My favourite snacks

Hi guys! Thought I’d share some of my favourite snacks to give you ideas. I have a massive sweet tooth, but I do try to snack on healthier options and not reach for the chocolate.

Popcorn

Popcorn is a great healthy snack as it’s a wholegrain so is high in fibre and keeps you full for longer. A high fibre intake can also decrease the risk of diseases like heart disease and some cancers. At home we have an air popper popcorn machine, air popped corn is best as it doesn’t have added oils or fat. I normally eat my popcorn plain straight from the machine, but you can add flavourings like salt or sugar. When you make popcorn yourself, you're in control of how much salt or sugar is added. If I were to buy already made popcorn, I’m definitely a salt popcorn type of girl. The recommendation for salt is 6g a day so if you're a salt popcorn fan like me you should be aware of the salt content as some brands can have up to a gram of salt per serving.

Fruit

Fruit is one of the easiest snacks there is, just wash or peel and you're good to go! Fruit is chock full of vitamins and minerals and fibre. My favourite fruit is apples and I prefer a Jazz or Pink Lady. They're the perfect combination of sweet, tangy, and crisp. My second favourite fruit is red grapes, there's no nutritional difference between red and green grapes but I think red are sweeter. Everyone should aim to get 5 portions of fruit or veg a day and snacking on fruit is an easy way to get there. Eating your 5 a day can reduce diseases like diabetes, cancer, and obesity.

Hummus                                

Hummus is a dip made from chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, and lemon juice. It’s high in healthy fats, fibre, and plant based protein. It’s creamy with a slight nutty taste and I like to dip carrot or cucumber sticks in it. It would work well with fresh bread or crackers too. Hummus is a good way to get more vegetables in the diet as it can be a dip for any vegetable that’s eaten raw like bell peppers, broccoli, or tomatoes. This could help you get your 5 a day. I prefer to get the plain hummus as other flavours like sweet chilli or caramelised onion will have added sugar.

I hope you enjoyed this post and it gave you an idea of a snack to try. Bye for now! 👋

References:

Popcorn https://www.heart.org/en/news/2019/06/18/popcorn-as-a-snack-healthy-hit-or-dietary-horror-show and https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5380630/  

Fruit https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/5-a-day-portion-sizes/ and https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/why-5-a-day/ and https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3649719/ and https://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/fruit/en/

Hummus https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/hummus-healthy and https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5188421/