No matter what way we talk around it, we are increasingly a ‘snacking nation’. This may be partly contributed to our lifestyles becoming busier and so we have less time to prepare food as we are always on the go. Snacks most frequently are associated with being high in fat, salt and sugar however this is not the way it needs to be and with a little extra thought and perhaps effort we can still have all our yummy snacks however they will be much healthier and most importantly ‘Gut Friendly’.
Chocolate bar to Cereal bar:
Chocolate bars tend to be high in sugar and not much else. Yes they will give us an instant boost of energy however what else are we getting from it? Why not swop your chocolate nibble for a deliciously tasty cereal bar. Cereal bars will provide you with similar sweetness, therefore satisfying you sweet tooth, through the binding ingredient (usually syrup – although minute amounts) and also the natural fruit. Cereal is also a good source of fibre and therefore will help your digestive health and keep you fuller for longer.
Sweets to dried fruit:
Again, sweets provide us with the instant sugar boost however not much else. Why not try dried fruits such as dates, apricots, sultana’s which will provide us with our sugar fix but also give us a boost nutritionally as each type of fruit provides with an array of vitamins and minerals and fibre, all of which will help our digestive health.
Crisps to nuts:
Crisps are something we all associate as something to have for a break. This is probably as most of us would have had a bag of crisps for break when we were at school. Why not try some mixed nuts instead. Not only will they provide us with that ‘crunch’ we get from eating a packet of crisps but they will also provide us with fat soluble vitamins A,D,E and K.