6 Great Snacks for Your New Hormonal Health Plan
Now that you have taken the first steps towards a healthier and balanced hormonal system, it is a good idea to make sure to boost it with extra lifestyle changes. When it comes to healthy eating, snacks are a powerful tool that can be used for good or evil: snacking can prevent overeating once dinnertime arrives, although it can also include some of the most calorie-dense processed foods available.
For women who are already seeing a “menopausal muffin” develop, combining smart food choices with the balancing prowess of Macafem will help gradual weight loss. Read on to learn six tasty ideas to keep your calorie count low and your health high.
Did you know?
Carrots were purple before the 17th century.
1. Grilled Pineapple
This is a simple recipe that can be whipped up at a moment’s notice. Use either pineapple rings or chunks, whichever you prefer, and place them under the grill for two minutes, or until they turn golden. Although they can be eaten without grilling them first, this provides you with a hot snack that curbs your sweet cravings and fills you up until your next meal for only 62 calories.
2. Hummus and Carrots
Combining hummus and carrots makes a great snack idea to take to the office, with only 150 calories and many more nutritional benefits than a chocolate bar or bag of chips from the vending machine. Cut up some carrots into sticks (or buy baby carrots) to dip into about two tablespoons of hummus. This option has the extra benefits provided by carrot’s beta-carotene, as well as the mild phytoestrogen and high fiber content of chickpeas.
3. Ham, Honey, and Lettuce Roll
A lettuce roll is a great twist on the traditional ham sandwich. With less than 180 calories, this snack will fill you up but keep your calorie count down. Take two slices of ham and drizzle a teaspoon of honey on them, and then roll the combination up into a leaf of lettuce. You get a tasty ham salad sandwich without the excess calories and carbohydrates provided by adding bread to the snack.
4. Fruit Salad
Fruit salad is a favorite low-calorie snack because of the versatility it brings with it. You can have a host of different flavors in one helping, and the best thing is that only the flavors that you choose need go in it. Pick your favorite fruits and vegetables and chop them up into small chunks. This preparation can be kept in the fridge for easy serving when you feel yourself growing hungry in between meals. An average-sized fruit salad containing melon, banana, orange, grapes, pineapple, and kiwi will only set you back 80 calories.
5. Plain Popcorn
Popcorn is one of the healthiest snacks around, as long as it isn’t doused in butter, salt, or sugar. This is because popcorn contains polyphenols, chemicals that can help prevent cell damage and rapid aging. The best popcorn to eat is the homemade kind, so ditch the microwavable and processed popcorn and cook some yourself. Take some to work in a bag to banish any hunger after breakfast or lunch. One cup of plain popcorn, about eight grams, contains just 31 calories.
6. Olive and Nut Mix
Eating a mix of olives and nuts will not only be nutritious and filling, it is also tasty. Studies have shown that eating olives and nuts can also contribute towards reducing fat found around the stomach area. 23 grams of mixed olives and almonds have just 183 calories.
Snacking can kill an otherwise healthy diet. Lots of snack foods are processed and high in saturated fat and calories. However, by munching on the six snacks above, you can make sure your hunger is kept at bay during the day without consuming a high amount of calories and ruining your diet.
British Broadcasting Corporation. 200-400 Calories Recipes. Retrieved August 26, 2013, from http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/200-400-calories
National Health Service. (2012). Understanding Calories. Retrieved August 26, 2013, from http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/loseweight/Pages/understanding-calories.aspx