Given current society’s love for instant food, it’s not surprising why most of the population is living unhealthy lifestyles. Eating healthy can be a huge challenge especially if you experience food cravings. But if snacks are the problem, there’s a quick solution – change the way you snack. 



Whether you are looking for a quick snack you can easily cook or prepare at home or something to take on the go, we’ve got you covered. Here are three alternative snack ideas to cut down on unhealthy foods and get more potassium and calcium in your diet.
 

1. Banana Cacao Smoothie

Find yourself craving for chocolates? This could be a sign that you need more magnesium in your diet or you’re probably just stressed. Don’t run to the nearest store to grab chocolate bars to ease your cravings, there’s a healthier alternative for that. Here’s a 10-minute recipe to prepare a chocolate flavored and nutrient-dense smoothie to fill you up.

Ingredients you would need: 

• 2 pitted Medjool dates 
• 1 sliced medium-sized banana or 2 small bananas 
• 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder 
• 2 tablespoons raw almond butter 
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds 
• 1 cup water or raw almond milk

How to prepare:

Once you have all the ingredients ready, toss everything in your blender. Blend until smooth. If you just finished working out, this works well as a recovery drink too. Add one serving of protein powder for added a nutritional fix. Best of all, it’ll satisfy your hankering for a box of chocolates!

2. Raw Carrots

Considered to be one of the most common vegetables in market stalls, you might be overlooking the nutritional value of carrots. When you are craving for chips and the crispy sound that comes with every bite, you should know that carrots – or baby carrots – make a good substitute. One medium sized carrot or half a cup of chopped carrots provides 210 percent of you daily recommended vitamins A intake. Aside from beta carotene, each serving contains two percent calcium, six percent vitamin C, and 10 percent vitamin K.

So, the next time you find yourself reaching out for a bag of chips, do what many vegetarians do instead – take out a bag of fresh baby carrots or a carrot and a chopping board. If you prefer, you can also enjoy it with a healthy dip such as a homemade hummus or low fat thousand island dressing. It’ll curb your cravings for junk food in no time!

3. Overnight Oats

Try Making Overnight Oats 

Skipping breakfast is a bad idea when you are sticking to a healthy diet. You can eat your meal without waking up extra early by preparing your meal the night before. The basics of preparing oats in a jar are simple. It’s just a combination of oats, some milk, and your topping of choice. As, you may have guessed, you will need a jar for this recipe. It would be better to look for a jar with a lid since you might want to take your breakfast to go. All you need to do is place everything in a jar and leave it in the fridge to chill. When you wake up the next day, you just need to take out the jar and eat your meal before stepping out to work.To start, below is a delicious recipe you can try. All you need to do is place everything in a jar and leave it in the fridge to chill. When you wake up the next day, you just need to take out the jar and eat your meal before leaving for work. To help you out, here’s one recipe you can try.

Ingredients you would need: 

• ½ cup soy milk or coconut milk or almond milk 
• ¼ cup quick oats 
• ½ tablespoon chia seeds 
• ½ cup Blueberries (Blueberries contain resveratrol that helps reduce a risk of heart disease. They also make the oats taste better.) 
• ¼ sliced medium banana 
• 1 tablespoon almonds or your favorite nut
• 4 drops of your preferred sweetener
• A pinch of vanilla or cinnamon  

How to prepare: 

Once you have all the ingredients prepared, just throw everything in the jar. Use the nuts as toppings. Cover the jar and place it in the fridge. As an added bonus, this quick breakfast looks so pretty it’s something you can post on social media too! 

Now It’s Your Turn 

It’s never too late to lead a healthy lifestyle. Whether you know how to cook or not, these are really easy to prepare at home to help you curb that pesky craving for unhealthy snacks. I hope these 3 ideas will help you to kick your bad eating habits and form better and healthier ones! By Jade in a collaboration with bookculinaryvacations. Jade is the founder of HiGlamour, a website that features practical guides on beauty and health for women. Having worked for a large nutraceutical company in Canada, she became well-versed on the relevant subjects and have produced many articles on health, beauty, and wellness ever since.

By Jade in a collaboration with BookCulinaryVacations.com. Jade is the founder of HiGlamour, a website that features practical guides on beauty and health for women. Having worked for a large nutraceutical company in Canada, she became well-versed on the relevant subjects and have produced many articles on health, beauty, and wellness ever since.