One of the most common food misconceptions polluting our knowledge on health, is the idea that snacking is big eating no-no. That’s because we tend to associate noshing on snacks with eating junk food, which amounts to needless calories. Then how come we’re told to consume several small meals a day rather than three big ones? Sounds like a fancy phrase for ˜snack more, binge less’.
It’s time we stop ignoring our cravings for unhealthy eats, when we can tweak them instead! Here are a few wholesome snack alternatives to your standard treat:
Ditch: Regular Lay’s Chips
Grab: popchips
For the average health-wary gal, eating a bag of chips is something we’ve trained our mind to avoid. While it’s tempting to steal a sample from your niece, don’t deprive yourself! Instead, try a popchip. This all-natural potato chip isn’t baked“which tends to diminish flavour“or fried. As the name suggests, they’re popped. The ingredients are all-natural, with no preservatives, hydrogenated oils or msg. Craving some greasy-goodness? Too bad. Popchips aren’t greasy, but they taste like they should be. We recommend the salt & pepper flavour!
Ditch: Standard Ice Cream Cone
Grab: Nestlé© Drumstick Mini Ice Cream
Now that summer has set in, the rising temps make a visit to an ice cream shop a pastime we hunger for. Nothing wrong with going topping-overboard at Marble Slabs for an occasional treat, but what about when we crave a cone more than once every month? Nestlé© kept our best interests in mind. Not only are their new mini drumsticks cute, but contain 110 calories per cone, and 7 grams of fat. Finally, a delectable treat we don’t have to feel guilty about eating!
(Mega) Ditch: Movie Theatre Popcorn
Grab: Homemade Popcorn
Remember the cinema popcorn discovery that emerged earlier this year, leaving the average movie-buff dumbstruck with horror? Let me be the first to refresh your memory: a medium-sized bag of movie theatre popcorn (with a few squirts of extra butter) contains over 1,300 calories and 217 grams of fat. Its equivalent? Noshing 12 hamburgers from McDonalds. We can’t even recommend splitting this artery-clogging dish with a friend. Instead, opt for the theatre’s frozen yogurt for a refreshing treat, or pop your own corn! (movie theatre snacks are overpriced anyways.)
Ditch: Chocolate Bar
Grab: Lara Bar
We know a chocolate bar isn’t the best mid-day snack to consume (especially when trying to shed a few pounds), but it’s still a classic food“ in its own way. I mean, how’s a girl expected to cope in times of need without a Kit Kat by her side! I’ll tell you how: while gorging on a Lara Bar. This all-natural health bar contains nothing but unsweetened fruits, nuts and spices and comes in a variety of tasty flavours, like chocolate chip cookie dough and peanut butter chocolate chip. It’s good-for-you-grub, disguised as our favourite junk food treat.
Ditch: Baked Chocolate Chip Cookie
Grab: Nativa Organic’s mini milk chocolate covered rice & sesame cakes
A cookie’s golden rule: if you feel like gorging on baked goods, freshly baked takes precedence over its store-bought counterpart. Always. No exceptions. Store-bought cookie brands make various health claims, but if they have a long shelf-life, there’s a reason. It’s called artificial ingredients. If you want a low-fat cookie alternative, try Nativa’s mini milk chocolate covered rice & sesame cakes. These treats are healthy, organic and their thin chocolate outer layering will be sure to satisfy your sweet-tooth.
