Why snacks

For children who are active and growing, snacks also give them the energy they need to grow and play. Snacks keep you from getting hungry and overeating at mealtime.

For many adults and children, the long hours between meals may be difficult. If this is true for you, try having a small, nutritious snack like vegetable sticks or fresh fruit before dinner. This should satisfy your hunger but still leave room for a healthy meal. Having healthy snacks handy can help to avoid eating unhealthy snacks. Preparing healthy snacks ahead of time and having them readily available can help one when hunger strikes.

Having those healthy snacks available will prevent people from getting too hungry with junk foods as the only option. Some easy snacks to have on hand are whole fruits, cut vegetables, cottage cheese and whole grain crackers. It is possible to still gain weight if consuming too much of them. So, monitoring portion size should become a habit when preparing healthy snacks and consuming food in general.

It is evident that consuming healthy snacks are very beneficial to the body in many aspects as stated above. Preparing snacks ahead of time and leaving them in the fridge will save on time when you need a quick pick me up before leaving the house.

It can also help you choose the healthier snack over the unhealthy snack. That will lead to consuming more nutrient dense foods throughout the day that can help improve your health. Consuming these healthy snacks can help the body recover after exercise, feel happier and allow you to have more energy throughout the day. Snacking out of boredom or for other emotional reasons isn't healthy and can lead to overeating and weight gain.

Most snacks should be around calories, but if you need to use a snack in place of a meal, eat a slightly larger snack containing about calories, recommends MayoClinic. Based in Massachusetts, Jessica Bruso has been writing since She holds a master of science degree in food policy and applied nutrition and a bachelor of arts degree in international relations, both from Tufts University.

Why Are Healthy Snacks Important? By Jessica Bruso Updated November 27,