An Interesting Healthy Snack

Apple and Peanut Butter?!

Eating Healthy and Snacks

Eating healthy is often a very hard thing to achieve. We are told different information from different sources. However, it is generally considered that eating little and often is a good method of eating right. This means that we need to snack throughout the day, around three larger meals. With that in mind it seems very easy to fall into the trap of snacking on foods like crisps (potato chips) and other foods that lack any real nutritional value.

Carbs plus Protein or Fat

It is also important to note that when we snack on sugary foods we get hungry an hour or so later, meaning we eat again and the calories begin to pile up. The reason for this is that carbohydrates are fast burning, so when we snack it is important that we combine some good carbs with some protein or fat, or both for that matter. This brings us to an interesting healthy snack that is packed with nutrition and should keep you full that little bit long – apple with peanut butter.

Apple and Peanut Butter – Yum

Apple and peanut butter did not sound that appetising to me, however, once I had tried it I became hooked. This is now a standard snack for me to have because it is tasty as well as simple and quick to make. I tend to slice my apple up and spread some peanut butter on it, but it could easily be chopped into sticks and dipped into peanut butter for the same effect!

This really is an interesting snack to try out and one that should give enough nutrients to be worthwhile.

Fat Is Not The Enemy

Today this blog looks to discuss fat(s). The idea of a low fat/no fat diet is often branded around for weight loss. The truth is that fat DOES NOT make us fat. The simple science is that is we eat more calories than we burn off they get stored by our body as fat. So it is (excess) calories that make us fat. If we eat too much, we put on weight/fat. It is also true that we need fat in our diet; most fat is good for us. However, it is true that gram for gram, fat contains more calories (9) than carbohydrates and protein (around 4). It is; therefore, fine to include fats within our daily calorie allowance.

There are four different types of fat out there; Trans fats, saturated fats, mono-unsaturated fats and poly-unsaturated fats.

Trans Fats

Ok, these are fats that we should definitely try to avoid as much as possible. These are man made fats. According to the National Academy of Sciences suggests that trans fats contain no known benefit to humans with regards to health. It is also suggested that trans fats lower the amount of good cholesterol in our bodies, which increases the risk of coronary heart disease. There are other suggestions as to the adverse affects of trans fats. There is a suggestion that the risk of type 2 diabetes increases with trans fat consumption. There is also investigation into theories suggesting that risk of cancer may be increased with eating trans fats. A study published in Archives of Neurology looks into the theory that the consumption of trans, and saturated, fats promote the development of Alzheimer disease.

Saturated Fats

Saturated fats are animal fats, and really do have a fairly bad press. Saturated fats are nowhere near as bad for us as trans fats, or as bad as they are sometimes made out to be. Saturated fats have been linked with diseases, such as cardio-vascular disease, for example. In reality, in moderation, and eaten with good fats, saturated fat is not a huge problem to our health.

Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated

These are the best fats that are good for our bodies. Foods containing monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, which is great for us. It is also possible that these fats help to increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. However, this is still in debate.

Ultimately it is all about moderation. Fats are certainly not our enemy, so looking at the fat content of food is not what we should be doing. We should, however, be aiming to cut out trans fats as much as possible, and we should be more focussed on the calorie intake of our food. Fats are an important part of our diet, but should not make up more than 30% of it.