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A snack is a portion of food, often smaller than a regular meal, generally eaten between meals. Snacks come in a variety of forms including packaged snack foods and other processed foods, as well as items made from fresh ingredients at home.

Traditionally, snacks are prepared from ingredients commonly available in the home. Often cold cuts, fruit, leftovers, nuts, sandwiches, and the like are used as snacks. The Dagwood sandwich was originally the humorous result of a cartoon character's desire for large snacks. With the spread of convenience stores, packaged snack foods became a significant business. Snack foods are typically designed to be portable, quick, and satisfying. Processed snack foods, as one form of convenience food, are designed to be less perishable, more durable, and more portable than prepared foods. They often contain substantial amounts of sweeteners, preservatives, and appealing ingredients such as chocolate, peanuts, and specially-designed flavors (such as flavored potato chips).

Beverages, such as coffee, are not generally considered snacks though they may be consumed along with or in lieu of snack foods.

A snack eaten shortly before going to bed or during the night may be called a midnight snack.

Snack Review: GT’s Raw Organic Kombucha

Last summer I hung out with a friend of mine who lives in LA. She has gorgeous skin and hair; she’s beautiful, joyful, successful, and healthy. I would probably drink lighter fluid if she told me that it was the secret to her glow.

Lucky for me, lighter fluid was not the secret. Really, there is no secret other than a healthy and active lifestyle. She does, however, swear by GT’s Organic Raw Kombucha.

With a taste and smell akin to vinegar, it may not strike you as immediately appetizing, but I would recommend that you try it.

Health Benefits

Its health benefits have been lauded for thousands of years. Some trace Kombucha origins to the Qin Dynasty in China where it was allegedly known as the “Immortal Health Elixir” because it aided in digestion and balanced energy.

Kombucha is made from a fermented mix of tea, sugar, and a symbiotic "colony" of healthy bacteria and yeast. The resulting beverage is a raw food that is fat-freelow in calories and carbohydrates, and jam-packed with vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and organic acids. It’s also got a healthy serving of probiotics.

 

According to GT’s website, Kombucha…

  • Increases energy level (though it is caffeine free)
  • Improves digestion
  • Is beneficial for healthy skin and hair
  • Has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties

According to Seeds of Health, Kombucha can also help with…

  • Hypertension
  • Chronic fatigue
  • Arthritis

Despite whether or not Kombucha is an “immortal elixir,” it’s tasty and really quite filling. I’ve substituted my afternoon snack with a bottle of Kombucha on many occasions, and it leaves me feeling full, alive and, for lack of a better word,zesty. GT recommends it in place of your morning coffee, one hour before a workout, or through out the day to maintain energy.

If the taste of the original raw variety puts you off, try GT’s Synergy drinks, which are combined with 5% real fruit juice. You can find either variety at your local health food store or at Whole Foods. In fact, go to GT’s website and click on where to buy, put in your state, and look to see where Kombucha is sold near you.

The Facts

  • Serving Size – 8oz (two servings per container, so really 16oz)
  • Calories – only 30 per serving!!!
  • Sodium – 10mg per serving
  • Sugar – 2g per serving
  • Good source of these vitamins: Folic Acid, Vitamin B1,Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3,Vitamin B6,Vitamin B12

Enjoy!

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