Snacks Article

HEALTHY SNACKING – HOW, WHAT AND WHY?

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A SNACK AND A MAIN MEAL?

Generally speaking, main meals should provide the majority of your energy and nutrient needs, and snacks serve to compensate for energy deficits – always with the goal of maintaining a constant source of energy. If you manage to put together your meals in a balanced way with plenty of vegetables and/or fruits, complex carbohydrates (whole grains, legumes, brown rice, etc.), a source of protein and healthy fats, these should keep you full for four to five hours. This is because our meal structure affects our energy intake, blood sugar levels, and our sense of hunger satiety. The more wholesome your meals and snacks are, the fuller you’ll get through the day and the cravings for sweet, high-fat snacks will be less. You will also be able to break out of the vicious cycle of craving food every two hours.

Simple carbohydrates in particular (e.g. in chocolate, cakes, juice, sodas, baguettes and other white flour products) cause our blood sugar levels to rise steeply. Our body functions best when the blood glucose level is within the normal range, whereas strong blood glucose peaks always lead to a strong drop in blood glucose levels. The result is a declining performance level, lack of concentration and mood swings. To regulate our blood sugar, the “mast hormone” insulin is secreted, which means that the higher the blood sugar level, the more insulin there is in our body. However, insulin inhibits fat burning and the entire metabolism is geared to “storage and mass build-up”. If we constantly snack and drive our blood sugar up with our main meals, the body never has the opportunity to activate the fat metabolism, which can lead to metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure. You may have experienced that once you have started snacking, it’s hard to give up sweet treats and break the cycle of cravings.

There is not one optimal structure for everyone, because individual factors such as illness, working hours or even preferences, have an influence on our meal structure. As a first step, try to eat unprocessed foods and a variety of foods. That way, you will get through the day feeling full and  won’tfeel like having a snack every two hours. Eating consistently throughout the day is the most important thing to break up.

Also, it does not always work out according to plan and not every day is the “perfect brainfood day”.Especially in stressful everyday life, it can quickly happen that you forget to eat regularly. This causes the blood sugar level to drop too much and leads to a low mental and physical performance. The body wants to get out of this as quickly as possible and signals a ravenous appetite for energy-rich, mostly sugar- and fat-rich foods that cause blood sugar levels to rise again as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, it drops again just as quickly afterwards. In order to avoid the constant change between performance lows and highs and to be able to perform steadily, the blood glucose level must remain within the normal range. That’s why snacks are a good way to regulate our blood glucose levels and thus energy levels , especially during stressful times when meals are skipped.

Especially when there are long breaks of several hours between the main meals, snacks in between ensure that the blood sugar level does not drop too far. However, the snack between meals must be chosen carefully. Thus, there are situations in which it makes sense to eat a snack and other situations in which you should reconsider whether it is hunger, cravings or habit.

OUR TIP: PUT A SMALL HEALTHY SNACK STOCK TO BE PREPARED FOR THE SMALL HUNGER IN BETWEEN. WE’LL SHOW YOU OUR TOP 5 SNACKS HERE, WHICH WILL HELP YOU GET THROUGH EVERYDAY WORK WITH FULL CONCENTRATION.

SNACK NO. 1: WHOLEMEAL BREAD WITH SALMON/CHEESE

The perfect snack is characterized by the fact that it increases blood sugar levels slowly and moderately. Carbohydrates have the strongest influence on blood sugar levels. Eaten pure, for example in the form of bread or pretzels, they are not suitable as a snack. If, on the other hand, carbohydrates are eaten in combination with protein-rich foods, the effect on blood glucose levels is weakened. An example of this is wholemeal bread with salmon or cheese.

SNACK NO. 2: NUT-FRUIT MIX

The combination of quick sugars from dried fruit and healthy fats from nuts is optimal for quickly getting new energy that lasts. That’s because fats also buffer the effect of sugar on blood sugar levels. You can either buy ready-made trail mix or create your own personal blend. A handful of the nut-fruit mix is enough to give you a boost and get your blood sugar levels back in the right range.

SNACK NO. 3: ENERGY BALLS

Our ENERGY BALLS combine quick sugars from dried fruit with healthy fats from nut butter and complex carbohydrates from oatmeal. These carefully selected ingredients ensure that the balls not only deliver valuable energy, but also provide long-lasting satiety thanks to the fiber they contain. They are the perfect snack for all chocolate lovers!

SNACK NO. 4: NATURAL YOGHURT WITH BERRIES AND LINSEEDS

If you prefer to eat something sweet in the afternoon, you will like this snack idea. All you need is:

• 1 small natural plain yoghurt (150 g).
• 1 handful of berries of your choice (fresh or frozen)
• 1 tablespoon of ground linseeds or chopped nuts

Since you only need to mix the ingredients in a bowl, it takes less than a minute to prepare. By combining protein with sugar and fiber, your blood sugar levels will be much less affected than if you were to eat the fruit plain. The result is a sustained ability to concentrate without a drop in performance afterwards. You can also use the ingredients to quickly and easily prepare a RED SMOOTHIE!

SNACK NO. 5: GREEN SMOOTHIE

With this recipe, you’ll reach your daily recommended two portions of fruit and three portions of vegetables in no time. For the world’s easiest green smoothie, you’ll need:

• ½ head of lettuce (preferably dark, such as romaine or lamb’s lettuce).
• 200 g berries (frozen or regular).

Just put the ingredients in the blender and puree. Instead of lettuce, you can also use spinach and if you want it a little sweeter, add half a banana or one or two dried dates. Prepare double the amount right away so that you are also supplied for the following day. The smoothie keeps easily for one to two days in the refrigerator.