Introduction: Eating snacks in a reasonable and moderate way is a life enjoyment that can provide energy and nutrients, and satisfy our desire for delicious food; eating snacks can also relieve tension, so don't simply think that eating snacks is an unhealthy behavior.
Snacks refer to food eaten outside of regular meal times. Not only do children and adolescents love snacks, but now most young people also like to eat snacks. Eating snacks in a reasonable and moderate way is a life enjoyment that can provide energy and nutrients, and satisfy our desire for delicious food; moreover, in some cases, eating snacks can also relieve tension. Therefore, don't simply think that eating snacks is an unhealthy behavior.
Choose by level
As food outside of three meals a day, the energy and nutrients provided by snacks are a component of the daily dietary intake and should be calculated in the assessment of energy and nutrient intake and cannot be ignored. The key to eating snacks lies in what to eat, how much to eat, and when to eat. Grasping these three points can allow you to enjoy delicious food without gaining weight and be happy.
1. Preferred level: Fruits, nuts, dairy products, etc.
Fruits are rich in nutrients such as vitamin C, minerals like calcium and potassium, and dietary fiber. These components play a positive role in maintaining the body's metabolism, antioxidant effects, and anti-aging.
Nuts are a type of nutrient-rich food. In addition to being rich in protein and fat, they also contain a large amount of vitamin E, magnesium, potassium, and more dietary fiber, which are beneficial to health. However, pay attention to the amount of nuts, it is recommended to consume 50 grams per week. This is about 6 thin-skinned walnuts with skin, so everyone can pay attention to moderation. Because nuts are high in energy, excessive consumption can increase the chance of obesity. It is worth noting that when giving nuts to children, it is recommended to chop them into small pieces to avoid the risk of choking when children eat them.
Dairy products include yogurt, milk, cheese, milk powder, etc., which are highly nutritious and easy to digest. They are a good source of high-quality protein, vitamin B2, and calcium. Having a yogurt as a snack is a good choice.
2. Conditional level: Chocolate, fish jerky, seaweed, dried fruits, etc.
Fish jerky and seaweed are nutritious snacks that provide protein, dietary fiber, iodine and other nutrients, but because of their high salt content, pay attention to the intake amount.
Chocolate can be eaten, but chocolate can make girls gain weight and have a bad complexion, but this does not include dark chocolate, because the fat content of dark chocolate is lower than that of milk chocolate, and the sugar and salt content is also lower. The sugar and oil content of dark chocolate is relatively less, and it also contains flavonoid antioxidants, which have a relatively strong protective effect against cardiovascular diseases. People with obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high blood lipids, pancreatitis, cholecystitis and other chronic diseases should avoid it. After all, dark chocolate is also a high-calorie food. If you eat a lot and do not control the intake of other foods, it is still unhealthy.
Dried fruits such as raisins, dried persimmons, dried figs, etc., although rich in nutrients, have a high sugar content, so they should be consumed in moderation.
3. Restricted level: Jelly, puffed food, pickled food, cookies, etc.
These foods have low nutritional density and relatively more additives, so it is recommended not to eat them. When you want to satisfy a craving, you can pair them with vegetables and fruits, which can not only supplement nutrition but also promote metabolism. Animal experiments in the United States have shown that animals eating a single food additive will not produce observable consequences, but animals eating multiple food additives at the same time will get sick. Therefore, when choosing snacks, you should also pay attention to nutrition.
Principles for choosing snacks:
1. Look at the ingredient list
Choose snacks with less food additives. Because children and adolescents are still in the stage of growth and development, excessive artificial colors and other food additives will accelerate the loss of zinc in the body. Zinc deficiency is a sensitive topic. Because of zinc deficiency, in mild cases, children may not love to eat, and in severe cases, it may induce pica, and may also lead to delayed growth and development, affect intellectual development, and reduce the sensitivity of taste. The labeling of ingredients in the ingredient list follows the principle of decreasing content from more to less, so when choosing snacks, pay attention to what is listed first?
2. Pay attention to the nutrition facts table
We have more than enough sugar and salt. For example, the drinks we usually drink can clearly show the sugar and salt content on the nutrition facts table. It is easy to drink a bottle at once. If you convert the amount of sugar in a bottle of drink into white sugar, can you eat it all at once? Children are in the stage of growth and development. Too much sugar and salt are not good for their growth and development, and will increase the chance of suffering from chronic diseases such as obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Now there are more and more chubby children, and patients with high blood pressure also frequently appear in children's hospitals. To care for children, please start from choosing snacks for them.
Time to eat snacks
Snacks should be eaten at appropriate times, such as between meals, so as not to affect the appetite of regular meals. Generally, it is better around 10 a.m. and 3-4 p.m. The amount of snacks should not be too much to avoid affecting the intake of regular meals. Among similar foods, you can choose foods with relatively low energy and high nutritional density to avoid excessive energy intake.