Healthy Snacks

Losing weight is something I struggle with day in day out. Before I had my first child, I was size 8/10. After I had him, I became size 14/16. Since then until now, I have fought tooth and nail to lose weight but to no avail. My main obstacle to losing weight is the amount of junk foods and snacks I consume despite the fact I cook healthy meals always. I love sweet things…

Hubby came up with the idea that I need to ditch all the junks and switch them with healthy nuts and mix fruits. I listened to the voice of reason and so far it has been working. Not only does the nuts give me those crunchy feelings I crave for from biscuits n all but also the mixed fruits gives the sweetness that satisfies my sweet tooth.

I would be sharing my progress here, from snacking to meal options…

Cashew and almond nuts with mixed-dry fruits; a healthy way to snack which could help improve your diet and enable weight loss.

Cashew:

Cashew nut is jam-packed with nutritional content. It has 5 grams of protein per ounce and high levels of the essential minerals, such as iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper and manganese; which are utilized in holistic health solutions and healthy diets.

These nuts do have a relatively high fat content (12 grams per ounce, 2 grams saturated fat); but it is considered “good fat.” This is due to the agreeable fat ratio in the nut, 1:2:1 for saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated, respectively; which scientists say is the ideal ratio for optimal health. Cashew nut do also have a fatty acid profile that contributes to good health.

Almond:

Almond nut is often eaten on its own, raw or toasted. Almonds nuts are a rich source of vitamin E containing 26 mg per 100 g. About 20 percent of raw almond is high quality protein; a third of which are essential amino acids.

An ounce of almonds contains 12% of necessary daily protein. They are also rich in dietary fiber, B vitamins, essential minerals and monounsaturated fat, one of the two fats which potentially may lower cholesterol.

Potential health benefits, which have not been scientifically validated, include improved complexion and possibly a lower risk of cancer. A preliminary trial showed that using Almond nuts in the daily diet might lower the contents of several factors associated with heart diseases.

Mixed Dry Fruits:

In general, all dried fruits provide essential nutrients and an array of health protective bioactive ingredients, making them valuable tools to both increase diet quality and help reduce the risk of chronic disease.

The reason is that dried fruits retain most of the nutritional value of fresh fruits. Dried fruits are not only important sources of vitamins, minerals and fibre in the diet but also provide a wide array of bioactive components that could help the body to successfully fight many different diseases. 

Eat healthy, snack healthy and thank me later…