Why Healthy Snacks Are Essential for Optimal Health
Leading a healthy lifestyle is all about consistency and regularly making good choices. Those choices include everything from the meals you eat, to the movement you fit into your day, how much sleep you get and even the snacks you reach for in between meals.
This can look slightly different for each person, but when it comes to snacking there are certainly ‘good’ choices and ‘bad’ choices. Snacks might seem like a very small part of your overall health and wellness, but they play a big part in your energy levels, mood and ability to stay on track with your regular diet.
As such, arming yourself with tasty, nutritious snacks can go a long way towards you reaching your goals. In this blog, we’ll cover what exactly makes a snack ‘healthy’, how you can work them into your daily routine and what to look out for when choosing your new favourite snack.
Let’s get stuck in!
Why Snacks Matter for Consistency
A healthy lifestyle is a lifelong endeavour, which makes consistency your best friend. With all the good will in the world, white knuckling a strict diet with minimal flexibility can be a recipe (pun intended) for disaster - you need to find ways to enjoy the food you eat every day.
Most people eat two to three meals a day, but hunger and energy levels don’t live on the same schedule we do. Mid-morning slumps, afternoon crashes and late-night cravings are things we all experience, but if you try to ignore them you could end up reaching for the easiest option later on. This usually leads to something ‘convenient’ - AKA processed, packed with sugar and unsatisfying in the longer term.
By keeping quick healthy snacks on hand, you can remove this problem from the equation. Instead of fighting through hunger, you can easily fuel your body with what it needs to keep you going without dips or crashes.
The word ‘snacks’ has long been associated with unhealthy foods, but it really doesn’t have to be this way. Consistency is what makes long-term goals achievable and snacks are a huge part of keeping you on track whatever the day throws at you.
What Makes a Snack “Healthy”?
By definition, the word ‘healthy’ means to promote positive overall health. But what does that mean in terms of a snack? Here are some key qualities which separate a healthy snack from an unhealthy one:
● A balance of macronutrients: A snack with a strong profile of protein, healthy fats and carbohydrates not only helps to fill you up but keep your energy levels stable for longer.
● Extra micronutrient value: Snacks with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and extra nutrients like fibre support your overall health, recovery and digestion.
● Satiety: You can usually tell a healthy snack from an unhealthy one by how long it satisfies you for. If you’re hungry again 15 minutes later, your snack likely had very little nutritional value.
● Clean nutrition: A short ingredient list is your friend here. Many snacks are packed with fillers, preservatives and added sugars - try and keep these to a minimum where possible.
In short, you want a snack made with clean, natural ingredients which offers a wide breadth of nutrients. Then it’s not just a treat for your tastebuds, it’s a treat for the whole you.
How To Fit Healthy Snacks Into Your Routine
Maintaining healthy habits is all about removing friction. By this, we mean making it as easy as possible to enjoy your snacks. If you have to make everything from scratch any time you’re feeling peckish, eventually you’ll just reach for a quick bag of something processed instead.
Here are some quick tips to help fit healthy snacks into your daily routine:
Plan ahead: Keep your stores stocked with healthy snacks wherever you’re most likely to need them. Your car, desk or bag should all be kitted out ready for when a craving hits.
Keep the balance: Have a range of snacks on hand with different nutritional profiles for when you need them. If you had a lunch which was light on protein, make sure you’ve got a high-protein snack on hand for mid-afternoon. If you were short on vegetables during the day, enjoy an evening snack packed with the micronutrients you need.
Stay mindful: Try to avoid eating when you’re bored - usually you’re not really hungry. Before you reach for that snack, drink a glass of water and ask yourself if you’re genuinely hungry.
Portion control: Snacks should compliment your main meals, not replace them. Pre-portioned snacks are a great way to make sure you don’t accidentally overindulge and throw off your otherwise healthy diet by mistake.
Healthy Snack Ideas: Ghuttie Snacks
With all this in mind, you might be looking for a simple way to put this plan into action. That’s where we come in! At Ghuttie Snacks, we have our own special recipe for healthy snacks which taste good and make you feel good.
Why Sunflower Seeds?
Our range of snacks is built around the humble sunflower seed - a healthy snack as old as time. They’re naturally packed with protein, healthy facts and micronutrients like vitamin E, magnesium and selenium.
They might be small but they’re mighty, making them the perfect base for a nutritious snack.
The Ghuttie Difference
What makes our sunflower seeds a little different is their special coating. We elevate our sunflower seeds with superfoods, including cacao, baobab, moringa and maca. This packs them with even more nutrients and gives you a variety of flavours to enjoy.
With our sunflower seeds, you don’t need to choose between taste and health. Whether you’re looking for a savoury hit or something sweeter, you can ensure you always have an easy option close by.
Suitable for Many Diets
Another added benefit of our superfood-coated sunflower seeds is their suitability for many diet plans. They’re free from major allergens, including dairy and gluten, are vegan-friendly and completely free of any artificial ingredients.
Whether you’re sticking to a certain diet plan for lifestyle or medical purposes, Ghuttie Snacks is always an easy choice.
Perfect for Quick Healthy Snacking
Because our snacks are ready-to-eat right out of the packet, they’re a great option to keep at home or work for whenever you’re in a snacking mood.
No prep, cooking or clean up - just grab a handful or add them to yoghurt, porridge or salads for an extra hit of clean, natural nutrition.
Treat Yourself and Treat Your Body
Health is about building long-term habits you can maintain, not depriving yourself. Snacks play a bigger role than most people realise for keeping your energy stable and cravings at bay.
By choosing nutritious snacks that are tasty, convenient and satisfying, you set yourself up for much more achievable consistency. If you’re looking for healthy snack ideas that add a little something extra to every day, take a look at Ghuttie Snacks’ range of superfood-coated sunflower seeds - we’re confident you’ll be a fan!
Please share this blog post with someone you know so they can get the superfood feeling.
Thank you!
The Guttie Team
ghuttiesnacks.co.uk
