If you are not familiar with the paleo diet, also known as the
paleolithic, caveman or Stone Age diet, it is based on how
humans ate before the Agricultural Revolution. It's a
recreation, as much as possible in the modern world, of the
hunter-gatherer's diet.
When it comes to looking for healthy snacks, and snacks that are
not fattening, there is no better place to look than the paleo
diet, which rules out many junk foods typical of most snacks,
such as refined sugar and grains. There are even no potatoes
allowed in the paleo diet, so you can forget about potato chips!
In fact, even if you don't strictly follow the paleo diet, you
may want to seriously consider adopting it for your snack
regimen. It can really make a big improvement in your eating
habits, energy levels throughout the day and caloric intake.
Let's look at some of the paleo-friendly snacks we can start
consuming as substitutes for the less healthy ones we are so
used to.
Fresh Fruit -it is no mystery that fruit is healthy, but many
people seldom eat it. Incidentally, fresh fruit is better in
most cases than juice because even unsweetened fruit juice is
highly concentrated and you may be getting more sugar and
calories than you realize. With fresh fruit, you will tend to
consume it in moderation. Of course, there is also the fact that
when you eat whole foods you get the entire nutritional content
of that food instead of just part of it. Remember, cavemen did
not have juicers!
Salad & Vegetables- greens always make a healthy snack. You can
mix up any kind of salad and veggie combination you like. Just
watch what kind of dressing you use, for these often contain
lots of sugar, sodium and calories. It's best to use oil and
vinegar or all natural dressings. Try making tahini dressing.
This is easily made from tahini paste (which is crushed sesame
seeds), water and either lemon juice or vinegar. You can also
add sea salt and garlic to taste.
Dried Nuts & Fruits - also sold as trail mix. Try to get organic
dried fruit and nuts, though any all natural mix is good. Okay,
maybe cavemen did not eat trail mix either, but this is still a
healthy way to consume these nutritious foods. Nuts are very
high in protein and healthy fats. Peanuts are the least healthy
of nuts, so try to stick to other nuts such as almonds, walnuts
and cashews.
Chip Alternatives- you can now find healthy snacks that are
alternatives to things like potato chips and pretzels. These are
usually vegetable based chips. Sea veggie chips can be quite
tasty and have many essential minerals. There are also chips
made from fruits such as banana, plantain and mango.
These are just a few healthy snack ideas that are consistent
with a paleo diet. For more ideas, check out the
Diet Cookbooks.
About the author:
Maire writes on many topics, from cultural issues to health and
weight loss.
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