 To answer that question right off the bat, yes, they can be. But it can become a little more complicated that to simply tell people, yes, have snacks all day long!
First of all, what is a snack? It’s basically either some food in either a solid or liquid form that you consume in-between your main meals. It can be literally be anything! The concern is when people tend to have snacks when they are in fact not hungry for it. This is where it can become more complicated than simply saying eat all the time. I generally encourage some snacking to my clients, but only if they are truly hungry in-between meals. This could be because their meals are spaced far apart or they’ve done some exercise throughout the day, or the day before which has increased their appetite. A snack can consist of many different options. Depending on the person, I would encourage a fibre source (i.e. fruit, vegetable and/or whole grains) and a protein source (meat, non-meat options, nuts/seeds…) to help ensure that they remain satiated until their next meal. But that doesn’t mean that, as a dietitian, I will ALWAYS recommend a fruit or vegetable. My recommendations will change from person to person. Sometimes choosing the right snack for you can be tough. There are so many pre-made options that you can choose from it can be confusing. If you do decide to choose a pre-made option (i.e. like a granola bar), I highly recommend to choose one that is lower in sugar and higher in fibre and protein. This way it can help carry you to the next meal. But if you have 10 minutes or so on your weekend I will challenge you to make your own granola bars! It’s actually quite simple. There are many recipes to choose from and again you still want to make sure that they are lower in sugar and higher in fibre and protein. This recipe that I found from www.runningwithspoons.com is actually quite tasty! To make sure that it would be suitable for me (being Celiac and all!) I used certified gluten free oats and I used peanut butter instead of almond butter (just because I had PB) and they turned out quite delicious! If you need to avoid honey due to IBS/FODMAP issues, you can substitute with maple syrup. Here’s the link to the recipe! http://www.runningwithspoons.com/2014/01/07/soft-and-chewy-protein-granola-bars/ What are some of your favorite snacks?
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 · Celery needs to be eaten within the first 7 days of purchasing and a good chunk of its antioxidants are lost within that time frame.
· 95% water but that doesn’t mean that it lacks in nutrients. It’s a good source of vitamin K, potassium, fibre and folate. They are naturally low in calories, fat and carbohydrates. As well as a decent amount of antioxidants with anti-inflammatory properties. · It’s not true about “negative calories”. The amount of calories it takes to digest a stalk of celery is quite small. · Celery can be a great, quick snack but also a good source of hydration. So if you are thinking of another way to hydrate without drinking water, next time think of celery! · Have you ever heard that celery can help you relieve your symptoms of heartburn? Well, it hasn’t been scientifically proven. But this is definitely an old wives tale that seems to work for most people. Maybe next time you suffer a little heartburn, try some celery! · An allergy to celery is quite common. It’s associated with Oral Allergy Syndrome; actually it’s related to the birch-mugwort allergies. If you are allergic to one or the other, you may be allergic to celery. Reactions can vary from mild to severe (anaphylactic). · Great celery snack ideas: Have you ever paired celery with peanut butter? I haven’t yet…but many people tell it’s delicious! Not your thing? Try with some hummus or cheese maybe :) What’s your favourite way of eating celery |