Snacking Low GI

by TLS

When undertaking a low Glycemic Index (GI) diet, the foods we eat help to regulate blood sugar levels, rather than to quickly spike and crash. Because of this, a low GI diet may aid in weight loss due to enhanced appetite management and possibly delayed hunger cues.

This means that in addition to the reduced risk of obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, and heart disease, a low GI diet can help us get the most out of our meals and avoid crashing. Adding a strategically placed, low GI snack somewhere in our day may provide sustainable weight loss among appetite management benefits.

Most people think of snacking as a negative, like grabbing some potato chips or a candy bar from a vending machine. However, snacking can be made into a benefit with little more effort than a tiny amount of planning.
To become a healthy snacker, pick a time during the day, obviously outside of meals, where your food cravings will be at their highest. This is where most people cheat on their diets, especially under stress or with little time in which to make a healthy decision.

If you work during the day or have little time to cook, bring a packaged snack, such as yogurt or veggies and dip (no mayo). If you wait until your designated “snack time” (maybe those kindergarten teachers were on to something…) the quick, low GI snack may curve cravings and give you an energy boost.

If you’re home and need an energy boost, make a peanut butter fruit dip with apples and pears. Grab a portabella mushroom cap, throw on some tomato sauce and low-fat cheese and you have a quick pizza.

Low GI snacking has limitations similar to any diet, in that it recommends avoiding unhealthy fats (potato chips, mayo), unhealthy sugars (candy bars, ice cream), and promoting nutritious eating (fruits, vegetables). The difference with the low GI diet is that snacking can be used as a tool to enhance the diet and help curve cravings, instead of cheating one day and going back on the diet the next. Eating low GI foods provides flexibility and control in your diet.

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