Improve your snack game by snacking with a purpose

A study by the Hartman Group Inc, a food culture consultancy, previously reported that snacking made up about half of all eating times among consumers.

Often grabbed on the go or sometimes as a square meal replacement, people snack for a variety of reasons, whether good or bad. Regardless of the motive, it is always important to avoid mindless snacking as this can often lead to overeating and, as a result, unnecessary weight gain or health issues.

Kershnee Kallee, marketing manager from Jungle, explained that it is important to have healthier options at the heart of your meal choices – even during snack time. “While there has been an improvement in terms of healthier options when it comes to what people eat during breakfast, lunch and dinner – it is usually during snacking times that we tend to add foods such as chips or chocolate which offer little nutrition.”

Kallee added that Jungle has always been committed to providing consumers with heart-healthy meal options and, as part of that commitment, they want to help consumers have the best snacking options too. “Although there is the freedom to play around with what your next snack will be, it’s important to try and include healthy nutrients where possible.”

Kathy provided ‘a few easy ways to ensure your snacks are healthy’:

• Fuel up with fibre: Fibre not only helps with a regular digestive system but some types of fibre also help with blood sugar and blood cholesterol control. Enjoying a handful of trail mix that can consist of raisins, nuts, seeds and some muesli or granola is a great way to incorporate fibre.
• Pack in the protein: Protein-rich snack options, including cheese, Greek yoghurt and hummus, are best known for managing hunger levels as these snacks tend to keep you fuller for longer while serving an important role in bone and muscle health.
• Not all carbs are bad: Carbohydrates are a great source of energy and can be found in grains such as oats, air-popped popcorn and roasted chickpeas. These snack options are high in dietary fibre too.
• Enjoy the good fats: Enjoy unsweetened nut butter, vegetable oils and avocados which are all a great source of unsaturated fats. Including these in your next snack time ensures the absorption of fat-soluble nutrients such as vitamins A, D, E and K which together perform hundreds of important roles for the body.

Lastly, Kallee suggested that the next time you’re looking for something convenient to snack, try some date and granola energy bars that she said are not only delicious but won’t break the calorie bank either.