COLOMBO (News 1st): “Well, a girls’ got to eat!” – When Anne Hathaway`s character said these famous words in the movie ‘The Dark Night Rises’, girls all around the world, young and old, were in absolute agreement.

The world has today become more health conscious with everybody trying out all sorts of diets. Yet, there is just one temptation that most of us haven’t been able to break free from – SNACKING!!

This necessary evil certainly has a way of getting us at random moments in a day. Instead of avoiding it, let us be better prepared to control our hunger pangs with these healthy options which are easily and readily available in Sri Lanka.

Cashew Nuts | 553 calories per 100g

Quite delicious in its natural form, lightly roasted in salt or as honey salted nuts, Cashew nuts can be eaten as a snack, plain or combined with a bowl of raisins for a tasty mix.

Plus, Cashew nuts make an ideal snack for you to carry around in your bag. This locally available nut which is known to be high in vitamin E and minerals also contains magnesium and zinc which help regulate the immune system helping to fight the common cold and cough. Cashew nuts may also contain unsaturated fat which is known as the healthy fat essential in a healthy diet.

Habala Pethi (Sri Lankan Rice Flakes) | 250 calories per bowl

Many consider ‘habala pethi’ to be a breakfast option. However, being easily digestible makes it a good snack as well.

Soaking a few tablespoons of ‘habala pethi’ in hot water in order to soften them up and eating it with milk along with sultanas, bananas or chopped apple, will leave you with a healthy snack rich in iron and healthy carbohydrates – all while keeping blood sugar levels under control. This snack can be easily made in a mug for added convenience and will keep you full for a longer time.

Aggala | 396 calories per 100g

The popular processed cereal treat can be made by mixing Samaposha with scraped coconut, sugar and a pinch of salt. The mixture can be made into easy to eat balls which contain vitamins, protein, and iron.

Samaposha has an almost addictive texture and flavor and can soon become a welcome favorite snack to anyone. The nutty flavor gives one a lovely after-taste and also offers you the option of packing a few to take with you to your workplace.

Fruits | 68-89 calories per 100g

Our island is blessed with some of the best produce. However, it’s a pity that the health benefits they provide have been ignored by many -as we have great sources for clean healthy snacking options right in front of us. We can make ideal snacks out of many fruits that grow quite freely all over our island. Guavas and bananas are ideal snacks due to their low-calorie levels.

Guavas contain antioxidants that are good for the skin and this fruit variety is perfect on its own. Bananas provide energy, making it the ideal mid-day snack. Containing potassium which is especially good for your heart and blood pressure, they top the list of nutrients. You can choose to combine it with a bran cracker or a piece of toast.

Bran crackers | 408 calories per 100g

Filled with fiber, these crackers will not only make you feel full, it will help prevent type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases – just like any other food which are high in fiber.

There are no amount of options to eating crackers. Just plain and straight out of the packet, with a dash of peanut butter or with a ripe banana. Of course, you can try some creative toppings to make it more interesting if you are snacking at home.

Yogurt | 103 calories per 80g

A good snack to beat the heat and not to mention get your daily dose of calcium. Containing many more vitamins and minerals, yogurt will reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

This tasty snack can be eaten at any time of day and also has the power to ease heartburn in people with gastritis. The beauty of yogurt is you can choose plain yogurt or top it with nuts and fruits. One exciting option is to take soft yogurt and freeze it with some chopped pieces of your favorite fruit to make healthy Popsicles.

Pumpkin seeds | 446 calories per 100g

This snack can be a made with the seeds of a pumpkin, which we would normally discard.

It is first essential to wash and dry the seeds before lightly toasting them. It has a very light nutty flavor and the slightly crunchy texture will satisfy the munchies.

Of course, the many health benefits it provides, nutrients, antioxidants and being high in fiber helps improve prostate and bladder health and as studies have shown, has even been known to reduce the risk of cancer.

Today we have come to believe that eating less or following many diet plans such as the Keto Diet, 19 Hour Fast and all those fitness regimes on the boards at our gyms are the only way to stay healthy.

While it may well be serious options for many, a lot of us forget that maintaining good food habits goes hand in glove with anything we try. Very important to remember that as we starve ourselves in the hope of keeping fit or losing weight, our body requires a certain amount of energy and this can only be maintained through the intake of health-conscious options. A healthy snack has been proven to be an ideal method of helping burn fat and avoiding gastric attacks, heartburn, and headaches.

This proves that, just as snacking on oily fast foods, spicy take-outs and sugary treats isn’t the perfect way to stay healthy, ‘it is okay’ to have mid-morning or mid-day snacks. Just as long as you stick to healthy options.

Sneak Treat: For all you chocolate lovers out there – Dark Chocolate Bars are actually a healthy snack.

So, next time you find yourself reaching for a snack, lets’ hope it is a healthy option taking you closer to your health goals.