WATCH: Four healthy guilt-free treats to snack on this summer

The pressure to have the best body for summer has always made people feel like they need quick fixes and healthy snacks to get “snatched” just in time for the beach.

But honestly, wellness and health is about longevity and living your best healthy life. As 2021 has taught us, particularly the body positivity movement, weight loss can become secondary if people start choosing better food choices.

As the holiday season approaches, many of us will be snacking throughout the day and usually it’s not the good fats, low-sugar and high-fibre options.

The Citizen Lifestyle team had the opportunity to taste these healthy snacks as we approach summer.

Watch our summer healthy snacks taste test:

Herbalife protein chips

Similar to mini rice cakes in shape and size, Herbalife’s protein chips are much softer in texture and have 50% less fat compared to fried potato chips

They contain 11.8g of protein and are suitable for lacto vegetarians and the barbeque flavour is suitable for vegans.

Modern Traditions

A proactive wellness health brand started by Dr Tracey Nelwamondo in 2018. She says her family has a history of high blood pressure so she wanted her son and others to have a healthier life.

Modern Traditions is a two-part wellness health brand that utilises raw natural ingredients such as marula nuts and baobab.

Nelwamondo says many health foods such as quinoa are from foreign countries and imported to South Africa and she noticed a huge gap in the market of our own “superfoods” that were being ignored.

“It was exploring where I came from and the baobab powder, vanilla nuts, sorghum all these nice things that were nowhere were left in the villages and not used outside them. The traders would traders amongst each other and won’t participate in the economy.”

Nelwamondo is excited about the raw ingredients, using African ingredients in the health space helping the local economy and making people much healthier.

50% of baobab is a fibre that comes in a powder is great to add in smoothies, over cereals, yoghurt and is low GI. It has vitamins C and B and Nelwamondo says it gets to make mayonnaise as well.

The marula oil is all-around for your hair and body and even as a cooking oil.

They produce marula nut oil, butter and baobab powder only using baobab fruit. The items are edible and rich in several nutritional, minerals and body-enriching values. 

Staying true to the brand, the vegan ice cream has some marula nut butter and baobab powder, making them rich, creamy and low in sugar. They come in six flavours: marula nut butter, chocolate, mint chocolate, caramel, lemon cheesecake and mixed berry.

All Modern Traditions are made locally in Limpopo, sourcing from the communities for a mutually beneficial relationship.

Modern Traditions can be brought online and on Instagram.

Peanut Butter Zero

A guilt-free, zero-sugar peanut butter goodness is Peanut Butter Zero that has nutritious ingredients that help you get through the day and is a delicious snack.

The bar is creamy, covered in either dark or milk chocolate. There are only between 2.5 grams and 2.8 grams of sugar.

Snacks lower in sugar are a great way to balance your blood sugar and satisfy your cravings without going overboard.

Peanut butter has plenty of protein, as well as vitamins and minerals like magnesium, potassium. Peanut Butter Zero comes in different flavours such as milk chocolate Bar, whey protein, dark chocolate and milk chocolate in oats flavour.

The tasty treats are available online and in-store.

Dr Nelwando concludes that snacking is okay but choose wisely, especially naturally healthy nut butters with less or no added sugar. Other aspects of your diet such as exercise and movement make a healthy lifestyle possible.