Many health-conscious people buy a pedometer and start taking the steps they need to attain better health. Then something unhealthy happens. The afternoon comes and you see your favorite coffee shop. You want a flavored latte and a cinnamon roll. You look down at your pedometer and you see you are already close to your daily goal of 10,000 steps. So you treat yourself. Is it really that bad to reward yourself with an afternoon treat?
Here is the problem with that scenario. The cinnamon roll and latte have about 1,000 calories combined. Walking 10,000 steps burns about 300 calories. Keep this up everyday and you will gain over a pound every week. This is common when people start a fitness regimen but don't address their diet. Here are some healthier snack ideas to keep you on the right track on your quest for a healthier lifestyle.
1 - Dried Apricots
Fresh apricots are a wonderful healthy snack, but they tend to bruise easily and spoil quickly so they don't make the best snack to carry with you. They are also not in season all year-long, so getting fresh ones isn't always an option. That's where the dried apricot comes in. Each dried one has all the fiber and nutrients of a fresh apricot, but you can carry them with you so that they are on hand when the urge to snack hits you. And a medium-sized apricot only has 17 calories! There is a catch: you need to look for dried apricots that list apricots as the only ingredient. Some food manufacturers add sugar or oil to their apricots, and you don't need that when you are trying to be healthy.
2 - Crunchy Dried Peas
These crunchy little snacks satisfy the craving for something salty and crunchy but offer you much more in the way of nutrition than most crunchy snacks. A 25 gram serving has 119 calories, 5 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber. The fiber and protein will keep you feeling full a lot longer than most 119 calorie snacks. Many dried peas come flavored with healthy spices, like coriander and turmeric.
3 - Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds
A chocolate craving can be quite difficult to ignore. Doctors have been telling us for years to eat dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate for its health benefits. Here is a way to be even healthier when getting your chocolate fix: snack on dark chocolate covered almonds. The fiber, good fats and protein in the almonds will keep you satisfied for much longer than chocolate alone. Studies have shown that eating tree nuts helps maintain healthy weights. Be careful though, because the calories can add up. A 40 gram serving of dark chocolate covered almonds has about 200 calories. That's not bad for such a satisfying snack, but it is important to really keep an eye on portion control.
4 - Popcorn
Popcorn has gotten a bad rap over the years, mostly due to the nutritional abomination served at most movie theaters. That version of popcorn is loaded with unhealthy saturated fats, artificial flavors and artificial colors. A bucket of movie theater popcorn can have calorie counts that are 4 figures. It is not the kind of snack that fits into a healthy lifestyle. But homemade air-popped popcorn is very different. It has about 30 calories per cup and popcorn is actually a whole grain. Get an old-fashioned air-popper and make healthy popcorn before you get hungry. Put one cup portions into baggies that are ready when you get the urge to snack.
5 - Any Raw Fruit Or Vegetable
Sometimes we focus on what we can't have in our healthy diets and don't spend as much time thinking about what we should be adding to our diet. Fruits and vegetables are loaded with key nutrients that our bodies crave. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables throughout the day will give you anti-oxidants, fiber, vitamins and minerals that your body can use. And if you fill up on these items, you are not as likely to crave junk food.
I hope I have given you some ideas of how to deal with your snack cravings in a healthier manner. Remember that walking and good nutrition go hand in hand if you want to live a healthy lifestyle.
Heather Krasovec, creator of http://best-pedometer-reviews.com/, is dedicated to helping consumers find the best products to stay fit and healthy.
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