Healthy Snacks You Can Find in Malaysia Your Family Will Love

Snacking is an activity that’s more enjoyable in a social setting. Bonding with your loved ones over a delicious treat is a shared experience that fosters connection. Because there is a biological link between dopamine and snacking on certain foods, it’s important to be mindful of what you are snacking on and how much of it you consume to avoid overeating and obesity.

Snacking Habits

Junk Food

While snacking itself is not inherently bad, it depends on what you eat. Junk foods are highly processed is addictive because it’s high in refined sugar, salt, and fat. It’s low in nutritional value and high in calories, so you will feel hungry again after a while. If you keep eating junk food, you’re consuming excess calories, which will lead to weight gain, and eventually other health issues such as diabetes and obesity.

Associated Activities

Humans are beings of habit and routine. If you always eat snacks while watching a video, when you’re stressed, or when you’re feeling emotional, you will associate that activity or feeling with snacking and won’t be able to do one without the other.

There are various reasons for our snack cravings, but by being mindful about what we are consuming and opt for healthier alternatives, we will be lessening the impact of bad food choices on our health.

Starting Early

If you have a young child in your family, it’s important to start healthy habits early. Children are like sponges and learn from the world around them, especially from their parents. If the parents have bad snacking habits, so will the children, who will grow up to be adults with unhealthy snacking habits. It’s also important to incorporate healthy food into the children’s diet from a young age so they will get all the nutrients they need to grow up strong and healthy.

Making Healthy Food Fun

According to Harvard, a balanced diet includes lots of fruit and colourful vegetables – potatoes do not count because they have a negative impact on blood sugar levels. Rather than eating the recommended amount only during mealtimes, you can eat them throughout the day because they make healthy yet tasty snacks.

Healthy Snacks

Hummus

Packed with plant-based protein, and made of chickpeas and a paste made of ground sesame seeds called tahini, hummus makes for a satisfying snack. The protein content is what keeps you fuller for longer. Eat it with some fresh vegetables like carrots and celery.

Nuts

Another snack that’s protein-packed and nutrient-dense, nuts are full of heart-healthy fats and should be eaten as part of a healthy diet. There are various types of nuts available in various forms such as nut milk or nut butters, and they can be used as ingredients in salads or trail mixes as well. Not only are they healthy, but they are easy to pack in school lunches or bags so you can eat them on the go.

Alternative Chips

For a potato chip alternative, look no further than Woh Tempeh‘s selection of fruit and veggie chips including tempeh, banana, jackfruit, and salacca – also known as snakeskin fruit. Their most popular products are their tempeh chips, which are made of soybeans and come in three flavours: original, spicy balado, and seaweed.

Fresh Fruits

Whether you blend them into a smoothie or use them as toppers for oatmeal or ice cream, fresh fruits are very versatile. While actual fruits are healthier, you can also eat the crunchy chip version, which is made by freeze-drying the fruit. Just make sure there aren’t any added sugars or preservatives if you’re buying them instead of making them yourself. You can also freeze fruits like watermelon and grapes for a cooling, sweet snack.

Yoghurt

Full of calcium and probiotics, yogurt is great for gut health. You can eat it on its own, top it with fruits, or you can freeze them for a tasty treat also known as yoghurt bites. Whenever you’re craving

Healthy Family, Happy Family

When it comes to choosing snacks for your family, it can be tempting to get whatever is on the shelves because of convenience. However, being mindful of what you and your family are consuming will be beneficial in avoiding health issues in the future. Having processed foods once in a while is okay, as long as you do not overeat them and balance them out with nutritious yet delicious snacks.