Staving Off Cravings

We eat healthy, balanced meals when we’re watching our weight, but we often sabotage our best efforts by snacking on junk food. We can avoid this weight-gain trap by eating nutritious snacks.

For weight management, snacks need to feed our cells with vitamins, min-erals, phytonutrients, some complex carbohydrates, protein, and essential and polyunsaturated fats–just like our main meals, only smaller.

Unless we supply these nutrients at each meal, our bodies will cry out for them through food cravings. For example, if we haven’t provided the essential fats we need for cell membrane, skin, immune, and hair health, we crave unhealthy, fatty fast foods. If we have eliminated complex carbohydrates (found in whole foods such as oats, brown rice, and vegetables), then our brains scream for them and we crave sugar.

Reduce cravings by sipping from a refillable water bottle that you carry with you–if you get tired of drinking plain water, add a squeeze of lemon. Hot drinks such as green or herbal teas can also help keep your mind (and your mouth) off food.

This month’s recipe features all the basic food groups: leafy green vegetables and tomatoes that provide vitamins and lycopene; apricots that provide iron; and whole grains that satisfy our need for fibre, B vitamins, protein, and minerals. The quinoa used in the recipe has a protein profile similar to eggs, without the saturated fat. The almonds add some polyunsaturated fat, as well as more protein and calcium.

Feed your body right every time and enjoy some new snacks that will keep you, and your waist, in line.

Recipes

• Mild Moroccan Spiced Dressing
• Snacking Salad with Apricots and Roasted Almonds