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Retirees Need to Practice Healthy Snacking

Being retired doesn't mean that life has to slow down. You can adopt new exercise programs, find a part time job or even indulge in a new hobby. Wherever your new retired life takes you, be sure that you take care of yourself first. Part of maintaining your health is a good eating plan, especially when you are snacking or on the go.

As you get older, your metabolism changes. Some people have a hard time eating big or heavy meals while others need several mini-meals a day in order to maintain their energy. If you fall into one of these categories, chances are that you are snacking a lot. You want to ensure that your snacking is healthy, not filled with a bunch of junk food.

There are several benefits to eating right when it comes to snacking. First of all, a healthy snack that contains fiber and other important nutrients is ideal. With a good snack, you can satiate your hunger throughout the day and prevent overindulging at regular meal times. Plus, with metabolisms being different, your rate of burning calories may change. Therefore, smaller meals like snacks can help you keep your metabolism running strong.

There are some snacks that you should avoid and some that you should embrace. Read on for a few pointers that retirees should follow when it comes to healthy snacking:

Snacks to Avoid

* Sugary sodas and other drinks that just provide empty calories that are best spent on healthy snacks.

* Put the candy bars, cookies and other sugary snacks away.

* Nix the extra salt that you find in chips, nuts, jerky and other prepackaged s"nack" foods.

Snacks to Embrace

* Fresh fruit, dried fruit like prunes or raisins, and even frozen fruit when some of the fresh is not in season.

* Raw veggies with a low calorie dip are a great snack. Try carrots, colored bell peppers, celery, broccoli cherry tomatoes and more. A low fat dip could be made from yogurt, cottage cheese or you could even use a low fat salad dressing that is low in sugar.

* Stick with whole grain products such as breads and crackers.

* Hummus made from ground chickpea is a winner and chock full of great healthy vitamins and minerals. It great when spread on whole wheat crackers or used as a veggie dip.

* Stick with low fat and fat free dairy products. If you find that you develop a bit of lactose intolerance, switch to lactaid treated dairy or soy milk products.

* Some nuts are good for you. Just be sure that you do not get the sweet or salty versions.

Proper healthy snack choices can be very important as you grow older. Because metabolisms are not what they used to be, you need all the help you can get in order to stay healthy. Add the healthy eating with proper exercise and hydration (carry a water bottle with you everywhere) and you will live a long, productive retirement.