Healthy snacks: Our top 5 tips

Its 3pm, the mid-afternoon hunger has kicked in and sometimes it seems a little too easy to give in to a sugar craving when hunger strikes.

Walking down the supermarket aisle, it’s easy to be bombarded by the endless options of biscuits, chips and chocolate. Whilst these foods are delicious in flavour, they’re also high in carbohydrates and low in nutrition - not the ideal snack.

Choosing the right food to snack on can be tricky, however healthy snacking can help keep your energy levels up and tide you over till the next main meal.

Here are our top 5 tips for healthier snacking.

1. Be prepared

To avoid the last minute dash to the convenience store, make sure you add snacks to your weekly grocery list so that they’re handy when you get hungry. Purchase items such as fruit or nut trail mix, both a great source of fibre and a quick and healthy snack on the go.

2. Perfect portions

Moderation is key when it comes to snacking. Familiarise yourself with the daily recommended servings, as sometimes we can go overboard with our portions. Foods that come in single serves help to maintain portion sizes such as individual yoghurt pots.

3. Assess your hunger

Try asking yourself – am I truly hungry or maybe just bored? Also, we can often confuse hunger with thirst, feeling hungry when all we really need is a glass of water to satisfy us. However if you’re hungry, eat. Prolonging this hunger may have you increasing your portion size when it comes to the next main meal.

4. Make snacking on vegetables easy

When you’re hungry, a plate of raw vegetables won’t look that appetising. Make your afternoon snack a little more substantial and enjoyable by adding a healthy yoghurt based dip or hummus.

5. Power on with protein

High-protein snacks will keep you feeling fuller for longer. Store pre-cooked eggs, poached chicken and cold cuts of meat which make for great additions to a salad or sandwich. You can also eat such proteins on their own with the addition of wholegrain crackers.

Our favourite healthy snack recipes

• Muesli bars
• Chia pudding
• Pear ricotta toast