Balanced Snacks- March Nutrition Tip Week 4

Snacking is an effective way to fit extra nutrients into your diet and prevent overeating at mealtime. Ideally, we should be eating 5 times a day; three meals and two snacks mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Don't misunderstand however, those three meals become smaller since you'll be "grazing" every 2-3 hours!

Pair a carbohydrate like fruits or low glycemic vegetables with protein foods like nuts for the most balanced snack. Low glycemic foods are what should compromise the bulk of our meals. These are foods that have minimal impact on blood sugar (glucose). Carbohydrates with a low GI value (55 or less) are more slowly digested, absorbed and metabolized and cause a lower and slower rise in blood glucose and, therefore insulin levels. When we eat high GI foods, our bodies have to release a flood of insulin to metabolize the glucose and when our bodies can't release enough insulin for the amount of sugar we intake, that sugar turns to fat... and BOOM, we gain weight! It really is that simple.

Here's a great list of low GI veggies! Which ones are your favorites?

Artichokes
Artichoke hearts
Asparagus
Bamboo shoots
Bean sprouts
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cauliflower
Celery
Cucumber
Daikon
Eggplant
Leeks
Lentils
Beans (green, kidney, garbanzo)
Greens (collard, kale, mustard, turnip)
Mushrooms
Okra
Onions
Pea pods
Peppers
Radishes
Rutabaga
Squash
Sugar snap peas
Swiss chard
Tomato
Water chestnuts
Watercress
Zucchini
Cabbage (green, bok choy, Chinese)
Salad greens (chicory, endive, escarole, iceberg lettuce, romaine, spinach, arugula, radicchio, watercress)