What are the Best Healthy Snacks?
Written by Talia Cecchele
Are you that person that has lunch at 12pm, powers through all afternoon and walks through the door at 6pm ravenous? You pick on snacks while preparing dinner, overeat your main meal and then sit on the couch (uncomfortably full) pondering about why you couldn't just have a normal sized dinner?
Enter snacks...
Snacking is a normal part of eating. Some people snack more, others less. There are no set rules for snacking but generally snacks are eaten 2-3 hours after a main meal, and 2-3 snacks are eaten a day. Snacking can help to:
Stabilise weight and eating habits. Snacking can prevent you from becoming too hungry and overeating as a result
Stabilise blood sugar levels
Reduce mood swings (irritability, low concentration, headaches a.k.a. hanger as a result of not giving your body enough fuel)
Add more variety to your daily intake (and help to get your 5-a-day)
Re-fuel after exercise
Keep energy levels consistent throughout the day
Increase your total caloric intake if you are struggling to maintain or gain weight
In my experience, the afternoon snack (anywhere between 3pm-5pm) is the snack that has the most benefit. If you have a good breakfast you can usually make it to lunch without much trouble. But the afternoon time slot is often much longer, and if you go to the gym after work or you are stuck in traffic it is important to give your body the nutrition it needs to stop hanger kicking in just before dinner. I always encourage my clients to have a snack in the afternoon.
As a dietitian, I always get asked if I snack and what my favourite snacks are so I thought I would share my top 10 with you (in no particular order):
Hummus with wholegrain biscuits or carrot sticks. I have a few hummus recipes on my website including pumpkin hummus, beetroot hummus made with butterbeans (without oil) and a classic beetroot hummus (made with chickpeas)
Bliss balls. My favourite is peanut butter
Fresh fruit
Greek Yoghurt
Nuts
Cheese and tomato on wholegrain crackers. Can't go past Vita Weats
Peanut butter on toast
Homemade muffin or slice. Try my cherry muffins, choc surprise muffins or carrot cake bars
Popcorn.
Roasted fava beans. The Happy Snack Co make great ones.
You will notice that I didn't include portion sizes. That's because this differs for everyone based on individual energy requirements, hunger level experienced on the day and health goals. If you are trying to manage your weight, portion size is something I recommend you review as it is very easy to get into the habit of "grazing" if you are really busy or bored rather than sitting down and having a dedicated snack.
It is also important to note, that although the snacks I listed above are "healthier" in that they contain more wholefood options and are focused on higher fibre and protein content, that doesn't mean you can't snack on less nutrient dense foods such as biscuits, crisps or chocolate. I am an advocate that no food needs to be removed from your diet, but the quality and quantity of the food choices you make are important.
Biscuits, crisps or chocolate might be the "healthiest" option for someone with high energy requirements post surgery, undergoing medical treatment which reduces appetite, or for people on a weight restoration journey. See our blog on Managing Poor Appetite for more tips!
This is why I will always recommend individual advice when it comes to your health. What works for you might not work for someone else.
If you have any questions please email me or send me a message through Instagram @tcnutrition
Snack happy!
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Talia is a registered dietitian working in private practice and as an eating disorder specialist dietitian in London's leading private mental health hospital. As a freelance dietitian, Talia not only offers 1:1 consultations but can present at your workplace, create recipes or articles or host a cooking demonstration. To enquire please fill out a contact form.