7 Rules to Healthy Snacking

1. Downsize

A snack should be 100 to 200 calories—stick to the lower end of the range if you’re dieting, the upper end if you’re trying to maintain your weight—and contain complex carbohydrates, protein and a little healthy fat. Carbs offer quick energy; your body digests protein and fat slowly, keeping you full longer.

2. Time it right

Going too long without food (five hours or more) slows your metabolism, causing your body to burn less fat than normal. It can also lead to surges in the hormone insulin, making you feel hungrier than usual. That’s why it’s important to have one snack three hours after breakfast, and another three hours after lunch.

3. Do the math

People who snacked out of single-serve bags ate nearly twice as much as those who ate from larger ones. One hundred calories doesn’t seem like a big deal, so people have two or three packages in a row. Plus, the foods that come in snack packs, like cookies and chips, usually aren’t filling. If you go the 100-calorie pack route, pair it with another, nutrient-rich snack of 100 calories or fewer.

4. Mix things up

Most people don’t get enough daily servings of fruit, vegetables and whole grains. But studies show that regular snackers consume more fiber and nutrients than nonsnackers do. Look at snack as the ideal opportunity to fill any gaps in your diet.

If you try to have at least one serving of fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts or lowfat dairy every time you snack, you’ll be giving your body more of what it needs to be healthy.

5. Hide the junk

People eat more candy from a clear jar than from an opaque one. The reason is simple: The more we see food, the more we want it, whereas out of sight means out of mind—and mouth. Use this to your advantage by placing healthy options, such as fruit, vegetables or a clear jar of trail mix, on your counter and stashing not-so-good-for-you munchies in the back of the pantry.

6. Trick your belly

When it comes to feeling full, your eyes are as powerful as your stomach. People who snacked on extra-large cheese puffs consumed 21 percent fewer calories than those who ate smaller ones. The larger the portion, the fuller you expect to be. Foods filled with water or air, like snack puffs and soup, let you eat a lot for fewer calories and still feel satisfied.

7. Treat yourself

Research shows it’s better to scratch your dietary itch once or twice a week than to ignore it. Generally, treats for a snack should be 200 calories or less, but if you know you won’t stop there (it’s nacho night at your favorite bar!), keep your postbreakfast snack to 100 calories to leave yourself 250 to 300 calories for cheesy chip goodness. Or split a snack in two.

Source: youbeauty.com