Tuesday, July 5, 2011

The best snack food substitutions

Most health experts agree, eating little and often throughout the day can be a great way to keep blood sugars even and energy levels high but be careful what you reach for!  With chocolate bars at every checkout and crisps on every corner it can be all too easy to over do the calories and fat so here are our suggestions for snack food substitutions that will hit the spot without piling on the pounds.
Swap:
A Bar of Milk Chocolate Kcal: 254 Fat grams: 15g.
For:
Two squares of high cocoa content dark chocolate Kcal: 50 Fat: 2.3g.
Good quality, dark chocolate provides all the flavour hit you’ll need plus a whole heap of immune boosting, wrinkle zapping antioxidants for a fraction of the calories.
Swap:
A bag of crisps Kcal: 181 Fat: 11.4g.
For:
A mini bag of Twiglets Kcal: 96 Fat: 3g.
Get that hit of salty, crunchiness for half the calories and a fraction of the fat.
Swap:
A Milkshake approximately Kcal: 290 Fat: 2.5g.
For:
A fresh fruit smoothie approximately Kcal: 188 Fat: 1g fat.
Use ripe, in season fruit for a naturally sweet and deliciously filling snack.
Snacks
Swap:
A bag of fruit flavoured sweets approximately Kcal: 165 Fat: 0g.
For:
A handful of ready to eat semi dried figs Kcal: 115 Fat: 0g.
This might not seem like a huge saving where the calories or fat are concerned but the whopping 9 grams of fibre wrapped up in the figs is a really healthy bonus that will help to aid digestion and slow down the release of the natural sugars helping you to fuller for longer.
Swap:
Cheddar Cheese and Crackers approximately Kcal: 496 Fat: 34g.
For:
Reduced fat hummus, cucumber and oatcakes approx Kcals: 202 Fat: 10g.
This is a great low GI, high fibre snack that will really take the edge of your hunger.
Swap:
A Blueberry Muffin approximately Kcal: 455 Fat: 12g.
For:
A slice of malt loaf approximately Kcal: 103 Fat: 0.7g.
Next time you’re tempted to reach for a muffin with your morning coffee grab a slice of malt loaf instead.  It’s intense, sticky flavour will give you all the sweetness you’re craving for half the calories and almost no fat.
Swap:
A handful of mixed, salted, roasted nuts approximately Kcal: 175 Fat: 15g.
For:
A handful of mixed fruit and nuts approximately Kcal: 112 Fat: 4.6g.
Mixed fruit and nuts not only contain much more fibre and far less salt, they are also much lower in fat.
Swap:
Two chocolate biscuits approximately Kcal: 167 Fat: 8g.
For:
Two Jaffa cakes approximately Kcal: 90 Fat: 2g.
If your cuppa just isn’t the same without a chocolate biscuit along side, a Jaffa cake can make a good, lower calorie alternative.
Swap:
A croissant approximately Kcals: 180 Fat: 10g.
For:
A whole meal fruit scone and jam Kcals: 150 Fat: 5g.
Not only is it far more filling, it’s higher in fibre too. Just make sure you leave out the butter!
Swap:
A jam doughnut approximately Kcals: 252 Fat: 11g
For:
An iced finger Kcal: 115 Fat: 1g.
An iced finger is essentially just bread topped with icing so you avoid all the deep frying and extra sugar that doughnuts require

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