A proper eating plan is more than just a diet to lose weight. Eating healthily and taking in all the nutrients our body needs must become a habit, or rather a lifestyle. To have a balanced and nourishing diet, it is essential to balance foods and divide our day into 5 meals.
Snacks on a diet: yes or no?
The 5 main meals of the day are breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, at least two a day, one mid-morning and one mid-afternoon.
That's right: snacks are part of a proper diet too, and they are essential for keeping your metabolism active and avoiding overeating at lunch or dinner. Don't think of this meal as the typical chocolate snack bar full of fat, and equally, don't think that skipping a snack is a good thing or helps you lose weight.
People often think that skipping a meal can benefit their figure, but it doesn't. This behaviour is very dangerous and must be kept in check before it turns into something more serious, such as an eating disorder.
With the rise of social media in particular, an idea of the "perfect" body has emerged, especially for women, with an obsessive focus on body and weight, which must conform to the standards promoted online and by traditional media.
The benefits of snacks
A healthy snack not only gives you more energy to stay efficient during the day, but also stops you getting very hungry between lunch and dinner. This means you eat the right amount at these 2 meals without overdoing it because you are ravenous. During a meal we don't notice that we are taking in too many calories, but afterwards we may feel bloated and tired.
That's why cutting snacks out of your diet could have the opposite of the desired effect, making you gain weight rather than lose it. You probably won't see this result straight away, during the days of "restriction", but as soon as you slip up, even slightly. You could also feel much less energetic, as your body won't have taken in the nutrients it needs to keep you active and productive during the day.
Have you ever felt tired on a diet for no particular reason? Well, the reason could be an extremely low-calorie diet. Remember that our body needs constant training, eating often and the right amount of food.
The calories taken in at snack time will vary according to each person's lifestyle: someone who trains every day will have higher daily needs than someone who leads a sedentary life. This is because people who exercise burn more calories, so they need to take in nutrients that provide energy to their body.
We do not recommend the classic shop-bought snack bars that promise lightness, satiety and wellbeing. The feeling of fullness probably comes from the amount of sugar they contain. It is better to eat wholesome foods with "good" sugars. Spirulina, for example, as we will see later, is a completely natural food supplement and, being rich in protein, activates the metabolism and gives a feeling of fullness that helps you avoid overeating at lunch or dinner
Foods that curb hunger
Healthy hunger-curbing snacks certainly include nuts and dried fruit. Nuts are rich in nutrients such as protein, fibre, calcium, phosphorus, iron and magnesium, all of which give our body a high energy supply.
They also help concentration, and therefore efficiency at work or while studying.
When we talk about nuts, the first thing that comes to mind is shelled or oily nuts, such as walnuts, almonds, peanuts and so on. But dried fruit such as figs, raisins, prunes and apricots has the same benefits for body and mind. So there is a very wide choice, allowing you to vary every day and make your healthy snack much tastier.
Depending on each person's lifestyle and daily activities, there are ideal combinations of nuts and dried fruit. A student, a worker and an athlete will have different needs, so the nutrients they take in may vary slightly; supplementing with spirulina is always recommended, though, both for the energy an athlete needs and for the concentration a student or worker needs.
For an athlete, who needs a lot of physical energy because they "work" with their muscles, peanuts could be an excellent option. This type of nut contains phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and vitamins, which are essential for anyone who plays sport. As for dried fruit, choose dates, which are also rich in minerals and simple sugars. Eating them, you will immediately feel energetic and active, as if you had eaten a piece of chocolate.
A student has to work with their mind. This is an activity that requires a high energy supply, perhaps as much as an athlete's. Without energy and natural sugars, the concentration needed for studying will also be missing. Lack of time often leads people to neglect their diet, but nothing could be more wrong. You will see that if you eat properly and take in the right foods, mental tiredness will also decrease. In this case, blueberries are the best choice: they are particularly nourishing, as they contain many antioxidants, which are essential for brain activity and concentration. Phosphorus, polyunsaturated fatty acids and selenium should never be missing when you study; these nutrients are abundant in cashews.
An excellent option for a healthy snack that benefits your body is spirulina, which has a slightly savoury taste and can be used to season many foods, both savoury and sweet. Despite its characteristic savoury taste, it is even used in dark chocolate to increase its beneficial properties. In short, spirulina gives you an extra boost. It is ideal especially for anyone who needs a high energy supply, as it can counter tiredness.
Other hunger-curbing foods include tomatoes, which can "fill" the stomach. At the same time, they are low in calories and healthy. A slice of wholemeal or multigrain bread, rich in carbohydrates, with tomato and a drizzle of oil could be a healthy idea for those who prefer savoury snacks.
Milk and dairy products are also excellent foods for a snack that helps prevent hunger pangs. Of course, you should choose low-fat cheeses or yoghurts, otherwise eating them regularly could have a negative effect. In themselves, though, dairy products are great allies for a healthy diet and for taking in nutrients.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away: and it's true. Here too we have a hunger-curbing food and, being a fruit, there's no need to worry about calories and fat. On the contrary, apples regulate blood cholesterol and help "burn" fat.
5 ideas for a tasty, light snack
As we have seen, there are many healthy and tasty foods, so we have plenty of choice for creating excellent snacks at home. Just let your imagination run free. But to get started, here are some ideas for your mid-morning or afternoon snack.
1. Chickpea hummus
Vegetables and legumes are also very important in a healthy diet, but they don't have to be eaten at lunch or dinner. An original, tasty snack is hummus. Simply boil some chickpeas that have been soaked for a day, then blend them with lemon juice and a clove of garlic. The result is a tasty cream that you can eat with rye bread and a drizzle of oil. You can use carrots instead of chickpeas.
The trend of the moment is the famous smoothie bowl, a "bowl" of yoghurt blended with fruit to make it thicker and then decorated with more fresh or dried fruit. You can play with different colour combinations to make your smoothie bowl more appetising, not only for the palate but also for the eyes. Use fat-free Greek yoghurt and a banana, and blend everything with a tablespoon of spirulina powder. Finish with a sprinkling of chopped hazelnuts and some red berries for a touch of colour.
3. Fruit pancakes
Do you love pancakes but feel guilty eating them often? No problem: try mini fruit pancakes, with no butter, no eggs and no sugar. They may not sound very inviting, but you'll change your mind. Just blend a banana with 60 ml of milk, 50g of flour and a pinch of baking powder and cook them like classic pancakes. Melt a small piece of dark chocolate, perhaps with added spirulina, and you're done.
4. Rye bread and avocado
Those who prefer savoury food can go for something tasty and healthy at the same time, especially after a tiring day. Avocado is a source of energy and contains good fats. Take the avocado flesh, mash it and season it with salt and lemon. Spread it on a slice of toasted rye bread and enjoy a tasty snack.
5. Greek yoghurt, honey and nuts
Greek yoghurt lovers can, instead of a smoothie bowl, simply add a teaspoon of honey, perhaps organic honey with Spirulina Becagli, and some walnuts or other nuts, and enjoy it as it is.
