Great Plains (373)|Talk about snacking

Let's talk about snacking

Text/Dou Tongting

"People are iron, rice is steel, and if you don't eat for a day, you will be hungry." In order for everyone to survive and live, they must consume a certain amount of energy. The main energy that people need is food, which is commonly referred to as "rice".

Human food is divided into staple foods and snacks (i.e., complementary foods). The staple food must be eaten, three meals a day, and so on. "Three Character Classic" cloud "rice sorghum, wheat millet, these six grains, people eat". Since very early times, people have used the "six grains" to sustain life and multiply. Snacks are different, they have "additional attributes beyond the main meal", which can be eaten or not. Today, let's talk about snacks.

It has to be said that the habit of eating snacks is inseparable from the development and progress of society, in the low stage of human society, material wealth is extremely scarce, most people are not clothed, hungry, eat the last meal without the next meal, three meals a day is still difficult to maintain, "snacks" should not be talked about. Only those who are well-off can eat all day long and get a "snack" from time to time to pass the leisurely time. With the development of society, the problem of food and clothing has been gradually solved, and then it has reached a well-off level, the living conditions are better, the main meal is good, the snacks are abundant, and the number of people who eat snacks has increased. Children, in particular, enjoy a variety of snacks every day.

However, there is a lot of controversy about snacking among different people.

Many people refuse to eat snacks on the grounds that they feel that snacks are high in oil, sugar, and salt, which is not good for the body. But many times, it is difficult for people to control their appetite for snacks, after all, in reality, there are all kinds of deeply processed snacks in the supermarket, and they are full of color, flavor and flavor, if you don't eat snacks at all, life will be a lot less fun. Moreover, some snacks do provide a supplement to the nutrients that the human body needs in addition to the staple food. So, what kind of snacks are relatively healthier for people who love snacks? What are some healthy snacks?

Now the "born" low-calorie snacks on the market have become the new favorite of many young people, and the standard for most consumers to choose healthy food is "delicious and not fat". The main trump card of healthy snacks is "low calorie", in order to achieve the purpose of satisfying food without gaining weight.

Healthy snacks are mostly replaced by raw materials and process optimization to reduce calories in food. For example, plant protein meat is used to replace traditional pork and beef in jerky; Potato chips are dehydrated at low temperature instead of fried puffed food; Konjac noodles or flour are used to replace the usual noodles in hot and sour noodles; Sugar substitutes are used in beverages and pastries to replace traditional cane sugar.

However, it is important to note that "low calorie" is not the same as "healthy". Sugar, sodium, fat, protein and other content should also be indicators of whether snacks are healthy. Therefore, there are two more points to grasp when choosing snacks.

The first point is to choose foods that are low in sodium, sugar, and fat. The reason why the rice in the restaurant is more attractive is mainly due to its "heavy taste", and this "heavy taste" is played by condiments such as salt, refined sugar, and lipids. However, eating too much sodium will inevitably increase the metabolic burden on the kidneys and affect the normal function of the kidneys. Excessive intake of refined sugar can lead to tooth decay, obesity, diabetes and other problems. A large amount of fat intake will increase the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases such as obesity and dyslipidemia. Therefore, when buying snacks, you need to pay attention to the "nutrition facts list" on the food label to see how high the sodium, sugar, and fat content is.

The second point is to choose fresh, hygienic, low-processing foods. Comparatively speaking, fresh and hygienic foods have higher nutritional value, purer taste, and higher safety factor, especially if you mistakenly buy snacks that have exceeded the expiration date. Foods with a low degree of processing contain less salt, refined sugar, trans fatty acids, etc., which can better ensure good health.

In addition to the above two basic choices, due to the different physical conditions of each person, the food required must of course be different, and only those that are suitable for you are the best. For example, some people don't like to eat garlic, some people don't like the taste of mutton, and some people don't even like to eat wheat food, etc. If you want to eat healthy snacks, you can choose those parts of your body that are deficient in nutrients as snacks, for example, many people do not have enough dietary fiber intake in their meals, then you can choose fresh fruits and vegetables as snacks. If you don't have high-quality protein in your meal, you can drink some milk or yogurt and eat a hard-boiled egg in your free time. For people with special physical conditions, they should choose snacks carefully, and they should not be the cause of illness because of the careless choice of snacks. People with high blood pressure should avoid eating high-salt foods, people with dental caries should avoid eating high-sugar foods, and obese people should limit high-calorie snacks.

After we choose the right snacks, can we eat them without burden? But don't think so! Because snacks are, after all, complementary foods, and cannot replace daily staple foods.

If you want to say that you love snacks the most, it is still children and teenagers, and this kind of group should also pay the most attention to choosing the type of snack.

So, what kind of snacks should children and teenagers choose? Generally speaking, snacks should be selected for foods that are not consumed enough in the main meal, such as milk and dairy products, fruits, nuts, etc. Snack less often and eat smaller amounts each day. It is best to eat snacks about two hours apart from the main meal.

At the same time, children and adolescents of different ages are also particular about the intake of snacks, and they should eat a good meal in early childhood, and try not to use snacks or use a very small amount of snacks; School-age children should pay special attention to the combination of breakfast, and there should not be too many snacks; During the teenage years, it is necessary to eat three good meals and increase snacks appropriately, but they must not be allowed to form the bad habit of discounting the main meal and replacing the staple food with snacks.

There are also several guidelines that children and adolescents should follow when choosing snacks. Snacks are preferably fruits, milk and nuts. It is important to note here that fruits cannot be substituted with freshly squeezed or homemade juices that have been purchased. Don't drink milk drinks, it is different from pure milk, you can choose yogurt or low-lactose dairy products, try not to drink milk on an empty stomach. Avoid high-salt, high-sugar, high-fat and smoked fried snacks. Don't drink or reduce sugary drinks, don't drink alcohol. Snacks (e.g. fruits) should be fresh, nutritious, and hygienic. To keep your mouth clean, skip snacks before bed.

From a health and nutrition perspective, the above guidelines are also applicable to adults who love to snacking. It should be pointed out here that in order to maximize profits, businesses do not hesitate to make a fuss about snacks, and are keen on the good-looking color of snacks, the palatability of taste, the novelty of packaging, and even match with some fashionable toys. You don't see all kinds of snacks on the market are dazzling, abounding, many of which are high-sugar, high-fat, high-salt snacks, and even mixed with some "junk food" that does not meet food hygiene standards. Although these snacks can meet everyone's taste needs in terms of flavoring, they have a great impact on the health of children and adolescents. As an adult, you can occasionally satisfy your appetite, but long-term consumption of these "three high" foods will also pose a threat to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Therefore, snacks should be used wisely, sparingly, and cautiously, and unhealthy snacks must not be allowed to disturb the normal life of each of us.

About author:Dou Tongting is a member of Shandong Prose Literature Association, Binzhou Writers Association, and Boxing Writers Association. His poems have been published in newspapers and online platforms such as Contemporary Prose, Popular Daily, Binzhou Daily, and Lubei Evening News. Some works have been selected into anthologies such as "Witness Binzhou", "Dongxiang Yayun", "Boxing Imprint" and "Backlight". Editor of the book "Pugu Culture Overview". He has won many provincial, municipal and county essay awards; He was awarded the title of Outstanding Member of Shandong Prose Literature Association.