5 tricks for a perfect snack
There is a misconception about the need to distribute the meals in five takes to guarantee energy for the whole day. However, this distribution has other benefits, such as avoiding chopping between meals or arriving too hungry at the table. In the case of perfect snack, we must be very attentive because it is the time when most unhealthy foods, made with sweets and fats, are most desired.
Five tricks for a perfect snack
1. The most suitable foods for snack they are fruits, dairy products and cereals.
2. Schedule the snack depending on the rest of the meals. If at lunch we have eaten fruit, we can have a dairy for tea and vice versa.
3. Adjust the amount of food in the snack to physical activity. We can reinforce the caloric intake if any sports activity is planned before dinner.
4. Try to vary the snacks in the case of children who tend to "tire" soon of repetitions.
5. Present the fruit of the snack in an attractive way, an apple does not usually attract attention. The same apple cut and with a yogurt on top is more appetizing.
Benefits of making 5 meals a day
For a healthy diet not only nutritional balance is necessary, that is to say that the diet contains all the nutrients, but it is also convenient to properly distribute the calories throughout the day.
In a general scheme of the daily caloric distribution, breakfast and mid-morning would account for 25% of total calories; lunch would be between 30 and 40%; the snack, 15 or 20% and 25 or 30% would correspond to the dinner.
We could think that the objective of this distribution would be to ensure that the body has a continuous supply of energy throughout the day and in this way, to be able to cope with daily activity. However, it is important to know that the organism has sufficient physiological mechanisms to guarantee energy intake even if only one meal was taken throughout the day.
What is certain is that, in certain people, the fractionation of the intake in five intakes prevents them from reaching the main meals with a feeling of hunger and, therefore, bingeing or snacking that may precede those meals is avoided. .
The snack could be considered an unimportant meal, however, if it is not taken care of like the rest of the meals, it could make a well-considered diet go to waste. It should be remembered that mid-afternoon is usually the time of the day that most unhealthy foods like: sweets, pastries, chocolates, pastries, fried snacks or soft drinks. This type of food does not have to be totally eliminated, but we can educate from childhood on the habit of reserving it for occasional consumption in special day celebrations.
Pedro J. Toranzos. Bachelor of Pharmacy, Diploma in Dietetics and Nutrition, Master in Dietetics
