Who among you here loves donut for breakfast or a snack? Yes, donuts really taste good and maybe some of you just can’t resist this sugary food.

A single donut contains about 200-350 calories, mostly from fats and carbs, is made up of refined sugar, has 6 to 10 grams of saturated fat (bad fat) and 2 to 5 grams of trans-fat. Actually, this favorite snack has no nutritional value and is considered as junk food.

JAMA Internal Medicine published a study wherein results showed that those individuals that had a 10% increase in consumption of ultra-processed food have higher mortality risk.

For the study, 445,551 French adults age 45 or older were followed for 7 years and researchers found that even a taste of these ultra-processed foods could increase a person’s risk of developing chronic diseases that might possibly cause early death.

What Is An Ultra-Processed Food?

According to NOVA, a public-health tool that puts food in categories according to the extent of processing, as opposed to nutrients:

“Ultra-processed foods are industrial formulations typically with five or more (and usually many) ingredients, including sugar, fats, oils, anti-oxidants, stabilizers, and preservatives. These junk ingredients are found in most convenience store fare designated as ready to eat, to drink or to heat, liable to replace both unprocessed or minimally processed foods.”

As given by NOVA, some of the examples of foods containing these junk ingredients are chocolates, candies, soda, ice cream, and mass-produced pastries, cakes, and donuts as well as packaged instant noodles or soup and prepared meals like hot dogs, sausages, pizza, pasta.

Sadly, though we know that these foods can harm our health, we still choose to eat them.

Instead of eating junk foods such as chips, donuts, and soda, why not opt for healthier snacks.

Here is the list of some better option to consider:

Hard-boiled Egg

Nothing can beat an egg when it comes to a healthy snack. Eggs are among the most nutritious foods on the planet. They are loaded with protein and will give you the feeling of fullness. Aside from this, eggs are rich in just about every vitamin and nutrient that your body needs.

Pistachios

Pistachios are rich in potassium, fiber and other beneficial nutrients. Research showed that regularly consuming a small number of this tree nut can help lower your cholesterol level and reduce your risk of heart diseases.

Apple

This slightly sweet snack is high in fiber called pectin, which gives the fruit a huge list of health benefits.

Banana

Hard to resist pastries, cakes, and sodas? Reach for a banana. It is a great source of potassium and electrolytes which can help balance blood pressure.

Fig Bar

Figs are rich in vitamins and minerals such as vitamins A, B1, B2, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, and phosphorus. Fig bar is a better option than pastry or a candy bar.