Do you envy people that seem to eat all day long, yet maintain a healthy weight? Wish you could too? Well, read on, because grazing is definitely in your future as a healthy eater.
According to the American Heart Association, the original research on the effects of many small meals found that if you took one day’s food intake and divided it into 17 mini meals, total blood cholesterol dropped, especially the “bad” cholesterol. While eating 17 times a day is not practical for most people, eating five to six meals a day, instead of two or three, can have a number of health benefits. There is also some evidence that people who snack wisely may find weight control easier.
Additionally, nibbling or snacking can be useful for diabetic management because it keeps blood sugar levels more even without the big demand for insulin created by larger meals. Long periods without meals can increase impulse eating, making it more difficult to eat reasonable amounts at meal times.
| Instead of: | Choose: |
| Ice cream | Nonfat frozen yogurt |
| Doughnuts | Raisin bagels |
| Cheddar cheese/crackers | String cheese/whole wheat cracker |
| Peanuts | Popcorn |
| Chocolate Chip Cookies | Whole wheat animal cookies |
To be a successful healthy snack eater, plan to keep some of these quick and easy 50-calorie options on hand, when you’re ready to nibble:
- 5 dried apricot halves
- 2 slices of whole grain crisp bread
- 2 cups of air-popped popcorn
- 12 grapes
- 1 small apple
- 2 regular whole wheat breadsticks
- 2 squares of whole what graham crackers
- 1/2 cup nonfat cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup nonfat yogurt