If you are not familiar with the paleo diet, also known as the paleolithic, caveman or Stone Age diet, it is based on how humans ate before the Agricultural Revolution. It’s a recreation, as much as possible in the modern world, of the hunter-gatherer’s diet.
When it comes to looking for healthy snacks, and snacks that are not fattening, there is no better place to look than the paleo diet, which rules out many junk foods typical of most snacks, such as refined sugar and grains. There are even no potatoes allowed in the paleo diet, so you can forget about potato chips!
In fact, even if you don’t strictly follow the paleo diet, you may want to seriously consider adopting it for your snack regimen. It can really make a big improvement in your eating habits, energy levels throughout the day and caloric intake. Let’s look at some of the paleo-friendly snacks we can start consuming as substitutes for the less healthy ones we are so used to.
Fresh Fruit -it is no mystery that fruit is healthy, but many people seldom eat it. Incidentally, fresh fruit is better in most cases than juice because even unsweetened fruit juice is highly concentrated and you may be getting more sugar and calories than you realize. With fresh fruit, you will tend to consume it in moderation. Of course, there is also the fact that when you eat whole foods you get the entire nutritional content of that food instead of just part of it. Remember, cavemen did not have juicers!
Salad & Vegetables– greens always make a healthy snack. You can mix up any kind of salad and veggie combination you like. Just watch what kind of dressing you use, for these often contain lots of sugar, sodium and calories. It’s best to use oil and vinegar or all natural dressings. Try making tahini dressing. This is easily made from tahini paste (which is crushed sesame seeds), water and either lemon juice or vinegar. You can also add sea salt and garlic to taste.
Dried Nuts & Fruits – also sold as trail mix. Try to get organic dried fruit and nuts, though any all natural mix is good. Okay, maybe cavemen did not eat trail mix either, but this is still a healthy way to consume these nutritious foods. Nuts are very high in protein and healthy fats. Peanuts are the least healthy of nuts, so try to stick to other nuts such as almonds, walnuts and cashews.
Chip Alternatives– you can now find healthy snacks that are alternatives to things like potato chips and pretzels. These are usually vegetable based chips. Sea veggie chips can be quite tasty and have many essential minerals. There are also chips made from fruits such as banana, plantain and mango.
These are just a few healthy snack ideas that are consistent with a paleo diet.