時尚雙語:教你怎麼吃零食

Snack is food eaten between main meals; it serves different functions in our daily diet. For instance, healthy nutritious snacks can help people with low dietary intake, poor appetite or who are underweight to replenish the deficiency in main meals, and to increase their nutritional intakes. For healthy people, try to choose healthy snacks with appropriate portions, so that appetite for the next main meals would not be affected and additional weight gain would be minimized.

零食是人們在主餐間吃的食物，它在我們的日常飲食中，發揮着各種各樣的作用。例如，健康有營養的零食可以幫助飯量小、胃口不好或體重偏輕者補充主餐的不足，從而增加營養的攝入。對於健康人來說，應儘量選擇分量合適的健康零食，以免下一頓主食的胃口受影響，體重增加的可能性也會被減到最小。

Here are some tips for Choosing snacks選擇零食的小貼士:

1. Avoid high fat snacks 避免食用高脂肪零食

Since high fat snacks may lead to overweight easily, and snacks containing high saturated fat like coconut oil, butter and animal fat etc. may increase blood cholesterol level, therefore, it is discouraged to eat those high fat snacks. Examples of high saturated fat snacks include cookies, wafer biscuits, cakes, egg tart etc.; oily deep-fried snacks include deep-fried chicken wing and French fries.

因爲高脂肪零食容易造成身體肥胖，其中所含的大量飽和脂肪，像椰子油、黃油和動物油等，會增加血液中的膽固醇含量，所以最好不要吃高脂肪零食。飽和脂肪含量高的零食有曲奇、威化餅乾、蛋糕、蛋撻等；還有油炸類零食，比如油炸雞翅和炸薯條。

2. Cut down high sugar content snacks 少食高糖類零食

Sugar increases the energy of foods. Choosing snacks with lower sugar content would reduce caloric intake and play an important role in body weight management. High sugar content snacks include dessert soup, cakes, chocolate, soft drinks, sweetened juices and tinned fruit etc.

糖分會增加食物的熱量。選擇低糖類零食會減少卡路里的攝入量，有助於控制體重。高糖類零食包括甜粥、蛋糕、巧克力、軟飲料、加糖果汁和水果罐頭等。

3. Avoid high sodium snacks 避免食用高鈉類零食

Eating high sodium foods over a period of time may increase blood pressure, so choose more often snacks with lower sodium content, and avoid choosing snacks added with salty seasonings and containing preserved meat. High sodium snacks include chili and salty chicken wing, sausage, bacon, luncheon meat, nuts added with salt and preserved plum etc.

長期食用高鈉類食物容易引起高血壓，因此應更多選擇低鈉類零食，儘量少吃添加含鹽調料和醃肉的零食。高鈉類零食包括椒鹽雞翅、香腸、鹹肉、午餐肉、加鹽的堅果和梅子蜜餞等。

4. Choose more often high fiber snacks 多選高纖維零食

Dietary fiber has different functions in our body; it would benefit overweight people as it gives the sense of satiety, and in turn lower their food intakes. Dietary fiber would also benefit people with hypercholesterolemia because of its possible lipid lowering effect. Apart from this, fiber helps to relieve constipation and to lower the incidence of certain types of intestinal diseases.

膳食纖維對我們的身體發揮着各種各樣的作用。它對於體重過重者有好處，因爲它會讓人產生吃飽的感覺，促使人們減少食物的攝入量。膳食纖維對血膽脂醇過多的人也有好處，因爲它能降低人體內的油脂含量。此外，纖維還有助於緩解便祕，降低某些腸道疾病的發病率。

Examples of high fiber snacks include all kinds of fruits like apple, banana, orange, cherry tomato, oatmeal, wholemeal bread, whole wheat biscuit, and beans like red bean or kidney bean etc.

富含纖維的零食包括各種水果，比如蘋果、香蕉、桔子、櫻桃西紅柿等，還有燕麥片、全麥麪包、全麥餅乾和紅豆、四季豆等豆類。

5. Have appropriate portions of snacks and snack time 選擇合適的零食分量和食用時間

Portion sizes of snacks should be appropriate and not in excess. Snack time can be arranged between two main meals in order not to affect the appetite. It is discouraged to have snacks just before going to bed; otherwise indigestion and weight gain may be resulted.

零食的分量應當合適，不易超量。食用零食的時間應該安排在兩頓主食之間，以免影響食慾。睡覺之前最好不要吃零食，否則可能引起消化不良和體重增加。

6. Read nutrition labeling 閱讀營養標籤

It would be wise to read and compare the nutritional labels when purchasing prepackaged snacks, especially the energy, fat and sugar content, because some nutrition claims may be misleading. For instance, a food may have a claim of "Low Sugar" in the package, however, it contains certain amount of fat as a matter of fact, and eating excessively would absorb too much fat content.

購買包裝好的零食時，最好查看並比較一下營養標籤，尤其是熱量、脂肪和糖類的含量，因爲一些營養說明可能會誤導我們。例如，某種食物可能會在外包裝上標明“低糖”，但是實際上還有一定量的脂肪，食用過多會攝入太多脂肪。

7. Pay attention to food hygiene and eating safety 注意食物衛生和飲食安全

It is suggested to buy snacks in reputable retailers with sound hygienic conditions; in addition, it is necessary to check the expiry date of snacks in order to avoid eating unclean and rotted foods. Some snacks with slippery texture will lead to choking easily, like jelly and glutinous dumpling, so take more care when eating this kind of food.

建議去食品衛生條件好且聲譽不錯的零售店買零食。另外，爲了避免食用不乾淨和腐爛的食物，還需要查看食品是否超過保質期。一些表面光滑的零食容易使人窒息，例如，果凍和湯圓，因此食用此類食品時要多加註意。

8. Chronic diseases suggestions 對於慢性病患者的建議

People suffering from chronic diseases or who are obese should follow their own health conditions and dietary controls to choose the suitable type of snacks. They are also advised to have appropriate food portions.

受慢性疾病困擾或者過度肥胖的人，應根據自己的健康狀況和飲食控制選擇合適的零食，並且注意食用量。