Snack Smarter, Not Harder: 8 Nutritious Alternatives for a Healthier Lifestyle
Snacking is one of my personal favorite activities, especially when paired with a great TV show and a fizzy beverage. But sometimes snacking can be a real bummer when you glimpse the number of calories per serving in your bag of chips or chocolate candies.
Someone else online feels the same and is asking fellow foodies for some ideas for healthy snack alternatives: “I love snacks. Who doesn't? But I really need to cut out the chocolate/processed foods etc. I tend to eat out of boredom/stress. I'm thinking of replacing these unhealthy snacks with healthy smoothies or something. Any ideas welcome!”
1. Lightly-Seasoned Popcorn
While I tend to go for popcorn smothered in butter, popcorn is also surprisingly tasty plain with just a little salt.
“Popcorn - with minimal oil, seasoned with nutritional yeast - is amazing,” shared u/Cephalopodio. Nutritional yeast is known for its hearty, cheesy flavor and comes in packets you can easily sprinkle over your popcorn.
2. Stop Buying Snacks
This may be easier said than done, but one snacker suggested avoiding buying snacks in the first place.
“My secret is to not buy snacks. If I have to actually make something then nah I'm not actually hungry and I just drink water and wait til mealtime,” said u/Dartser.
3. Fruits and Yogurt
Fruit is like nature's candy, which is why it's a perfect healthy replacement for gummies and other fruit-flavored candies.
“I freeze grapes, pineapple, & sliced bananas every weekend and snack on them all week, either by the handful or mixed into a scoop of Greek yogurt with a drizzle of honey,” said u/___tai___.
4. Nuts
Nuts are delicious salty treats packed full of proteins and nutrients. One great hack is to buy nuts in the shell so you have to crack them open to eat them.
“Pistachios with the shells on – having to work for my snack keeps me from over eating and keeps my hands busy!” said u/___tai___.
5. Crunchy Veggies and Hummus
If you crave the crunch of potato chips, perhaps you could switch them out for some celery, carrots, raw broccoli, or bell peppers.
“Dip those bad boys in a little hummus, that's good eatin'!” added u/Jman50k.
6. Sunflower Seeds
Here's another snack that takes some work to eat. If you buy sunflower seeds with the shell on, it takes a little more effort and time to eat your snack, which helps you snack mindfully.
7. Apple Slices and Peanut Butter
One great snacking tip comes from u/writerfan2013, who said, “Snacks need an element of healthy fats and/or protein to keep you going. Just fruit or, say, crackers will give the carb high, but not satisfy for long, same as choc/crisps.”
That's why adding some peanut butter to your sliced apples is a great idea. It fills you up so you're less likely to overeat.
8. Smoothies
There are so many delicious smoothie recipes out there that it would be impossible to run out of delectable options to try.
One tasty recipe is “banana, a big splash of milk, a couple of big spoonfuls of vanilla greek yogurt, a spoonful of peanut butter, 1/4 tsp cocoa powder, and a bunch of ice blended in a blender. It's so tasty and definitely dessert-worthy!” shared u/FruityandtheBeast.
I hope this list of healthy snack alternatives livens up your taste buds the next time you reach for that bag of chips.
This thread inspired this article.
This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.
