Say yes to healthy snacking

Craving for food is inevitable and so is snacking. For children, it is a fun activity, for teenagers it's an excuse to hang out together, for office-goers, it's the only thing that can beat stress and for the elderly, it is a way to fight off those hunger pangs. In order to get rid off these hunger pangs, healthy snacking seems to be the best option. It has lots of benefits, including weight management. It is all about smart choices. Choose your snack carefully and read the ingredients properly. A healthy snack is low in fat, especially trans-fat, low in calories, low-cholesterol, baked rather than fried. A multi-grain snack, made from oats, corn, ragi, rice, wheat and flax seeds, is rich in fibre and provides wholesome nutrition. Oats, ragi, wheat have adequate amount of essential amino acids, vitamin B, calcium, iron and rich in cellulose, whereas corn is an excellent source of iron, B-vitamins, magnesium, vitamin C, phosphorous and zinc. Guilt-free snacking Healthy snacking does not mean compromising on your taste preferences. It is only about making the right choices. An informed choice can help you pick snacks that offer health and taste together. Dietician Dr Rittika Samaddari says, "Healthy snacking boosts metabolism, helps maintain blood sugar and allows for efficient absorption of nutrients. It is a good way to promote healthy long-term eating patterns." Craving is the most common reason for munching across all age groups. But with munching becoming a healthier exercise, we don't have to worry about it anymore, adds Dr Samaddari. The human body is programmed to send out signals whenever it needs an energy boost, which is usually between meals. Clinical nutritionist Dr Nupur Krishnan says, "Nutritionally-rich snacking can be a healthy response to hunger. It can even help you lose weight by keeping your blood sugar levels steady so that you never get very hungry. Smart snacking doesn't have to be fattening - choose those that will provide balanced nutrition as well as energy." Some studies show that eating frequent small meals is a better weight management strategy than eating one or two large meals. The amount of food that a human body needs varies according to height, build, gender, and activity level. Most children usually eat the amount of food that's right for them; however it is up to the parents to make sure that their children have the right foods available to choose from.