Guide To Healthy Snacks
The right choice of snacks can make or break your diet, especially if you're aiming to hit specific macro goals. So in this guide to healthy snacks, we'll cover everything you need to know about healthy snacks in the UK, from high protein choices to 'on the go' gym friendly snacks that fit in around your busy training lifestyle. Let's get into it.
What Makes A Snack Healthy For UK Adults
A healthy snack is one filled with useful nutrients such as protein, vitamins, minerals, and fibre, without a ton of refined ingredients like sugar, salt, or saturated fat. When you choose healthy low calorie snacks you get the bonus of an energy boost, quell the hunger pangs, give your body a boost and help to control your focus and appetite between meals. But the key here is the word 'healthy'. All too many snacks are just junk, and these simply ruin your health. For example, if you get into the habit of eating junk food snacks like chocolate and crisps, your blood sugar will immediately go out of control. When it crashes after the spike, you will start to crave more sugar again and the cycle will continue. Even the most ardent gym-goer can't outtrain a bad diet.
Healthy High Protein Snacks To Keep You Full
Healthy high protein snacks are the ideal choice for feeling full. Protein is the ultimate nutrient for muscle maintenance and it also helps you feel fuller for longer, as it releases energy more slowly than carbohydrate alone. Our healthy snacks guide recommends prioritising protein for your snack choices and checking the nutrition information to ensure the snack is making a meaningful contribution to your daily protein goal.
You can find healthy high protein snacks at a specialist store such as gymsupplements.com or make your own using natural ingredients that are as unprocessed as possible, to ensure a good mix of micronutrients. Examples of these are Greek yoghurt, boiled eggs, cottage cheese, or hummus with veg sticks. By adding a handful of crunchy veg, you will also benefit from slow-release carbs and high levels of protein to support your gut health. [1]
Gym Friendly Snacks From Protein And Sports Nutrition
You can find a range of healthy high protein snacks from brands like Optimum Nutrition, BSN, Applied Nutrition and Per4m. These are all gym friendly snacks with grab-and-go style packaging and portions that you can enjoy on the go. You can find protein bars, small protein snacks, and ready-to-drink shakes from these brands. It's best to enjoy these kinds of gym-friendly snacks in moderation and balance them out with unprocessed whole food, but they are incredibly convenient, taste great, and offer you a vital protein boost before or after your training session. Remember that if you are about to train, especially if you're training for cardio, then a banana or a similar carbohydrate snack can give you healthy sugars that your body is quickly ready to use.
Healthy Low Calorie Snacks For Weight Management
Another tip in our guide to healthy snacks is to choose options that come in at around 100-150 calories. These help you manage your weight whilst allowing you to eat regularly and not get a blood sugar crash between meals. Good examples are fruit, veg sticks with low-fat dips, rice cakes with light toppings and low-fat yoghurt. If you're having fruit, try to add a little protein, such as a slice of cheese or some yoghurt, to balance out the blood sugar response.
Quick Healthy Snack Ideas For Home, Work And On The Go
Whether you're working at a desk, commuting, or participating in post-school activities, it helps to carry some healthy low-calorie snacks with you to avoid hitting up the vending machine for sugar and confectionery. Our healthy snacks guide would recommend fruit and nut mixes, wholegrain crackers with cheese, homemade popcorn and mini salads as good examples of what you could try. Small sushi packs can be good too, as the umami flavours can switch off your 'mouth hunger'.
How To Choose Healthier Snacks In UK Shops
To find healthy snacks in the UK when you're shopping, get into the habit of reading labels. You can read labels to spot options that are lower in sugar, salt, and saturated fat but higher in fibre and protein, and there are traffic light symbols too to give you a quick insight into whether a snack is healthy (green), moderate (amber), or best as an occasional indulgence (red). Check portion sizes too, because snack packs may actually be meant to be split into more than one portion and mislead you with the nutrition. Remember that the healthiest foods will always have just one single ingredient because of their natural source, such as fruit, veg, nuts, seeds, eggs and protein.
Planning Healthy Snacks Around Training And Daily Meals
To plan your healthy snacks, time them before your workout - perhaps around an hour before - and soon after to replenish your glycogen stores [2] and support muscle growth. Plan ahead by adding two of the three planned snacks into your daily menu rather than falling into the trap of constantly grazing. Remember to have a meal with 30g of protein before and after you train, rather than relying on snacks. This is important for muscle development when you're strength training or working on explosive power.
Guide To Healthy Snacks FAQs from Gymsupplements.com
How many healthy snacks should I eat each day if I am trying to lose weight?
Aim for two or three healthy snacks per day max to avoid settling into the habit of grazing. If you are feeling in need of more snacks, try to increase your meal sizes so that you are genuinely full and able to go through until your next meal without adding in lots of micro meals. You may also want to review your macro goals to check that you are having enough protein and healthy fats. This is especially the case if you are training to bulk or add lean muscle mass. Remember that you need to have enough protein to add muscle. It's very difficult to add muscle while you're eating in a calorie deficit [3].
What are the best high protein healthy snacks to have before or after the gym?
The best high protein healthy snacks to have around your gym sessions are the ones that pack in up to 20g of protein. One good tip is to look for at least 1g of protein per 10 calories. So if a snack is 150 cals, aim for 15 grams of protein. Good choices are hard-boiled eggs, cottage cheese, Greek yoghurt, mini low-fat cheese, and chicken. Add a few veg sticks or some berries to round it out.
How can I tell if a shop-bought snack bar is genuinely healthy or just marketing?
A shop-bought snack bar is likely to be healthy if it's made with quality ingredients, so check out the ingredient list to see what's in it. Remember that processed isn't always bad, because protein powder is, by its very nature, totally processed. Look for things like quality sweeteners, such as stevia, which doesn't contain chemicals. Check out beneficial extras, too, such as added vitamins and minerals. A good shop-bought snack bar can be a vital contributor to your overall macros.
What are some quick healthy snack ideas I can keep at my desk or in my gym bag?
Keeping healthy snacks in your desk drawer or gym bag makes sense, because they're planned and close to hand. Try filling Ziploc bags with a homemade trail mix using nuts, seeds, raisins, and maybe some chocolate chips. Store individual bags of oatcakes or low-sugar oaty biscuits. Shop-bought mini popcorn bags can be good too. Popcorn is a surprisingly good snack because it's low in calories and relatively high in fibre. You can make your own and then toss it in salt, or add cinnamon and a low-calorie sweetener. Experiment with different flavours to give your taste buds plenty of variety.
How do I know if I need a snack?
If you are feeling low on energy, hungry, irritable, or your stomach is rumbling, a healthy snack can help to tide you over until your next meal. The right snack can be a smart strategy as it helps you to stick to your nutrition plan, rather than going off the rails entirely with a junk food binge. Here's a tip to know whether you need to eat or not. Have a large glass of water and give it five minutes. Sometimes you are just hungry, and your body misreads the signals. Get into the habit of sipping water throughout the day, and you might find your appetite readjusts.
Hopefully our healthy snack guide has given you some ideas for your smart snacking strategy, so you can keep your nutrition strategy on track and feel great and energised all day, without those dreaded hunger pangs! Plan ahead, stock up, snack strategically and have ready access to different snacks so you've always got something to tempt you.
