Is snacking healthy? The short answer is yes. But don’t stop reading now. There’s so much more to it than a simple yes.
The biggest question about health and snacks is this:
what are you choosing to snack on, and how often?
Knowing the answer to that will tell you a lot. Snacking is healthy in moderation. Does that mean that any type of snack in moderation is good? No. Here’s why: if you’re not burning calories during the day and you add calorie dense snacks in, your body isn’t going to process the calories the way it should.
Now, if you are eating a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle and want a snack here and there, your body will be able to manage those calories much easier. The most ideal snacks to be choosing are raw veggies, raw and unsalted nuts, fresh berries, and even a green drink (find my recipe in my Visibly Fit app).
If you are not eating a whole food, plant-based diet and you often feel that you need a snack, you are probably suffering from toxic hunger.
Toxic hunger are the symptoms a person experiences due to toxic wastes being mobilized for elimination. It occurs after a meal is digested and the digestive tract is empty, and it could make us feel very uncomfortable – or, MORE HUNGRY. Dr. Fuhrman has a fascinating article about toxic hunger if you’re curious to know more.
Frequent snacking becomes very unnecessary when you are eating a healthy, nutrient-dense diet.
A healthy meal schedule should look something like this:
7:00 am – BREAKFAST
9:30am – SNACK 1
12:00 pm – LUNCH
3:00 pm – SNACK 2
6:00 pm – DINNER
If you would like a free 7 day meal plan + 7 day workout, sign up in the pop-up window on this site to receive one. And download my app for various plant-based recipes, exercises, and other healthy lifestyle tips.
