Crispy Crunchy Chewy Temptations

A Guide to Healthy Festive Snacking Part 1

The year-end holidays - Christmas and New Year - are synonymous with feasting and indulging in delicious, calorie-laden treats. Indeed, year-end festivities often come with many temptations to snack and indulge in less healthy foods. From buttery cookies to rich pies, it can be hard to resist the tempting array of foods that symbolise celebration and togetherness. However, with the right options, it is possible to enjoy these festive moments with healthy snacking.

During a visit to the recently concluded 2024 Food Hotel Asia Exhibition which brought together a wide spectrum of global suppliers and key buyers from Asia and beyond, I was introduced to a whole new range of crispy crunchies, which piqued my curiosity. This was when I decided to embark on a hunt for healthy snacks in preparation for my year-end celebrations.

WHAT MAKES A HEALTHY SNACK

A good way to determine if a certain snack is a healthier option is to look at its ingredient list. Look for ingredients that are rich in fibre and protein as the body digests them more slowly than sugar, allowing you to stay satisfied longer. The snack should also contain at least two out of four food groups; contain only about 100-150 calories; be low in salt, sugar and saturated fat (1.5g or less); and has no trans-fat and no partially hydrogenated oils.

For those of us with a sweet tooth, it is healthier to snack on freeze-dried fruits, vegetables, whole-grain snacks, and low-fat dairy. It is recommended to avoid snacks and drinks containing added sugar that is more than ½ teaspoon per serving. As a guide, one should take in no more than a total of 10 teaspoons (50g) of sugar based on a 2,000-calorie daily intake. Hence, foods and drinks that list sugar or corn syrup as one of their first ingredients are not healthy snack choices.