CHOOSING the right afternoon snack can chase away winter blues, says ANGELA DOWDEN.
By Angela Dowden
It is cold and dark outside but you’ve still got hours to go before your evening meal. So it’s no wonder that the temptation to eat a stodgy snack can be too hard to ignore.
“Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred form of energy, lifting blood sugar levels and giving us a boost,” says registered dietician Dr Sarah Schenker (www.sarahschenker.com).
"We may crave them more strongly at this time of year as evolutionary forces dictate that we consume more calories to cope with the cold.”
So how healthy is your favourite teatime treat? Our guide shows you how to indulge more healthily
Slice of battenburg cake
164 calories, 4.8g fat, 22.2g sugar
This won’t break the calorie bank if you are watching your weight and will give you an immediate lift if energy levels are flagging. However because it’s so sugary and fast-releasing, the quick blood glucose boost you get is likely to be followed by just as rapid a drop, leaving you hungry again and possibly a little cranky before dinner time. Have an apple or handful of nuts alongside and the energy boost should last longer.
5/10
Fruit scone
222 calories, 7.6g fat, 15.8g sugars
A relatively slow-releasing option and you’ll get a smattering of anaemia-protective iron and cell-protective antioxidants from the fruit. Opt for a wholemeal scone to give extra fibre and you can be assured of a reasonably healthy treat. However the benefits are much diluted if you add butter or clotted cream. For a still indulgent treat that won’t load you up with cholesterol-raising saturated fat, spread with a little jam and add a squirt of airy aerosol-style cream.
7/10
Buttered crumpet
160 calories, 8.4g fat, 1.8g sugars
By itself a crumpet is quite innocent but the holes soak up spread. So when it is buttered, this choice is particularly high in unhealthy saturated fats that raise cholesterol. One crumpet spread with 10g butter (two teaspoons or one pat) provides over a quarter of a woman’s guideline daily amount of this cholesterol-raising fat and nearly a fifth for a man. That’s fine once in a while but a low fat spread is better or at least choose spreadable butter where the saturated fat is slashed by a third.
5/10
Toasted teacake
207 calories, 2.9g fat, 15g sugars
A quite healthy teatime option if eaten with low fat spread and/or jam. One teacake supplies around 10 per cent of your daily fibre intake – required for a healthy digestion and normally functioning bowels. As it’s only moderately sugary, a teacake also has a relatively low glycaemic index meaning it raises blood glucose levels only modestly but for a longer time, helping to stave off hunger pangs well.
7/10
Jam doughnut
252 calories, 10.9g fat, 14.1g sugar,
Doughnuts provide a heavy double whammy of unhealthy fat and sugar. On the plus side, a jam doughnut is not as bad for your waistline or arteries as a homemade slice of buttercream-filled Victoria sandwich. If you really can’t resist, have three mini ring doughnuts, racking up a quite modest 150 calories and correspondingly lower fat and sugar intake. Cream doughnuts are the ones to be given the widest berth if you want to stay trim and healthy.
4/10
Slice of malt loaf
87 calories, 0.5g fat, 4.9g sugars
Invalid email
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
The barley malt extract in this moist but not too sugary treat, provides reasonably good quantities of B vitamins needed for cells to release energy and to keep the nervous system healthy. However with a teaspoon of butter it supplies 14 per cent of your daily saturated fat limit per slice. As the slices are small, you’re bound to have two, so it’s better to top with a little mashed banana, some low-fat spread or just eat by itself.
7/10
French Fancy
105 calories, 2.8g fat, 16.5g sugars
A whopping 60 per cent sugar and a high glycaemic index (rate of sugar release into your bloodstream) means these are perfect for an instant boost to your energy levels without expanding your waistline too much. However you’ll need to have on hand a healthier small snack – such as a Ryvita spread with peanut butter - to correct the blood sugar crash that is likely to follow an hour or so later.
4/10
Eccles cake
179 calories, 7g fat, 18.2g sugars
These are pastry-based, so best as an occasional treat only, as one contains 20 per cent of a woman’s guideline daily intake of artery-clogging saturated fats. On the plus side, the average Eccles cake has less than 200 calories and contains half a fruit portion’s worth of currants – helping ease you up to your five-a-day. So if you do indulge now and again, don’t feel too guilty.
5/10
