YMCA Healthy Living Magazine, powered by n4 food and health Autumn 2019 | Page 8

MARNIE NITSCHKE
Marnie is an Accredited Practising Dietitian at www.n4foodandhealth.com.
She also consults in clinical nutrition at Epworth Healthcare and in private
practice at Everyday Nutrition in Glen Iris and Ashburton
(www.everydaynutrition.com.au).
HEALTHY SNACKING
FOR HOME,
WORK & PLAY
Healthy snack tips for optimum energy all day, every day.
nacking is part of balanced
eating, and helps us meet our
nutrition needs. It’s especially
important for children (who have smaller
tummies and high energy needs), and
people who struggle with energy ‘dips’
and poor concentration. Snacking can
become problematic if you’re always
reaching for energy-dense but nutrient-
poor options, or eating when you’re not
actually hungry.
S
With a little bit of planning, snacking can
mean eating foods you enjoy, that
(nutritionally speaking), love you back!
8
Snack Smart
Read nutrition panels, so you can
find tasty pantry staples that don’t
come with a huge load of salt,
sugar or saturated fat. As a guide,
aim for:
• less than 15g added sugars
per 100g
• less than 3g saturated fat
per 100g
• less than 400mg sodium per 100g
and end up with snacker’s remorse).
Need more information on mindful
eating?
See this fact sheet
from Eating Disorders Victoria
(Download here). Snacks high in fibre (more than 3g
per serve) and containing protein
(e.g. nuts, legumes or dairy
products) will satisfy your hunger
and keep you going longer.
} } Invest a little extra time prepping
nutritious snacks for the day ahead. Try to avoid using snacks to
alleviate boredom or stress. If you
need some down time, maybe a
herbal tea or hot drink (see page
15), will fit the bill.
} } Adjust your snack options according
to hunger and activity levels.
Sometimes you might need something
really fortifying. Other days, a simple
piece of fresh fruit is enough.
Top 5 snacking hacks: } } Make sure you’re drinking enough
water through the day (sometimes
thirst can be mistaken for hunger).
} } Listen and respond to your body’s
hunger cues, by eating when you
feel hungry. Try not to wait until
you’re absolutely famished (when
you’re more likely to make rash
snacking decisions, eat too quickly, } } Sometimes foods (like a piece of
cake or a sweet biscuit) do have a
place in balanced eating. They don’t
need to be banned completely, but
should be eaten occasionally, rather
than every day.
YMCA HEALTHY LIVING MAGAZINE AUTUMN 2019
Healthy snack ideas
• A handful (¼ cup) of dried fruit, nut
and seed mix, or unsalted nuts.
• Dips with veggies sticks (see
page 11).
• Goji Oat Slice (see page 9) or
Homemade energy balls (page
10).
• Roasted chickpeas, fava beans
or edamame.
• Make your own veggie crisps
(see page 9).
• Hard boiled egg with wholegrain
crackers.
• Wholegrain crackers with dips,
cheese, avocado or nut butter.
• Pre-prepped containers of oats
with Greek yoghurt and chopped
fruit.
• Small tin of low salt baked beans
(approximately 130g).
• Muesli bar – check the nutrition
info panel. Aim for at least 3g
fibre, and less than 6g added
sugars per serve.