Chocolate
Whether it’s a Mars bar or a Twix, everyone has their favourite piece of chocolatey goodness. Trouble is, it’s not exactly a healthfood. A standard Mars contains 32g of sugar – the equivalent of six and a half teaspoons.
So, what can you replace it with? Dark chocolate. The higher the cacao, the higher the flavanols; and the higher the flavanols, the better for you. Research has shown that flavanols have substances that can help lower blood pressure and improve vascular function – great for runners – as well as even improving cognition.
You’ll find many of the bars on the shelves, and brands such as Green & Blacks and Lindt will actually advertise their percentage levels of caucao on the packet.
Nuts
Ah, the classic salted peanut: every bloke’s go-to bar snack. While all nuts contain heart-healthy Omega-3 fats, there are still some that are healthier than others. Salted and dry-roasted peanuts, for example, contain rather high levels of sodium, which can contribute to heart disease and stomach cancer.
Almonds are arguably the healthiest; in one ounce you can find 6g of protein, 3.5g of fiber and 14g of fat (the healthy type!). Almonds also contain high levels of magnesium. Cashews are good for zinc, while walnuts contain the most amount of antioxidants. There’s nothing wrong with mixing and matching, either!
Crisps
Who doesn’t love a packet of Gary’s finest Walkers crisps? Problem is, they’re loaded with salt and saturated fat.
Fear not, crisp-lovers. You don’t have to give up on eating these fried potato slivers altogether; you simply need to seek out a superior type of crisp.
And there are plenty of healthy alternatives on the market. Marks & Spencer provide handcooked vegetable crisps, while Waitrose sell plantain crisps.
Two other branded options worth investigating are Ritz’s Crisp & Thin Salt & Vinegar crisps, with only 7% fat, and Kallo’s corn cakes with less than 3% fat.
Chips
You just can’t beat fresh chips from the chippy, there’s no denying that. However, the problem with chips is usually in how they’re cooked: deep-fried. High in saturated fats and stacked with carbohydrates, these are a major health hazard.
Sweet potato chips, however, have far less saturated fats and less than half the carbs the everyday potato has. Chop them up onto a baking tray, drizzle in olive oil and bung them in the oven for 30 minutes. And, hey presto: fitness-friendly fries.
Fizzy drinks
Did you know there are 39g of sugar in just one can of coke? Well, you do now. It’s been widely documented how unhealthy fizzy drinks are; but what’s the alternative for those looking for a carbonated sugary drink that won’t rot your teeth.
One alternative is to slice up fruit into an ice tray, fill and freeze it, then simply add to sparkling water. If you’re a little on the less creative side, there are plenty of organic soft drinks sweeping the market. Just be careful to check the sugar content before purchasing. Bottle Green, for example, is a great choice, and in a variety of flavours too.
