Health tip #31:

Snacking

A lot of people think that snacking is only for children. The truth is that snacks can help provide energy to your body and keep your blood sugars stable throughout the day.  It also helps to curb your hunger between meals as well as avoid you from overeating at mealtime. Small healthy snacks are often eaten mid-morning, mid-afternoon and in the evening, if necessary. Be careful with evening snacks! We often eat in the evening not because we are hungry, but usually out of habit or because we are bored, tired, stressed or upset.    

For a healthy snack, try to aim for at least 2 of the 4 food groups, such as a fruit or vegetables with a lean protein source coming from either milk and alternatives or meat and alternatives. The key to healthy snacking is the choice of snack you make and the portion size. Aim for snacks with less than 200 calories.

Here a few healthy snack ideas:

· Medium size apple with a small piece of low-fat cheese (e.g. Babybel light)

· ½ cup of unsweetened apple sauce with 10-12 natural almonds (unsalted)

· ½ cup berries (fresh or frozen) or vegetables with low-fat cottage cheese

· Raw vegetables (e.g. carrots, celery, cucumbers, peppers…) with hummus
· Whole grain crackers (approx. 5) with small piece of low-fat cheese

· Fruit (medium size of ½ cup) with a 100 g low-fat yogurt

· Whole wheat pita triangles with hummus

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