Be Happy Snack Healthy

For some, snacking is considered a bad habit or even an addiction. Maybe you have fallen prey to unhealthy varieties of mid day munchies like chips, cookies and crackers, or cracks as my nephew calls them.

Those unhealthy snack addicts can not resist the accessibility, the sound or the initial euphoric feeling of satiation after the first few handfuls of their “cracks.” When hunger takes over and you are not prepared, like an addict you will go for what is easy and familiar.

Get armed with knowledge and be open to some healthy alternatives. If the snack you are about to eat is heavily processed, has an expiration date of the year 2017, has ingredients you can’t pronounce or has high sugar, fat or salt content; the snack is not doing you any favors.

First take the “am I really hungry?” test. I ask my children this all the time. When they were younger and I had jurisdiction over what they ate, I would make them drink a full glass of water first. If the signs of hunger persisted, I offered them a piece of fruit. If the fruit didn’t sound tempting, they failed the hunger test.

Dr. Maoshing Ni joined Dr. Oz and his panel of nutrition experts. His article, “4 Satisfying Skinny Snacks” included practical and vitamin rich varieties that I wanted to share with my readers. The following are four of the doctor picks.

First of all, if the piece of fruit sounds good, you are hungry and should eat it! Apples are an especially healthy choice because of they are full of soluble fiber called pectin that actually reduces the amount of sugar and calories that is absorbed into the bloodstream. Add a tablespoon of peanut butter and you have a tasty, inexpensive and protein rich snack.

Another healthy snack alternative is nuts. Almost every variety is filled with arginine, an amino acid that helps fight heart disease, impotence, infertility and high blood pressure. Arginine also stimulates the pituitary gland producing growth hormones that improve muscle tone, skin elasticity and brain function. Because nuts have a lot of fat, a handful is all you need to satisfy that salt craving.

According to Ni, a 38th-generation doctor of Chinese medicine and the leading authority in Taoist anti-aging medicine and longevity, edamame, a tasty soybean snack, is low in fat and cholesterol, and high in protein. His article reports that “edamame is high in essential fatty acids, dietary fiber, as well as numerous minerals and vitamins, especially folic acid, manganese and vitamin K.” You can eat edamame fresh or buy frozen and steam. Edamame is satisfying, easy to prepare and has a surprising nutty flavor.

One of my favorite healthy snacks is hummus spread on a sesame cracker. Dr. Ni suggests hummus, or a garbanzo bean spread, on whole-grain bread or baby carrots as a satisfying, skinny snack that is a good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber that gives you energy. It also helps to stabilize your blood sugar level, which makes it a good choice for individuals with diabetes, insulin resistance, or hypoglycemia.

Ni adds that in traditional Chinese medicine, “it is said that garbanzos also help with some inflammatory skin conditions, like psoriasis and eczema.” There are many delicious grocery store varieties of hummus, or you may experiment with making your own.

And finally, with protein, calcium and natural probiotics, yogurt makes for a tasty snack any time. Although yogurt it is not my first snack choice, the Greek vanilla variety is more savory and goes great with granola and berries or in a fruit smoothie.

Be willing to try something new, be prepared for unexpected hunger pangs and choose snacks wisely. It will improve your health and bring you happiness.

For questions or comments email: suzanne_mcginnis@bellsouth.net.