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Do you ever catch yourself standing in front of a vast array of snack options completely overwhelmed by which to choose and wondering what snacks are truly healthy? Well, I'm here to help!
So what does a healthful snack look like?
Below are my 3 simple steps to quickly and clearly identify which snack is actually good for you:
Ignore ALL marketing labels such as ‘sugar free’, ‘low fat’, ‘no added sugar’…
These are all designed to grab your attention and lure you to buy them without you verifying the truth of these statements (keep reading to find out how to do this).
Turn straight to the ingredient list = ‘quality’ of what you are eating
This is the most informative part of a packet. Here, not only do you find out what macronutrients (e.g. protein, carbs, fat) it has but it also tells you where these are coming from i.e. the quality of what you are eating. Look out for wholefood ingredients, such as:
- fibrous wholegrains (e.g. oats, brown rice, buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth)
- energy sustaining healthy fats (e.g. almonds, pepitas, chia seeds, coconut)
- antioxidant pumped superfoods (e.g. cacao, berries, goji berries).
You should be able to clearly read every ingredient. If you can’t because you are faced with a long list of numbers, put it down! These are most likely artificial sweeteners or preservatives and something here at GMB we believe are best avoided and replaced with natural ingredients. Try Kez’s Kitchen Naked Gluten Free Choc Mud Bars or Lamington Bars for health friendly, wholefood, gluten free snacks containing only naturally occurring sugars….check out the ingredient list and you will see 5-7 natural wholefood ingredients – healthy snack, TICK : )
Quick tip: The shorter and more wholefoods listed in the ingredients, the better!
Look at the nutritional panel = ‘quantity’ of what you are eating
This will tell you exactly how much of the various macronutrients you are eating, i.e. how many grams of carbohydrate (including sugar), fat (including saturated) and protein. Here you will also find the energy (KJs) and calories (cal) it provides. Look out for the number of grams of these macronutrients per 100g; per serve and how many servings per packet – this will make sure you do not eat a whole packet thinking it is just one serving (I have definitely done that before, oops!) It is also important to keep an eye on your fibre and salt intake and these quantities are also commonly listed here.
Check out the health food aisle in your local stores to test out these tips and find yourself some wholesome and delicious snacks that you can be sure are looking after your health!
Written by GoodnessMe box Nutritionist Claire