3 Reasons to Snack on Dried Fruit and Nuts

by Thomas Parker

When most people are hungry they start to snack on chocolate, crisps and candy. Whilst snacking is not inherently bad you have to choose your snack foods carefully. In this article I am going to introduce you to dried fruit and nuts and discuss three reasons to snack on them.

1) DRIED FRUITS ARE SWEETER THAN MOST OTHER FRUIT:- One of the reasons a lot of people turn to processed snacks is due to their high sugar content. Chocolate and candy are a lot sweeter than most fruits. For most people an apple just does not cut it when compared to a chocolate bar. However, dried fruits are a lot more concentrated and have most of their original water removed. Therefore, if you want a healthy snack but still want to satisfy your sweet tooth you should try dried fruit.

2) THEY ARE BOTH RICH IN FIBRE:- Dried fruit and nuts are both fibre rich food choices and therefore offer a number of health benefits. First, it acts as an appetite suppressant and helps fill your stomach by absorbing water and expanding in your digestive tract. Secondly, it promotes regular bowel movements and helps reduce constipation. Fibre also helps you fully absorb vitamin and minerals and moderate blood sugar levels. Processed snacks contain little dietary fibre so by substituting them with dried fruit and nuts you can start to enjoy the above health benefits.

3) THEY ARE A GOOD SOURCE OF VITAMINS:- Nuts contain high levels of vitamin B6, vitamin B9, vitamin B12 and vitamin E. Dried fruit is also rich in a number of water soluble vitamins including vitamin C. Each of these vitamins have a number of health benefits. Vitamin B6 helps your body break down protein into an energy source that it can use. Vitamins B9 and B12 work together to assist your body in the production of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) which play a key role in the production of new cells. Vitamin C helps your body produce the connective tissue collagen which is essential for the proper healing of wounds. Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant which protects your body from harmful free radicals. Processed snacks are relatively low in vitamins so by switching to dried fruit and nuts you can make sure you are getting the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for a number of vitamins.

As you can see there are many good reasons to make dried fruit and nuts part of your diet. Whilst they are not substantial enough to constitute a full meal they are a perfect, natural and healthy alternative to processed snacks. So if you have not made the switch already drop the crisps, chocolate and candy today and start eating dried fruit and nuts instead.

Tom Parker owns and operates a number of useful fitness resources and websites. You can learn more about dried fruit and nuts and the benefits of fibre by visiting his websites.

What Are Healthy Oatmeal Choices?

by Mary Rentoumis

Oatmeal is high in fiber, low in fat, and contains protein and iron. It is a very inexpensive alternative to cold cereal for a healthy breakfast. But how do you know which kind of oatmeal is best? Learn about the different types of oatmeal and whether or not that package of instant oatmeal is really a good choice.

Shouldn't I just eat those packages of instant oatmeal?

Instant oatmeal contains oats that are already cooked and dried before rolling. Instant oatmeal comes in the convenience of single serving packages. Easy, fast and with fun flavors. But when you read the label, you see that many instant oatmeal varieties contain lots of sugar, up to several teaspoons in one package. The individual packages can be very expensive.

In locating a good choice, some varieties of instant oatmeal target children, women, or calorie counters. Some of the oatmeal marketed as "lower sugar" has artificial sweeteners, and some childrens' oatmeal with the fun shapes contains partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Even the "all natural product" can contain too much sugar, so check the nutrition label carefully.

But you can still make oatmeal quickly without the expense and sugar of the individual packets.

What are the best healthy oatmeal choices?

Instead of the expensive instant oatmeal packages, there are three healthy oatmeal choices:

Quick Cooking Oats, Rolled Oats, and Steel Cut .

To understand the choices, here's how oatmeal is made: oat grains are hulled and steamed. These whole grain "groats" are the inner part of the oat kernel and are cut in different ways to make the different kinds of oatmeal.

1. Quick Cooking Oats

Quick cooking oats are groats that are cut into pieces and rolled finer to reduce cooking time. They take about one minute to cook on the stove and one minute in the microwave.

2. Old fashioned Oats or Rolled Oats:

Old fashioned or rolled oats are oat groats that are steamed and rolled flat. Rolled oats cook in five minutes on the stove and three minutes in the microwave.

3. Steel Cut Oats:

Considered by some to be the tastiest oatmeal, steel cut oatmeal contains groats that are cut into pieces using steel blades. They take about an hour to cook from start to finish and are best made on the stove top. Try making a pot on the weekend and refrigerating individual portions to eat during the week.

For healthy oatmeal recipes using all three of the good oatmeal choices, visit http://www.healthy-diet-mom.com/healthy-oatmeal-recipes.html

From Mary Rentoumis, the Healthy Diet Mom. Adventures in healthy eating for the whole family, http://www.healthy-diet-mom.com

Smart Tips to Eat Healthy For Less

by Shirley McNeal

The year 2009 has brought an economic roller coaster our way at a very fast pace. Prices for products and services have increased including trips to the grocery store for food. A trip to the grocery store can be very expensive. But, with a little effort in planning healthy meals, you can learn to eat healthy even on a tight budget. Here are five tips to help you eat healthy for less:

1. Shop For Specials: Grocery stores usually advertise weekly specials on food products. Be sure to watch for flyers advertising weekly sales, coupons and special prices to take advantage of the specials whenever possible. Stock up on the products you use while on sale. To eat healthier, begin reading labels to compare the nutritional value of products. When comparing the products, check the prices and make sure you are getting your money's worth on the products you choose. For example, did you know that frozen juice has more vitamin C that ready to drink juice? When you buy juice, make sure it's 100% juice and not a juice drink, which only has about 10% fruit juice in it.

2. Buy Fruits & Vegetables: In order to develop healthier eating habits, be sure to include a variety of fruits and vegetables in your daily diet. The cost of these foods will be less costly if you purchase fresh produce and buy them in season. It will be less expensive to buy apples in the fall of the year and oranges, lemons and limes in the winter.

3. Eat Appropriate Size Portions: Limit the amount of food that you eat at mealtime. Moderation is the key. You can significantly stretch the amount of food to prepare and serve when people have limited their portions. Begin by decreasing the meat portion of the meal, and then add whole grains or wheat pasta foods. Whole grain products provide a lot of nutrients and are inexpensive to buy. Meat portions should be served in small portions. Beans can be used as a substitute for meat and can provide some of the same proteins and fiber.

4. Keep Away From Fast Foods: Find ways to have food available that can be prepared quickly in order to avoid buying fast foods. When cooking your nutritious meals, be sure to prepare enough for freezing so that it can be used at a later time. Having healthy foods available makes meal preparation much easier and faster. Therefore, you will have healthy meals on hand and less likely to pick up fast foods.

The cost of groceries has increased, but it is no more expensive to buy nutritional foods. It's just a matter of getting into the habit of planning a balanced diet in order to develop a healthier lifestyle. Of course, the planning also includes staying within your food budget.

Retired social services administrator, Shirley McNeal, owner of My Southern Home Place...The Bargain Store for Wholesale Gifts, Collectibles & Decor located at http://www.mysouthernhomeplace.com presents this article. We are a family owned and operated online store. We celebrate families, children, health and home and our business reflects these core values. We have a passion for bringing you and your family affordable products you will enjoy using and sharing with your friends and family. We invite you to visit our bargain store to see the variety of products, resources, gift registry services, as well as a work at home opportunity and fundraiser program available for you.