Friday 04.24.15

It
is important to know how to eat healthy. You should try to get three
regular meals per day, in the morning, afternoon and evening, as the
Center for Young Women’s Health recommends. Ideally, snacks should not substitute for regular, full
meals; you should snack when you need extra energy or feel hungry, but
don’t overeat. Try to eat foods from all the food groups — fruits,
vegetables, proteins, grains, healthy fats and dairy — in order to get
the maximum benefit.

Athletes
and people who engage in regular physical exercise need more energy
than those who have a sedentary lifestyle, as Drugs.com notes. However, a
busy schedule may make it difficult to get these extra calories and
nutrients through proper mealtimes. Healthy snacks allow you to make up
the difference without taking too much time for preparation and eating.
Snacking before exercise can also give you an energy boost to aid your
performance, while having a snack after exertion helps prevent
overeating during mealtime. In fact, eating an apple can give you an
energy boost similar to coffee or energy drinks but without the harmful
drugs and chemicals or the inevitable crash, as well as providing so
many nutrients such as 12% of your daily recommended intake of
fiber, 10% of your daily recommended intake of vitamin C, and
trace amounts of minerals such as calcium, potassium, and manganese. You
can’t get that in a cup of coffee!

During
adolescence, children’s bodies start developing rapidly. This process
takes a lot of energy, and therefore often leaves kids feeling hungry,
KidsHealth explains. Healthy snacking helps meet children’s elevated
nutritional requirements while ensuring that they don’t gain excessive
amounts of weight or consume foods that contain unhealthy amounts of
sodium, carbohydrates and fats. This is especially important for
teenagers, who may tend to opt for unhealthy, nutrient-poor junk foods
for their snacks and meals.

Contrary
to popular belief, snacking does not destroy diets, as long as it is
properly planned. In reality, healthy snacking helps prevent binge
eating, MayoClinic.com notes. When your hunger is momentarily
alleviated, you will be less likely to overindulge. But it all depends
on your choice of snack food. The best options are foods that make you
feel full, provide you with nutrients, while still leaving your appetite
for a proper meal still intact.

There
are several foods to choose from if you’re looking for a healthy snack.
In general, the fresher and less processed the food, the better. Fruits
and vegetables are among the most popular, since they contain lots of
nutrients with little to no fat and are still very filling. Nuts and
seeds, on the other hand, have high amounts of amounts of both protein
and healthy monounsaturated fat. However, their high calorie content
means they should be eaten in moderation.”