These 3 nutrients can help you build the perfect snack

To keep you full, satisfied and powered-up throughout the day

Photo by Larissa Deruzzi from Pexels

“Wait, isn’t snacking bad”?

This is a question I often get as a registered dietitian. But the truth is that healthy snacks can, and should be part of a healthy and normal diet.

Snacks get a bad rap from the ultra-processed “snack foods” found in convenience stores and grocery shelves, but snacks made with generally whole foods can:

• Fulfill your protein needs, especially if you are following an exercise routine or living an active lifestyle
• Decrease cravings and ravenous hunger, resulting in more balanced meal intake later in the day
• Increase intake of fiber, vegetables & fruits, to help stabilize blood sugar & energy levels while meeting micronutrient targets
• Improve quality of life, by allowing yourself to eat the occasional indulgent snack with your family and friends

But … doesn’t snacking spike insulin levels, leading to weight gain?

Insulin is the hormone that helps our body utilize and store energy from food. The hormone rises in response to intake of carbohydrates (sugar) and…