Eating the wrong snacks may harm your health! If you are hungry, why not eat these...

Expert in this article: Wang Silu, National Senior Food Inspector, Internal Auditor of HACCP Food System of the People’s Republic of China

This article was reviewed by Liu Shaowei, Deputy Director and Professor of Food and Drug Regulatory Research Center, East China University of Science and Technology

Snacks can be said to be a must-have item when watching TV series or having parties.

However, not all snacks are healthy.

Recently, the Journal of the American Heart Association published a study that mentioned that "the best snack after breakfast is fruit, and the best snack after dinner is milk or dairy products."

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So, how do you choose good snacks? And how do you eat snacks well? Come and have a look, all you “foodies”!

What kind of food can be called snacks?

To be honest, all foods eaten outside of meals can be called snacks. In other words, whether it is yogurt, potato chips, or apples and dried sweet potatoes, they are all snacks.

Snacks have more to do with the time we eat them than the type of food we eat.

What are some healthy snacks?

Dairy

Dairy products are a healthy snack worth tasting. They are delicious and have a complete nutritional structure.

Dairy products contain a full range of nutrients in appropriate proportions. They are a food with a high digestion and absorption rate and an important source of nutrients in the diet, such as protein, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D, vitamin A, and vitamin B2.

The "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents" also clearly states that it is necessary to eat a variety of dairy products, which is equivalent to 300 grams of liquid milk per day.

Fresh vegetables and fruits

Fresh vegetables and fruits are rich in water, dietary fiber, plant compounds, and a variety of vitamins and minerals, and are an important part of a daily balanced diet.

Relatively speaking, various fresh fruits and vegetables that can be washed and eaten raw (cucumbers, tomatoes, etc.) are very suitable as daily snacks.

The "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents" recommends that each person eat 300-500 grams of vegetables and 200-350 grams of fruit every day. You can reasonably match the appropriate amount of fruits and vegetables as snacks according to your own dietary structure.

nut

There is no doubt that nuts and seeds are great sources of protein on their own.

Moreover, nuts are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, vitamin E, minerals magnesium, zinc, dietary fiber and other nutrients. Eating them in moderation is beneficial to the health of the body.

The "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents" recommends that each person consume 25-35 grams of soybeans and nuts per day.

In addition, egg products such as boiled eggs, bean products such as dried tofu, potato products such as steamed sweet potatoes, and cereal products such as boiled corn are all good healthy snacks.

What are the principles for choosing good snacks?

Low sodium, low sugar, low fat, light taste

The reason why we find food in restaurants outside very tempting is mainly because of their "heavy taste", which is determined by condiments such as salt, refined sugar, and lipids.

However, eating too much sodium will increase the metabolic burden on the kidneys, affecting their normal functions and even causing damage; excessive intake of refined sugar can also cause the body to suffer from problems such as tooth decay, obesity, and diabetes; and excessive intake of fat will increase the body's risk of developing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases such as obesity and dyslipidemia.

Therefore, when buying snacks, you need to pay attention to the ingredient list on the food label and buy light-flavored, original snacks.

Eat fresh, wholesome, minimally processed snacks

Relatively speaking, fresh and hygienic food has higher nutritional value, purer taste and higher safety factor; food with low degree of processing contains less substances such as salt, refined sugar, trans fatty acids, etc. whose incremental intake will threaten the health of the body, and is worth "preferring" to choose.

Fruits such as bananas, watermelons, and strawberries and vegetables that can be eaten raw, such as tomatoes and cucumbers, are good choices. Foods such as milk, yogurt, nuts, green peas, eggs, boiled corn, and soy milk are also good.

What should you pay attention to when eating healthy snacks?

Choose the snacks that suit you

Compare your current meals with the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents. The missing ingredients can be supplemented with snacks.

For example, many people do not consume enough dietary fiber in their regular meals, so they can choose fresh fruits and vegetables as snacks; if the regular meals lack high-quality protein, they can drink some milk or yogurt and eat a boiled egg in their free time.

For people with special physical conditions, they should choose snacks with caution.

For example, patients with hypertension should avoid eating high-salt foods, people with tooth decay should avoid eating high-sugar foods, obese people should limit high-calorie snacks, and so on.

Snacks, not meals

The value of snacks lies in their additional attributes beyond regular meals, so they cannot replace regular meals, because a few snacks alone cannot meet the body's multiple needs for nutrients.

Considering the situation of most people, it is recommended that you eat snacks 2-3 times a day according to your living conditions, preferably between meals (when you are almost hungry). The total calories consumed in snacks in a single day can account for 5%-15% of the total daily diet.

Reduce unhealthy snacking

Based on the evaluation of the nutrient composition and the health threats they pose to the body, unhealthy snacks such as threatening beverages (various sweet drinks, alcoholic beverages, etc.), high-salt and high-oil foods (French fries, instant noodles, cream cakes, etc.), pickled foods (pickles, bacon, etc.) should be eaten as little as possible.

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