Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Protein On The Go!

Crunchy Cheddar MixAs most of you will already know, a good source of protein is an extremely important part of every meal and snack you eat throughout the day. By making protein a higher part of each meal that you eat, you will remain satisfied for longer and eat less. So, eating more protein makes sense, but how are you supposed to do so when you're surrounded by carbohydrate snacks on the go that are high in sugar, white flour and low quality fats?

Simple. Try eating 'biltong' or 'beef jerky' - dried meat. As an occasional snack option this meaty snack is high in protein, and extremely low in both carbohydrate and fat. For every 100g of dried meat, you will ingest 25g of protein and a mere 2g of carbohydrate and fats respectively.

A 50g bag of this snack will give you roughly 140 calories, perfect for a quick snack that won't overload you with carbohydrates and hence help maintain your blood sugar at a manageable level. A higher protein snack will not leave you feeling 'moreish', but rather satisfied.

Believe me, this stuff tastes better than it sounds. You can buy it at most supermarkets and if in doubt, ask a member of staff. It comes in snack size bags for added convenience, so it makes the perfect snack on the run. For those of you that are vegetarian, a small handful of nuts will do just as good a job, but as I always say, eat any snack in moderation. Give yourself variety. Don't simply rely on one snack source throughout the day.

Give dried meat a try and see what you think!
Simon Dainton is a Certified Personal Trainer and founder of Fitstreet Personal Training in the UK. His Programs of Lifestyle change guarantee clients results, combining effective exercise, nutrition and lifestyle adjustments.

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