{"id":16710,"date":"2023-02-09T10:45:57","date_gmt":"2023-02-09T10:45:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theguthealthdoctor.local\/?p=16710"},"modified":"2023-02-28T11:51:40","modified_gmt":"2023-02-28T11:51:40","slug":"5-easy-to-follow-tips-for-smart-snacking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/5-easy-to-follow-tips-for-smart-snacking","title":{"rendered":"5 easy-to-follow tips for smart snacking"},"content":{"rendered":"

Refer to yourself as a \u2018snacker\u2019 and the people around you might assume that your daily diet contains less-than-healthy habits \u2013 may\u00a0be fuelled\u00a0more by a chocolate biscuit or a bag of salt and vinegar crisps than nourishing breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Eating between meals, though, is not necessarily a problem, when it comes to maintaining a feel-good lifestyle.<\/p>\n

In fact, snacking can be beneficial, particularly when it comes to your weight and managing your blood sugar levels. In one piece of recent work, published in the Journal of Medicinal Food, researchers showed that having a 30g serving of walnuts\u00a0as a snack significantly reduced the total calorie, saturated fat, sugar and salt intake at the subsequent meal.\u00a0It is not just adults, another piece of science that supports this is new research from the Imperial College London, which found that not letting children have snacks is linked with a higher body weight and a negative relationship with food.<\/p>\n

What is more, research published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that snackers had higher intakes of several key nutrients, including our gut microbes\u2019 favourite, fibre, compared with non-snackers.\u00a0Now of course, the food groups you graze on matter, in a big way. The snackers who reaped the benefits will have likely been enjoying more plant-based and whole grain goodness than, say, gummy bears. And, given that estimates suggest that, on average, around 20% of our total calories comes from\u00a0snacks, you\u00a0can see why the nutritional make-up of what you graze on is vital.<\/p>\n

So, what is our advice for transforming your snacking habit into something that fuels your health, and doesn\u2019t hinder it? Check out our top tips, below.<\/p>\n

1. Prioritise whole grain and plant-based snacks<\/b><\/p>\n

In doing so, you set yourself up to feed your gut with lots of fibre. For maximum health benefits, opt for a snack that pairs fibre with either a protein or a healthy fat. This has the added benefit of supporting your blood sugar balance while also keeping your appetite hormones in check, keeping you more satisfied for longer. Need a little help getting started? Three of our go-to snacks are:<\/p>\n