Your meals including snacks should include a variety of foods from the five food groups.
Unstructured snacking is more likely to lead to discretionary foods that are often high in saturated fat, added sugars, salt and kilojoules minus the nutrients and fibre.
Here are some pre- and post-yoga healthy snack ideas for energy, fibre, good fats, vitamins and minerals.
VEGETABLES
It is important to eat a variety of different colours and types of vegetables to provide you with many of the health promoting benefits including reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and some cancers.
· ½ cob of corn
· ½ medium potato or other starchy vegetables (sweet potato, taro or cassava)
· 1 cup of raw vegetables cut into bite sized pieces
· Vegetable (corn/carrot/zucchini/ pumpkin) scones/muffins
· 1 bowl of salad using a combination of avocado, capsicum, red and spring onion, different lettuces, cucumbers, tomatoes, roasted pumpkin, capsicum, eggplant, sweet potato and canned vegetables like corn, bean mix and peas, baby beets, chickpeas. (no added salt varieties).
FRUIT
As with vegetables, choose a variety of seasonal fruits to increase your intake of nutrients and minerals to enhance your health.
Canned fruit and juices are also included in this food group but fresh is best as it provides more nutrients and fibre.
Try whole or sliced fresh fruit or snack sized packs of fruit in juice:
· 1 cup fresh/stewed/poached/grilled/frozen/diced/canned fruit
· 1 medium apple, banana, orange or pear
· 2 small apricots, kiwi fruits or plums
· 1 cup of mixed fruit salad
Or occasionally:
· 125ml (½ cup) fruit juice (no added sugar)
· 30g dried fruit (for example, 4 dried apricot halves, 1½ tablespoons of sultanas)
· Fruit set in jelly or in a fruit crumble with low fat yoghurt/custard/flummery or a dollop of low fat ricotta cheese.
GRAIN (CEREAL)
The nutrients provided by grains include carbohydrates for energy, protein, fibre and a wide range of vitamins and minerals including the B vitamins folate, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, iron, vitamin E, zinc, magnesium and phosphorus.
Cereals and wholegrain foods can reduce the risk of developing heart disease, colon cancer, diabetes and diverticular disease. The high fibre in wholegrain cereals also assist in the maintenance of the digestive system and can help prevent constipation.
· 3 (35g) crispbreads or crackers with low-fat cheese
· 1 (60g) crumpet
· 1 small (35g) Wholegrain English muffin
· 1 slice (40g) wholegrain bread with thin spread nut spread
· 1/2 cup of fruit on top of cooked pikelet/scone with ricotta cheese and dusted with cinnamon
MEAT AND ALTERNATIVES
This food group provides a wide variety of nutrients including protein, iodine, iron, zinc, vitamins, especially B12, and essential fatty acids.
· 30g handful of nuts and/or seeds
· 30g peanut or almond butter or tahini or other nut or seed paste (no added salt) on wholegrain crispbread/toast
· 1 cup (150g) cooked or canned legumes/beans such as lentils, chick peas or split peas with green salad
· 2 large (120g) hard boiled eggs
MILK, YOGHURT, CHEESE AND ALTERNATIVES
Milk, cheese, yoghurt and their plant-based alternatives provide calcium in a readily absorbable and convenient form. They also have various health benefits and are a good source of many nutrients, including calcium, protein, iodine, vitamin A, vitamin D, riboflavin, vitamin B12 and zinc.
· 1 cup (250ml) fresh, UHT long life, powdered milk or buttermilk for cold or hot milk drinks, smoothies and coffees
· 2 slices (40g) or 4 x 3 x 2cm cube (40g) of hard cheese or ricotta cheese on wholegrain bread
· ¾ cup (200g) yoghurt tub
· 100g almonds with skin
· 1 cup (250ml) soy, rice, nut milk or other cereal drink with added calcium
For more information of the Australian Dietary Guidelines and the five food groups and advice on how many serves of these food groups you need to consume everyday based on your age, gender and physical activity go to:
https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials/five-food-groups