The feeling of hunger can catch us at any moment, and it is better to prepare for this moment in advance so as not to find yourself with a chocolate bar or cracker in your teeth. Situations when you need to urgently have a bite to eat occur both at home and outside the home. In accordance with this, I conditionally divided the foods for a healthy snack into two groups.
When you are not at home, you will be saved from a sudden attack of hunger:
1. ניסלעך און זאמען
Nuts and seeds are my weakness, at home there is always a supply of different types. And they are also convenient to carry with me, and, for example, in the car a bag with different nuts and seeds can lie with me for several weeks: nothing happens to them, and at the right moment this stock saves me. I carry the bag a little less in my bag. Sometimes it helps my child too if we are late for dinner. All nuts and seeds are useful in their own way, they contain vitamins, minerals and healthy fats, I will dwell on several types in more detail:
Almonds: Raw almonds are rich in vitamins E and B, minerals such as magnesium, copper, manganese, calcium and potassium, unsaturated fat and fiber. Some studies have linked daily consumption of these nuts to a reduced risk of heart disease.
Walnut: One of the most studied health benefits of walnuts is their ability to strengthen the heart and circulatory system. Given the wide variety of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients found in walnuts, it’s no surprise that they reduce the risk of cancer. This has been investigated especially in detail on the example of prostate and breast cancer. The anti-inflammatory properties of walnuts are also important for bone health. These brain-shaped nuts also enhance memory and cognitive function.
Pumpkin seeds: They are rich in fiber, vitamins (A, K, E, group B), minerals (copper, manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc and selenium) and antioxidants. Pumpkin seeds contain high-quality protein, the amino acids of which help to reduce the level of “bad” cholesterol in the blood and fight infections and free radicals. Recent studies have shown that regular consumption of pumpkin seeds reduces the risk of prostate and ovarian cancer.
2. דאַר פירות
The bag of dried fruit is a faithful neighbor of the bag of nuts in my car and bag. Raisins, dates, dried apples or mangoes – I always carry them with me so that hunger does not catch by surprise.
3. Fresh fruits and berries
But with them there are usually more problems: it is more difficult to store them, it is inconvenient to carry them with you. For example, a banana will quickly darken and become too soft, and if you take it with you, it is better to eat it during the day. Easier with apples. Now some shops and cafes have started selling assorted chopped fruits. There are especially many such fast foods in Europe and America, but they also began to meet in Russia. For me, this is my favorite fast food, especially sliced pineapple or berries.
4. גרינס טשיפּס
Nowadays, chips are quite common not from potatoes, but from other vegetables and even fruits, for example, coconut chips, or vegetable chips, which are made from carrots, parsnips, celery root, broccoli and other vegetables.
5. באַרס
The best option for today is Bite bars, which are prepared without added preservatives and sugar and do not contain gluten, milk, soy. With the efforts of the founder of the company Elena Shifrina and her super team, every day in Moscow and not only there are more and more places where these bars can be bought.
If you feel an attack of hunger at home, but there is no time and effort to cook a full meal, I will recommend a few products (by the way, you can take them with you to work):
6. חומוס
You can cook it yourself. It is stored in the refrigerator for up to a week, so it was prepared on Sunday – and have a snack during the week. The recipe is here.
7. אַוואָקאַדאָ
I love avocado very much and I am ready to eat it every day in any form. If at home I urgently need to satisfy my hunger, then I just cut the avocado in half and eat its pulp with a spoon. Avocados are a superfood, and recent studies have shown that the presence of fresh avocados in lettuce significantly increases the absorption of two key carotenoid antioxidants – lycopene (which colors vegetables and fruits red or orange) and beta-carotene. Avocados are an excellent source of potassium, vitamins K, C, E and B vitamins. A medium-sized fruit contains 11 grams of fiber, which is almost half of the recommended daily minimum. Avocados are also a source of monounsaturated fats, which are considered healthy fats, as they reduce the level of bad cholesterol in the blood and, accordingly, the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
8. פריש וועדזשטאַבאַלז
These are mainly carrots, peppers and celery. Personally, I do not like raw celery, so I often snack on baby carrots, which are sold peeled.
And one more thing: don’t forget about water. We often mistake thirst for hunger. Drink a glass of water (I prefer warm water) – perhaps the hunger will pass.