We all love snacks. Even the most health conscious and disciplined among us appreciate a little nibble now and then, but when you’re watching your waistline, how can you really enjoy your mid-morning, mid-afternoon or mid-movie snack without the guilt?

Mango and avocado salad. Add low fat natural yogurt for added flavour.

Here’s just three, healthy, tasty, low calorie and totally guilt-free snacks to get you through the day:

Mid-Morning

We all know that eating more fruit and vegetable is good for us, but getting enough of them in your diet means making room for them.

So, mid-morning, eat a piece of fruit.

You’re not just making a healthy choice, you’re saving yourself the task of preparing anything. Fruit is easily accessible and it can be carried and eaten pretty much anywhere, making it ideal for those mid-morning munchies that strike at work.

Try mixing it up so that you have something different every day. Bananas, apples and oranges are great, but be bold and try dragon, star or sharon fruit, or take a bunch of grapes, blueberries or cherries that you can nibble on throughout the morning.

Varying your daily fruit snack means that you keep it interesting but more importantly, you get a wide mix of nutrients and health benefits.

Mid-Afternoon

No matter what you eat for lunch, you sometimes need a mid-afternoon pick-me-up and this recipe is delicious, refreshing and guilt free; it’s the avocado and mango ice-lolly.

They may not be two ingredients you’d immediately think of putting together, but the creamy goodness of the avocado combined with the sweet flavour of the mango makes it a great combination.

They’re also two ingredients that complement one another in real health terms. Mangos are rich in antioxidants known as carotenoids, which are fat soluble. The fat in your avocado helps break down all that good stuff and absorb it more easily into your body.

You will need:
1 x Avocado
1 x Mango
A squeeze of lime juice
4/5 Heaped tablespoons of low fat natural yoghurt

Simply peel and deseed your fruit, chop it up into chunks and pop it with the other ingredients in a blender.

Whizz until smooth and then pour into some lolly moulds. Pop them into the freezer to set and a couple of hours later, they’re ready to savour.

Mid-Movie

What’s a movie without a munch? But there are rules; no rustly packets, no snacks you have to assemble or peel and certainly nothing that requires cutlery.

Popcorn is nice, but it generally makes you thirsty and you end up with all those little husks stuck in your teeth which just distract you from the film and make you leave the cinema with tongue-cramp.

The healthy, tasty solution? Edamame beans.

If you haven’t heard of these or tried them yet then check out this recipe and head to your supermarket. They originate from East Asia and are relatively new to the UK but you can pick them up in Tescos, Waitrose or Asda.

Essentially they look like broad beans but they’re greener and are packed with nutritional goodness. From these little beans you can get a hit of protein, fibre, omega-3 fatty acids plus vitamins C, K and folate.

There are hundreds of recipes online for these versatile snacks, but for a movie, try crispy, salted edamame.

You will need:
2 x cups fresh or frozen, shelled Edamame beans
2 x tablespoons olive oil
Freshly ground sea salt to taste

If using frozen Edamame beans, rinse them thoroughly and pat them dry with kitchen towel. The beans need to be as dry as possible before going in the oven so that they crisp up.

One they’re dry, pop them in a bowl with the oil, stir, and season with the salt to taste.

Put them in a single layer on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and bake at 375°F/Gas 5 for 10-15 mins.

Give them a shake half way through for an even bake. Once they’re golden and crispy they’re good to go. Put them in a paper bag to take to the cinema or in a bowl in front of the telly.

For more, healthy snack recipes, free motivational tools to aid weight loss and great dietary advice, simply visit Rowland’s Pharmacy online for further information.

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