Smart (and delicious) Snacking

Eating healthier is a great goal. However, you might derail your effort if you force yourself to suddenly switch from a diet loaded with junk food and processed food to a strict all-natural vegetable-based one.

It’s better to start with small steps that can add up to big changes in your diet. Start with these simple substitutions for smarter snacking.

Eating healthier is a great goal. However, you might derail your effort if you force yourself to suddenly switch from a diet loaded with junk food and processed food to a strict all-natural vegetable-based one.

It’s better to start with small steps that can add up to big changes in your diet. Start with these simple substitutions for smarter snacking.

Healthy Snack Tips

Cold facts.

Switch from ice cream to frozen yogurt. You can hardly tell the difference between these two tasty treats, but frozen yogurt contains much less fat and sugar. Plus, yogurt is loaded with probiotics which help the digestive system.

Better butter.

Skip the processed peanut butter and reach for almond butter instead. You won’t save much in calories, but healthy eating is about more than just calories. Almond butter tastes great and offers more vitamins, minerals and fiber, plus it has less sugar and saturated fat per serving than peanut butter.

Sweet treats.

Sometimes your sweet tooth takes over and demands a candy bar. Try some trail mix instead. It has a lot of the same elements as a candy bar – crunchy texture, salty nuts and sweetness from dried fruit. You can also add chocolate chips or candies. Speaking of chocolate, choose dark chocolate over milk chocolate for more nutrients and antioxidants.

Cheers!

When indulging in an alcoholic drink or two, order wine instead of beer – especially red wine which is lower in calories and loaded with antioxidants. An even better choice is low-calorie spirits such as vodka mixed with soda water and fresh lime juice. Of course alcohol should always be used in moderation. For non-alcoholic drinks, choose tea over soda and replace sugary fruit juice with fruit-infused water. Coconut water makes a great alternative to sports drinks, too.

Here’s to happy – and healthy – snacking!