protein and fiber. For this reason, they help improve the feeling of satiety and have many health benefits. Some studies have shown that regular consumption of nuts helps in weight loss. Of course, note that the calories of nuts are different from each other. Therefore, it is better to choose nuts that contain fewer calories.
۲٫ Apple Slices with Peanut Butter
Apple slices and peanut butter are another healthy and essential snack in the diet. This small meal provides the fiber your body needs. Peanuts contain healthy fats, vegetable protein, and fiber. For this reason, it is suitable for providing nutrients to the body. This food has a creamy and crunchy texture and is completely dietary. Of course, note that the peanuts should still be salt-free and sugar-free.
۳٫ Greek Yogurt with Fresh Berries
Greek yogurt with fresh berries is a filling diet snack. The combination of Greek yogurt and fresh berries keeps you full for a long time. This small meal tastes great and is easy to prepare. Fresh berries make Greek yogurt taste sweet. According to studies, Greek yogurt increases the body’s metabolism.
Berries are also very low in calories and can be easily combined with Greek yogurt. In addition, berries have many health benefits. For example, it helps improve brain function and reduces the risk of many diseases such as cancer. Berries also have anti-inflammatory properties. If you like sweet taste, we suggest adding a little honey to Greek yogurt and berries.
۴٫ Popcorn
Popcorn is a very popular snack. There is hardly anyone who does not like popcorn. This food is made from corn and is usually almost tasteless. You can use various flavorings such as salt, spices, butter, pepper, vegetables and the like. Note that industrial popcorn has more calories than homemade popcorn.
Therefore, it is better to avoid buying industrial products. You should not use oil or butter to prepare this snack. The American Heart Association has stated that popcorn contains a lot of fiber and keeps you full for a long time. It also reduces the risk of heart disease. Since regular popcorn does not have many calories, it does not cause weight gain.
۵٫ Kale chips
Kale chips are a snack for slimming the stomach that is prepared with the help of kale. One of its most important advantages is that it has a simple preparation method and is completely dietary. To prepare this snack, you need a cup of kale leaves, a tablespoon of olive oil and half a teaspoon of salt. Pour all the ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Wait a while for the olive oil and salt to be absorbed by the kale leaves. Then arrange the leaves on a baking tray. Place the tray in the oven.