5 quick and healthy snacking hints

Getting that pang of hunger in the mid-afternoon can be the downfall of many healthy diets. Here are some suggestions to have your snack and be healthy eating it too.

Water, iced tea, hot tea and seltzer with a dash of lemon juice are all great choices. Getting away from sweetened drinks can save you hundreds of empty calories every day.

Studies show that cut fruit retains important nutrients for nearly a week. Keeping them front and centre in the refrigerator makes it easy to open the door and indulge in chunks of watermelon, wedges of melon, pineapple slices, grapes and strawberries.

Would you rather have 19 tiny peanuts or a whole juicy apple adorned with 5 millilitres (1 teaspoon) of peanut butter? Both snacks are healthy, and each has about 110 calories. But the apple's size makes it a much more satisfying and appealing choice.

Sometimes we all just want to snack — and snack and snack some more. Keep some low-calorie, nutritious foods that you enjoy on hand, such as apples, frozen berries, carrots, sliced red bell peppers, and air-popped popcorn. Allow yourself to eat as much of them as you want.

Many people snack not out of hunger, but to satisfy a desire for flavour or texture. That's why so many snack foods are salty and crunchy. You can satisfy that desire for texture just as easily, and far more healthfully, with a salad. Use head lettuce, carrots, cabbage, celery, and bell peppers to give your mouth the robust texture it desires. If you go light on the dressing, you can eat a whole bowl of salad before you get to the calorie count of a handful of pretzels or potato chips.

Snacking doesn't have to be a diet killer. With the right foods kept in easily accessible places, you can snack and stay healthy.