snacks and a stroll down the supermarket aisles will show how spoiled we are for choice. Nuts in various mixes abound. Small portions of yoghurt in countless different flavours. Vegetable chips that include butternut, beetroot and sweet potato are growing in popularity. And did you know that biltong is considered a healthy snack? Granola bars are available in many different sizes and mixes and healthy crackers and cookies shout their goodness from the shelves. The Banting craze has also led to the creation of a number of low- or no-carb goodies, not only in the supermarkets, but in bakeries and shops that sell home-baked products. So next time you feel the urge, don’t reach automatically for the potato crisps or chocolate. Treat yourself to a portion of fresh fruit, a handful of nuts, a tub of yoghurt or a granola bar. And next time you do your shopping, stock up on the health snacks and foods. You will find they not only promote energy, but also help to control your weight – and the cherry on top is that they are delicious!
Africans from making snacks a regular and normal part of daily diet as well as an essential part of any braai, party or outing. Snacks are also blamed as a significant contributing factor to the growing obesity problem in the country and people trying to lose weight are nearly always sternly admonished to abstain at all costs. But this doesn’t have to be true, because there are snacks and there are snacks. Healthy snacks? Yes, such a thing really exists – “healthy snack” is not an oxymoron! A brief browse through the internet will immediately point to “nuts, fruit, vegetables, lean meats and low-fat dairy products” which don’t sound very exciting or enticing, but don’t despair! In the right combinations, they produce some mouth-watering snacks that are not only satisfying but also nutritious and healthy. Because we have become more health-conscious, there has been a boom in the production of health
“Healthy snack” is not an oxymoron!
Much of the “unhealthy” stigma actually arose in the United States. Snacks like peanuts, which were introduced as far back as the 17th century, pretzels and popcorn, were sold uncovered by unhygienic street hawkers. They were further stigmatised by the stuffy Victorians of the 19th Century who considered any food not eaten with proper utensils to be lower-class. The years have largely undone these negative perceptions, proving that taste triumphs over tradition and class! However, it remains generally true that eating too much of the widely available snack or junk food today is unhealthy because of the ingredients as well as the method of cooking. Many additives, preservatives and colourants used in snacks have a negative impact on health especially if consumed in quantity. Even knowing this, though, has not stopped South
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