What Are the Benefits of Healthy Snacking Habits?
As the old saying goes, you are what you eat. After decades or reaching for chips and candy bars as a snack, Americans are now much more cognizant of the impact of unhealthy snacking on their weight and health. Nutrition is a key to a healthier lifestyle, and most people understand this. But what are the true benefits of healthy snacking habits?
Healthy Snacking Controls Weight
When we are extremely hungry and verging on “hangry,” we tend to reach for whatever is available, without thinking about health. Avoiding extreme hunger helps control weight by lessening the chances of binging on an entire bag of chips or cookies. Incorporating a healthy snack mid-morning and mid-afternoon keeps the body full and prevents impulse snacking that leads to weight gain.
Healthy Snacking Controls Cravings
The body’s blood sugar falls around three or four hours after eating a meal. Small, healthy snacks between meals actually boosts metabolism and keeps blood sugar at a consistent level. Hunger forces the body into famine mode which means it will crave high-fat foods. Snacking on nuts, an excellent source of protein and healthy fats, controls urges to reach for less-healthy options.
Healthy Snacking Boosts Energy and Mood
The food we eat fuels our bodies. Refined sugars and saturated fats can provide a short burst of energy, but when it’s over, blood sugar and energy crash. Typically, when the body experiences a crash, mood is also negatively impacted. Healthy snacks provide the body with slow-burning fuel that maintains steady energy levels, longer.
Healthy Snacking Provides Essential Nutrients
You don’t need a degree in nutrition science to know that candy and chips contain little nutritional value. Healthy snacking is a great way to improve the overall quality of your diet. Nutrient-rich snacks help meet the recommended daily requirements of vitamins and minerals, and many snacks provide dietary fiber, protein, healthy fats and amino acids. For people who are concerned about the quality of their daily meals, healthy snacks can help make up the difference.
Healthy Snacking Can Act as a Meal Replacement
Long gone are the idyllic days where families sat down around the dining room table for three meals day. American schedules are just too busy to allow for such a luxury. Healthy snacking is a great way to replace meals when on the go or when preparing a meal is simply inconvenient. Packaged, healthy snacks are especially ideal when on the move. A bag of nut or trail mix is easy to consume in the car, on a train, or while walking.
Are You Offering Healthy Snack Choices to Customers?
If you want to provide your shoppers with high-quality snack foods, Mister Snacks can help. For example, our new Antioxidant Berry Mix is loaded with antioxidant-rich dried berries, hunger-defeating streusal sticks, and injected with Ancient Grains with stellar nutritional value. We also have a wide variety of healthy snack alternatives and we can help you choose the fastest-moving, highest-margin choices for your market. To learn more about our products, our pricing and the ways we can help you strengthen customer loyalty, contact Mister Snacks today.