Snacking is a great way to fit in extra calories when you're short on time or don't feel like cooking. But if you want to lose weight, snacking smart is even more important than eating healthy foods. Here are some tips for choosing the right snacks:
Keep an eye on portion sizes.
When you're on the go, keeping an eye on portion sizes can be hard. But if you don't pay attention, even small servings can add up quickly. Take this example: If you have one serving of potato chips daily for lunch and three servings weekly for snacks, that's 1,500 calories per month! That's more than half the daily recommended amount for women--and it could mean that you're gaining weight faster than expected.
To avoid this problem and ensure you get enough nutrients without overeating (or under-eating), use our Healthy Snacking Tips Calculator to help determine how many calories are appropriate for your needs.*
Avoid unhealthy snacks like chips, cookies, and other junk food.
- Avoid unhealthy snacks like chips, cookies, and other junk food.
- Healthy snacks are high in fiber and protein, which help you feel fuller longer. They also have more vitamins and minerals than their less healthy counterparts.
- Healthy snacks can be anything from fresh fruit to whole grain crackers with cheese--make sure that whatever you choose has some nutritional value!
Aim for a variety of foods -- all colors of the rainbow, if you will.
When it comes to snacking, the best way to ensure you get a variety of foods is by having several small meals throughout the day.
For example:
- Breakfast could be a bowl of oatmeal with berries and nuts (reds and yellows) or eggs with avocado and tomato (greens).
- Lunch could be leftovers from dinner or a salad topped with roasted vegetables and feta cheese (reds, oranges).
- Snack 1 could be hummus on whole grain crackers or carrot sticks dipped in almond butter (yellows).
You get the idea! The more colors you can fit into your day's menu plan, the better off you'll be, nutritionally speaking!
Make your own trail mix with nuts, seeds, and dried fruits instead of store-bought granola bars or other processed snacks.
Make your own trail mix with nuts, seeds, and dried fruits instead of store-bought granola bars or other processed snacks. Nuts are a good source of protein and healthy fats that can help you feel satisfied for longer. The fiber in the fruit will also keep you full for hours after eating it, so this snack is great for when you need something quick to eat on the go.
Healthy snacking is important if you want to lose weight.
Snacking is a great way to control your hunger, stay healthy and get extra nutrients. Snacking can be a good way to avoid overeating at meals.
Snack on fruit or vegetables instead of chips or sweets. You'll get more vitamins and fiber from these foods than processed snacks.
Ensure you eat enough food during the day so you're not hungry by dinnertime--this will help control portion sizes!
Keep snacks on hand.
- Keep fruit and veggies on hand. You can't go wrong with fresh produce, which is both healthy and delicious.
- Keep healthy snacks in your car, purse, or briefcase. This way, you won't have an excuse not to eat them!
- Keep healthy snacks in the kitchen and any other room where you spend time during the day (bedroom). This way, they're always available when hunger strikes!
Oatmeal is a good snack choice.
Oatmeal is a good source of fiber and offers vitamins and minerals like iron, zinc, potassium, and calcium. It's also high in protein (5 grams per 1/2 cup serving), making it an ideal choice for those trying to lose weight. Oatmeal can be eaten hot or cold--it's delicious both ways!
The only downside? The calories can add up quickly if you're not careful about portion size; however, many brands offer low-calorie options for those who want to save their waistlines from the extra pounds gained from snacking too much on this nutritious food item.
Go for protein in the afternoon.
- Protein snacks are a great way to avoid overeating later on.
- Protein snacks are also good for muscle repair and recovery.
- Protein is the building block of lean muscle tissue, so it's important for anyone who wants to stay fit!
- A protein snack can help you feel full longer than other types of food like sweets or carbs, which means that you'll be less likely to reach for unhealthy foods when hunger strikes later in the day (or evening).
Treat yourself with fruit.
- Fruit is a good source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
- Fruit can help you feel full and satisfied.
- Fruit is high in natural sugars, which can be helpful if you are trying to lose weight by helping to reduce cravings for sweets or starchy carbs like breads, potatoes, and pasta.
Drink water before meals and snacks to help you feel full.
Drinking water before meals and snacks can help you feel full. Water is calorie-free, so that it won't add to your daily intake of calories. It also helps your body absorb nutrients from the food you eat, making you feel satisfied with less food than usual.
In addition to drinking plain water, try consuming low-calorie beverages such as tea or sparkling water with lemon juice if you want something more flavorful than plain old H2O!
Eating healthy snacks will help you feel satisfied and avoid overeating later.
Snacking between meals is a great way to stay on track with your weight loss plan. Snacks can help you feel satisfied, avoid overeating later in the day, and prevent cravings that might lead to unhealthy choices.
Healthy snacks are better for you than junk food because they contain more nutrients and lower sugar, fat, and sodium levels. For example:
- An apple has about 100 calories and contains vitamins A, C, and E and fiber (which helps you digest food). It also has no added sugar! But let's say instead of an apple; someone eats a bagel with cream cheese--that would add up to around 350 calories plus all those extra carbs from grains like wheat flour or white flour oats, which have been processed into refined sugars, so now we've got double trouble here guys!
Conclusion
We hope this article has given you some new ideas for healthy snacking. Remember, variety is key to eating well and staying full. You don't have to stick with just one type of snack--there are so many options! Ensure that whatever item you choose fits your daily calorie budget and contains no processed ingredients (or at least as few as possible).
