The 3 Best Reasons To Have A Snack

To snack or not to snack, that is the question? For years the great debate over how to get a hold over our health has raged on - 3 big square meals? 5-6 smaller meals through out the day?

As someone who has a profound interest in both personal and general health, I have read hundreds of articles on the best ways to feel your best, but in the end, I can only really speak to my personal experience on the matter.

For me, without a question, healthy snacking is not only the more enjoyable route to go, but one of necessity. Why? Because when I really analyzed how I felt (big meals vs. small, incorporating healthy snacks) I noticed 3 really big changes for the better.

Here they are:

1. Better Weight Balance

They say 70-75% of weight loss is a result of diet (the rest exercise) - so what and how you eat are obviously crucial to maintaining a healthy weight. When I eat large meals, 2 things happen: Firstly, I feel super full - like uncomfortably full, and then a couple of hours later my blood sugar really starts to drop - taking with it, my energy. Either mid-morning or mid-afternoon healthy snacks are a great way to temper your hunger and have consistent energy throughout the day. The keys to this plan are: making sure your bigger meals of the day aren’t huge (and are packed with nutrition) and planning in advance for the snacks you’ll eat. Waiting until you’re hungry to make this decision makes bad choices a lot more common. So plan ahead to find the balance you need!

2. Stops the impulse eating

To add to the last point above, the choices we make when we’re hungry are not necessarily the best choices. Making sure you never hit the ’I’m starving!’ phase is crucial to making the right call. Think about it: ever gone to the grocery store when you’re famished? I have and by the end my shopping cart feels like a bin of junk. Here’s where healthy snacking comes in. Having a healthy snack one or a couple of times of day allows you to maintain your energy levels and control - and once you’ve got your cravings in check, you’ve got a lot more power on your side.

3. Boosts your productivity & your mood

Throughout a busy day, heavy meals (filled with carbs, fats & sugars), stress and rushing around mess with your energy levels and can really run you down. Choosing smaller sensible meals (think: lean proteins, whole grains & veggies) combined with healthy mid-day pick-me-ups in the form of healthy snacks (containing good fats - think nuts, dried fruits etc) create slow burning fuel that help give you energy throughout the day - eliminating the peak and dips that unhealthy choices create. This not only boosts your mood - more energy/less sleepy but allows you to operate at your fullest potential and get stuff done!

So how do I stay snacking?

As mentioned, one of the keys to getting your diet right is PLANNING. A couple of months ago I discovered NatureBox - a snack subscription service that delivers, to my doorstep, incredible tasting and satisfying snacks of all varieties. Not only do I get to discover a whole new world of great food - totally nutritionist approved! - but incorporating this element into my world has dramatically helped me increase my energy while working on my health at the same time. With over 100 snacks from healthy to indulgent, there is something for everyone to get your snacking started!

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1. Join NatureBox today and get a FREE sample box of some of their most loved snacks! Click here to get started!

Free trial is available for new and US and Canadian subscribers only. Not valid on gift subscriptions and may not be combined with any other offers.

2. TWO winners will each win a free 6-month subscription to NatureBox. Enter the giveaway by clicking here to browse what snacks NatureBox has to offer, and then leave a comment below, letting me know what snack you’d like to try. Please leave an email address so we can contact the winners!

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*Post sponsored by NatureBox*

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