An integral part of proper nutrition is not only eating according to a certain schedule or recommendations, but also snacking. Nutritionists say that between main meals you need to eat something to avoid pangs of hunger. What kind of snacks are suitable for proper nutrition for weight loss, when is the best time to take them and what they should consist of, we will look into this in our current article.
Why is snacking so important?
Eating a lot and in large portions is harmful to the body. When a person eats 3 times a day and overeats heavily, the metabolism can slow down. Food that enters the body very slowly and is poorly absorbed. A person thinks that he is enriching his body with vitamins, but in the end he only harms it.
It is much easier for the body to process food that comes into the body gradually. For example, it is advisable to eat about six times a day, but in small portions.
With six meals a day, the volume of food decreases and the stomach does not stretch. Here's a simple example. A man came home from work hungry. I didn’t eat anything in the morning and didn’t have time to have lunch. He eats a large portion of food, and the body stores a certain amount of fat in reserve. And then the person is perplexed and indignant about why there are sides on his waist, a sagging stomach, because I only eat once a day.
With a healthy diet and snacks, there will be no painful feeling of hunger, especially since you will always have a light snack on hand.
A person can plan his own diet. So that it is both healthy and tasty.
Rules for eating on a diet
Even when snacking, it is important to remember the conditions for proper eating when losing weight.
- In order for food to be digested more slowly, and what you eat lasts for several hours, you need to consume complex carbohydrates, fiber and protein.
- The meal should take place slowly, without haste. Imagine that you are at a reception with the queen - eat, chewing thoroughly.
- You need to eat in a quiet, calm environment. All attention is directed to nutrition, and the feeling of fullness comes faster.
If you can’t eat like this, you can trick your brain by replacing a fork or a tablespoon with a teaspoon. Then you certainly won’t be able to absorb food quickly, and the meal will take 15-20 minutes.
Proper and tasty snacks are an important component of healthy weight loss. They will help you not feel hungry and gradually lose weight. Remember this and be healthy!
When is the best time to have a snack?
You need to snack correctly. This is done when you are already hungry, or between breakfast and lunch. For people who might forget to eat, you can use small reminder stickers, or simply set an alarm on your cell phone. It is not necessary to allocate too much time for a snack; 5-10 minutes will be enough for you. Even if you have a lot of work, you need to be distracted and this way you will rest and replenish your body with useful substances and vitamins.
Approximate power supply:
- 6:00-9:00-breakfast
- 11:00-snack (second breakfast)
- 13:00-15:00-lunch
- 16:00-17:00-snack (afternoon snack)
- 18:00-19:00 - dinner
- 21:00-snack (second dinner)
Conclusion
You shouldn’t give up snacking just because it’s another “extra” meal. Snacks, which will account for 10-15% of the total nutritional value of the daily diet, will only bring health benefits. A snack does not need to be turned into a full meal - you need to eat just enough so that hunger does not make itself felt. It is best to eat 2-2.5 hours after the main meal, when the previous dishes have already been digested and wild hunger has not yet made itself known. Plan in advance what products to take with you to work so that you are not tempted to snack on the first pie or chocolate you come across.
First snack or second breakfast or lunch
If in the morning, in a hurry to get ready for work, you did not have time to have breakfast and your breakfast consisted only of a cup of coffee, then during your snack you should definitely eat something substantial. The ideal option in this case would be to eat oatmeal, cheesecakes or omelet. But if the breakfast was hearty, then you can snack on some fruit, fresh or in the form of dried fruit. They are good for snacking. For people working in an office, or in a crowded place, these products will be very appropriate, since they do not disturb others with unnecessary odors.
A good snack option is boiled corn. It is healthy and satisfying. During heat treatment, corn does not lose all its beneficial properties. People love to snack on a couple of apples. It is better not to do this, since apples cause the secretion of gastric juice, and you may feel hungry. If you have enough free time, you can prepare snacks for yourself in advance. Apple baked with cottage cheese and honey; cottage cheese balls with dried fruits and nuts; milkshakes with berries and cottage cheese and much more. Let your imagination fly and you will be surprised to see how many delicious and healthy snacks she will give you.
Dish recipes
For those losing weight at work, there are many ready-made snack options. If you have time to prepare a healthy dish, you can treat yourself to non-standard healthy food.
Cottage cheese casserole
Both adults and children will like it as a first or second breakfast or as an afternoon snack.
To prepare you will need:
- 2 packs of low-fat cottage cheese;
- 2 eggs;
- 2 tablespoons sugar;
- 2 tablespoons of semolina;
- ½ teaspoon baking powder;
- butter for greasing the mold;
- nuts, raisins (pre-soak in boiling water);
- vanilla to taste.
Preparation:
- Mix eggs with sugar, semolina and spices, then add baking powder.
- Add cottage cheese and knead the dough. Place nuts and raisins into the dough.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
- Grease the pan with oil, place the curd dough in it and bake for about 50–60 minutes. The casserole is ready when a golden crust forms on the surface.
Protein pancakes
Those who are not ready to give up their favorite foods in favor of a healthy diet are advised to look for an alternative. Instead of the usual pancakes, you can make protein pancakes (protein). There are many recipes for their preparation: most include a protein mixture, which can be purchased at specialized sports nutrition stores, but you can prepare it without it.
No protein blend
Ingredients:
- eggs – 1 pc.;
- oat flakes (rolled oats) – 100 g;
- bananas – 300 g (2 pcs.);
- milk – 60 ml;
- salt on the tip of a knife.
Preparation:
- Grind the Hercules into flour with a blender.
