Get snack smart

Its official - Brits are the biggest snackers in Europe. Each  year, we munch our way through almost four times as many snacks as the French, and six times as many as Italians! But snacking doesn't have to be unhealthy - with these ultra easy swaps you will be able to eat well, wherever you are.

At work
Eating brekkie at your desk because you skipped it at home? "Always go for the most nutritious, filling options so you are less likely to succumb to those 11am biscuits" says Nutritionist Natalia Savona, author of The Kitchen Shrink.

Swap cereal bars for fruit and yoghurt.
Many cereal bars contain a range of flavourings and additives, as well as fast releasing carbs, which can send your blood sugar rocketing. Instead buy a pot of natural bio yoghurt and have it with red fruit or bananas for a vitamin packed, immune boosting start to the day.

Swap white toast and butter for granary toast with peanut butter.
White toast and butter isn't the most nutritious option, whereas granary bread packed with heart healthy wholegrains, and a delicious slick of protein-rich peanut butter (avoid brands containing palm oil) will provide you with slow release energy to keep you going all morning.

Swap a chocolate croissant for a bowl of porridge with honey
A small chocolate croissant loads you up with a whopping 22g of fat and 322 calories. But make a bowl of porridge with honey (which takes 3 minutes in the office microwave) and you will keep hunger at bay until lunch. It is a great source of soluble fibre and has just 3.9g of fat and 265 calories per serving.

Before the gym
Having a nibble about an hour before working out will boost your blood sugar levels and enable you to work out harder and longer, advises Anita Bean, author of Fitness on a plate. "But avoid snacks such as chocolate and crisps which are not only high in fat and calories but give you a sharp rise in blood sugar followed by an energy dip.

Swap crisps for oat cakes with hummus and avocado.
Oatcakes will give you a slow steady release of energy and are a great source of fibre. At just 32 calories and 1.3g fat in each, they are lower in fat and salt that crisps (although avoid oatcakes which contain palm oil, a saturated fat.) Add a smear of hummus and a slice of avocado for added immune-boosting benefits.

Swap a chocolate bar for a fruit loaf.
Chocolate is great for a treat, but not as a pre gym snack. Instead have a couple of slices of low fat fruit loaf to fuel you up. It's energy is ieasily accessible, but will keep you going much longer thanchocolate - plus it is packed with vitamins and fibre.

Swap a Flap Jack for dried dates, apricots or raisins
The healthy oats in flapjacks are often held together with unhealthy sugar syrups and palm oil, so they are not the best choice at about 360 calories and 20g fat in each. Instead, try a couple of handfuls of vitamin packed dried fruits such as dates (b vitamins, magnesium, potassium), apricots (vitamin A, potassium, iron) or raisins (potassium, vitamin C).

July 2004