Food: Snack Away!

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Snack Away!
Saturday, March 04, 2006

Snack food is very important to our eating habits. If you pay attention to many of the dieting plans now, they revolve around snacking. Doctors will tell you that you should eat five to six times a day instead of only three. Parents are encouraged to allow their toddlers three snacks a day, and those toddlers rarely will let parents forget. Why is snacking so important? And does it matter what you are eating?

Let us begin with the first question. Snacking is important because it gives the body fuel. If we eat only three times a day, then we are giving the body a bit of fuel and then expecting it to run for several hours. If you are like most people, you eat little to nothing for breakfast, which means that you are asking your body to run on even less.

Do you know that sluggish feeling you get in the middle of the afternoon? That is because your body is having a tough time making it through the afternoon, which typically is the time we exert much of our energy, on what you had for lunch. So snacking is important because it keeps you going.

What you have for a snack also is important. If you have a candy bar, you will feel a burst of energy. Plus you will get that gooey chocolate taste. But the feeling will not last. Instead you will feel the burst of energy begin to drain after only a few minutes. Pop a handful of almonds into your mouth, though, and you will be shocked at how much energy you feel! It may come a little later, so you may want to have one or two crackers, too, to give you the immediate boost from the carbohydrates.

Making sure that you have healthy snacks is important if you want that snacking to be a big part of your diet. If you have a craving for something unhealthy and give in, then you are giving your body fuel but the wrong kind. Instead you should be sure that you are getting something that will be good for your body at the same time that it is tasty and gives you energy.

What are some healthy, quick snacks?

Trail mix is one of the best snacks you can have at the office. Having 1/2 cup of nuts is a good idea, but you probably want something for the quick boost, too, which the nuts do not have. You also will not be able to measure out the nuts unless you bring them to work pre-measured. Then you could end up snacking and eating too much. Instead try trail mix. It has a combination of proteins and carbs in it so that you will get something that will get you moving now and something that will keep you going through the afternoon. Trail mix also has a wide array of flavors, so your mouth will appreciate your choice. You can make up your own trail mix by putting marshmallows, pretzels, cheese crackers, raisins, wheat cereal, and nuts into a zippered plastic bag. Add in the seasonings you like and shake to get a seasoned blend.

Fruit is great for a morning snack. Bananas are probably the easiest to eat when you are at work although plums, grapes, and strawberries are great, too, and are not very messy. Fruits will give you a good number of vitamins and minerals, which will make you feel wonderfully refreshed, and they are very delicious. They are a good choice if you have been grabbing that candy bar from the vending machine everyday because they will satisfy your sweet tooth while being good for you, too.

You can try bringing in crackers and a small jar of peanut butter if you have a little more time and space in your office. That snack can be a nice change of pace. If you cannot do that at work, try it on the weekends on in the evenings as a snack a couple of hours before bed.

Snacks are a way of getting your body through the day. You were not meant to go the majority of the day without eating anything, so snack away.

By Julia Mercer

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