- Beat the egg with salt.
- Add bananas in pieces and puree in a blender.
- Pour in milk and add oatmeal.
- Mix the dough well until the consistency of sour cream.
- Heat a non-stick frying pan and pour the dough onto it.
- Fry in 2-3 drops of oil. When one side is lightly browned, turn the pancake over and fry on the other side until golden brown.
Second snack or afternoon snack
A second snack is very important for people who adhere to proper nutrition. It is especially important for those who have a habit of having dinner late or often stay at work until late. It is thanks to this snack that you will not be overtaken by the feeling of hunger by surprise. It will allow you to stretch out the feeling of fullness until dinner and will prevent you from eating too much. Protein and carbohydrate foods with a high fiber content are good for an afternoon snack. Lovers of fermented milk products can please themselves with kefir, fermented baked milk, yogurt or low-fat cottage cheese. A vegetable salad with cheese and olive oil, a vinaigrette with minimal potato content, will serve as a source of fiber for your body.
Diet sandwich
You will need:
- 1 egg;
- ½ avocado;
- 2 slices of bran bread or crispbread;
- 2 cherry tomatoes;
- lemon juice;
- salt and herbs.
How to cook:
- Lightly dry the bread in a frying pan without oil.
- Mash the avocado, add chopped herbs and juice.
- Spread the mixture onto the bread and place the tomatoes and eggs on top.
Evening snack
An evening snack is the last meal before bed. Adhering to the principles of proper nutrition, it is advisable to use predominantly protein foods for an evening snack. You need to have a snack no later than three hours before bedtime. It is advisable to go to bed with an empty stomach. A glass of low-calorie kefir or unsweetened yogurt is perfect for an evening snack. You can snack on boiled egg whites or make an omelet from them by mixing a couple of egg whites with 40 grams of milk. Dairy lovers can indulge in a glass of warm milk as a snack. If in your refrigerator there is only milk with a high percentage of fat content, you can dilute it with warm boiled water in a ratio of 1 to 1.
Celery salad
You will need:
- 1 green apple;
- 1 banana;
- 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt;
- 1 stalk of celery;
- 30 g of lettuce.
How to cook:
- Wash and peel the celery stalk, cut it into slices.
- Peel and core the apple, cut into pieces.
- Prepare the banana in half rings.
- Season the products with yogurt and mix carefully.
- Roll the lettuce leaves into tubes and cut them, decorate the salad.
Wrong snack
The 21st century is the time of information technology. A time when people have less and less free time. The time when food materializes on your table in a matter of minutes. All you need for this is a smartphone with Internet access. But unfortunately, this food can hardly be called healthy. And the wrong snacks are harmful to our health. They give us a short-term feeling of fullness and after some time our body demands to satisfy its needs again. All those who care about their health and their figure should avoid such foods as
- fast food
- soda
- cakes, pastries, sweets and cookies
- sausages
- noodles, potatoes and instant soups
- crackers, chips, salted nuts and salted fish
The right snack can not only preserve health, but also a person’s figure and nerves. By sticking to a certain diet and not forgetting about the right snacks, you will feel full of energy day after day. The extra pounds will go away and your health will be much stronger. Therefore, you need to eat right and enjoy it at the same time.
Baked apple
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If you want something sweet before bed, then instead of cakes and sweets, try eating a baked apple. Place it in the microwave for 3 minutes, sprinkle cinnamon on top and pour honey. Apples are high in vitamin C and fiber and low in calories.
Who is suitable for fractional meals?
Fractional nutrition is based on frequent meals in small portions. It involves holding breakfast, lunch, dinner, afternoon tea and dinner at the same hours.
An important rule of fractional nutrition is minimizing the consumption of salt and sugar, balancing the menu. This method of eating is practiced in medical medicine, since small portions of food are better absorbed by the body and prevent symptoms of heaviness, flatulence and abdominal discomfort.
Small meals are especially recommended for people who have low insulin sensitivity. After eating, they feel tired and drowsy, but the feeling of fullness does not last long.
In this case, frequent meals will allow you to control the amount of insulin released per day. This method of eating is suitable for overweight people and people with diabetes.
Separately, it is necessary to highlight persons suffering from diseases of the digestive system. With this type of pathology, doctors recommend eating small portions (no more than 300 g at a time) to prevent injury to the inflamed mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract.
Fractional nutrition also allows you to speed up the flow of bile from the body and reduce the concentration of acid in the stomach. Small amounts of food are easier and faster to digest. Fractional meals are also recommended for athletes, as it allows them to better distribute calories and eliminate the feeling of heaviness in the stomach during training.
People with normal sensitivity to carbohydrates and people who do not suffer from diabetes do not need to eat smaller meals. They can choose any pattern of food consumption. Nutritionists say that weight gain has nothing to do with the frequency of meals.
Rules
Now let's look at the rules for healthy snacks:
- you can't rush;
- do not eat on the go;
- be sure to maintain hygiene: wash your hands before eating, or use wet wipes;
- you should leave the work you are doing at the computer, otherwise the food will not be digested well, and the efficiency of your work will decrease;
- It is recommended to drink a glass of clean water before a snack; this will help you eat less than you consumed on an empty stomach.
Fish
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One of the best late-night snacks is a piece of white, not too fatty fish. Cod, hake, haddock, and pike perch are suitable. It is better for the fish to be baked in the oven or steamed. You can supplement it with vegetables, fresh or steamed, but only without sauce, it will provide too many calories and fats, and it can also have a stimulating effect and prevent you from falling asleep easily.
