Well chosen snacks can be very useful and convenient way of increasing the variety of whole plant foods in you diet. It is worth to reduce portions of your breakfast, lunch and dinner and introduce snakcs between. Snacking helps keep you from getting overly hungry in between meals and then overeating at your next meal. So next time you start to feel hungry a couple hours before lunch or dinner, don’t try to wait until the meal. Instead, eat a small healthy snack to satisfy your hunger.
All fruits are good sources of potassium, and brightly coloured fruits are generally rich in antioxidants. Many nuts and seeds are excellent sources of healthy fats. A handful of nuts (about 30 grams) per day may increase life expectancy by two years.
Healthy snacking helps keep your blood sugar levels even. As long as you choose nutritious snacks, snacking will also help you meet your nutrient needs for the day.
Suggestions for healthy snacks:
Fresh fruits: apples, apricots, avocados, bananas, blackberries, blackcurrants, blueberries, clementines, cranberries, figs, grapes, kiwis, mandarins, mangoes, oranges, pears, raspberries, strawberries.
Dried fruits: apricots, berries, currants, dates, figs, raisins, sultanas.
Nuts and seeds: almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, peanuts, pumkin seeds, walnuts.