I really like eating fruits, fried foods, soft drinks... So how should I consume snacks without becoming obese and affecting my health? (Hong, 29 years old, Hanoi)
Reply:
Unhealthy snacks are always tempting. To snack healthily and not gain weight, first, you need to identify whether you want to snack because you crave it or because you are hungry.
If you are hungry, it may be because you did not eat enough at your main meal or your meal was not balanced in nutrients. Instead of snacking, eat a snack that is half the size of your main meal, with only vegetables and protein.
If you are craving something, try to think about what triggers your craving, such as sweet or salty or sour foods, or simply seeing someone else eating. Once you are clear about it, you can eat it, but keep a few things in mind: Snacks should not contain unhealthy ingredients, including sugar, refined starches, trans fats, and sweeteners. If you do have starch, choose whole-grain starches such as oats, quinoa, nuts, and whole grains.
For fruits and vegetables, choose sugar-free or very low-sugar varieties such as cantaloupe, oranges, lemons, tangerines, and grapefruit. Avoid eating durian, rambutan, mango, and jackfruit; avoid starchy vegetables such as pumpkin and potatoes.
Also, make sure your snacking portion fits in one fist at a time.
In particular, the two times when snacking has the least impact on weight loss are right after a main meal and before exercise. The reason is that right after a main meal, if you have eaten a standard meal with lots of vegetables, nibbling on a little dessert will have less harmful effects. Snacking before exercise also avoids hunger and reduces the risk of hypoglycemia.
You can refer to some non-fattening snacks, such as: cereal with milk, boiled fresh beans, a handful of nuts, fruit and vegetable smoothies, protein-rich drinks such as whey protein...
Doctor Phan Thai Tan
HomeFiT Weight Loss Health Coach
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