Granola basically comprises rolled oats and honey that are mixed with other ingredients to create different kinds of bars. This healthy snack is fibre-rich, high on protein level and packs a punch of flavours. It pretty much does the job of a plain biscuit, but only in a healthier way.
Instead of 2 biscuits in 1 sitting, try having 1. If your snack has 2 bars, have 1 and share the other, or save it for another day. If you're an "all-or-nothing" type person, you could find something to do to take your mind off food on some days of the week.
Biscuits are a healthier alternative to a snack with a cup of tea or coffee when consumed in moderation. However, they have hidden calories in sugar, salt, bad fats, and refined wheat. They're also high in salt to extend shelf life and meet market demand.
Peswani advises that people stick to not more than three Marie biscuits/two cream crackers a day or protein-rich biscuits like Threptin, while Patwardhan suggests that people avoid them altogether and opt for healthier options like nuts or poha.
Sweet, fatty biscuits trigger our brain's reward circuit, flooding it with dopamine and making us feel good. We also tend to find crunchy foods satisfying to eat, from a sensory perspective. So, it's easy to see why we soon reach for another biscuit seconds after the first.
Craving processed flours may indicate insulin resistance, hypoglycemia (blood sugar fluctuations), chromium deficiency or fatigue. This is separate to sweet cravings, often it can go unnoticed, people often crave crackers, savoury biscuits, noodles, white breads, chips, etc.
Mindless eating is usually caused by events triggering visual hunger or as a coping mechanism to stressful conditions in one's environment. Depression and anxiety, boredom, environmental changes- both climatic and social, and unhealthy eating schedules are the leading causes of mindless eating.
So long eaten in moderation, they are considered a healthier substitute when it comes to consuming as a snack with cup of tea or coffee. But the issue is that they contain hidden calories in the form of sugar, salt, unhealthy fats and refined flour.
Try yoghurt-dipped strawberries. These are a healthier alternative to chocolates or biscuits. They look beautiful, and will be more nutritious, as well as being lower in saturated fats, sugars and calories.
Studies show that consuming junk food and processed foods with synthetic additives are the leading cause of high belly fat and obesity. Additionally, foods rich in sugar and Omega 6 fatty acids, excessive drinking, smoking and a sedentary lifestyle are equally likely to cause high belly fat levels.
