TOP FIVE HEALTHY SNACKS

Christmas is rightfully loaded with sweet treats and full-fat goodness. I love a little over-indulgence, but as my jeans become a little tighter and the Wii Fit at my parent's house tells me I have gained seven pounds since I last visited them (oops), I should probably switch to healthier options. I'm not talking about 'diet food', I'm talking about tasty snacks that just so happen to be low in calories and fat and high in goodness. Five delicious ideas below...

Jordan's Frusli
Supermarkets nationwide

First, the breakfast snack has to be a bar of Jordan's Frusli. They have a new flavour - Apples & Sultanas with a hint of Cinnamon - which are very tasty indeed. The delicious bars contain 25% fruit combined with wholegrain oats, and only 111 calories and 2.3g fat. Cinnamon also happens to be a great blood sugar regulator, so having this as a breakfast snack should mean you make it to lunch-time without any extra food cravings (well, that's the plan... but does part of you think they're so good for you that you should really be eating two? ...or is that just me!).

Wonderful Pistachios available at Tesco
http://www.pistachiohealth.co.uk/

I didn't even realise I liked pistachios when I tried salt & pepper flavoured Wonderful Pistachios, now I can't live with out them!  Dubbed the “skinny nut” by nutrition experts, a handful of pistachios offers a deliciously satisfying snack for about 100 calories. Pistachios also contain essential fibres to aid the digestive system, managing cholesterol and lowering blood sugar levels - so what are you waiting for? I've shared these tasty treats around with friends and they are unanimously delicious.



Soreen, £1.29 for a large loaf
Supermarkets nationwide

I do love Soreen as a snack. It's low in fat and tastes great. To my delight, Soreen has recently introduced two delicious new flavours; an Apple and Sultana loaf packed with a sweet apple taste and a Banana fruit loaf containing less than 1.5 per cent saturated fat and full of yummy banana goodness. Soreen is delicious toasted with  a small spread of butter... give it a go!

Fruit Bowl Fruit Flakes, £1.91 for five bags
Waitrose and other stores

When you get a craving for sweets, try some Fruit Flakes. I personally like the Raspberry or Strawberry varieties. The handy pocket-packs contains little Fruit Flakes to snack on, and contain more than three times their own weight in fruit. These tasty treats are gluten and dairy free too.

 



Diva Popcorn - Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar, £1.05
http://www.divaallstars.com/

Popcorn is the new crisps... It's official. I've overlooked it in Pret a Manger for some time, but I have now succumed. Diva popcorn definitely has as much flavour as it does personality, I picked up the Sea Salt & Balsamic vinegar variety in the Harrods Food Hall, and it was de-lic-ous. There's also less than four grams of fat per bag and only 95 calories! The great thing is that it lasts for ages - not like many bags of crisps that only contain about ten crisps inside! Pop pop pop... I'm addicted!