The idea of healthy snacks always sounds like an appealing one, until you bite into something bland that doesn’t even come close to satisfying your hunger or cravings. If that has been your experience until now, you’re in for some great news. Nutritious, weight control-friendly foods can be both satisfying and extremely delicious!
Healthy Snacks Aren’t Automatically Bland
The key to doing healthy snacks right isn’t in making sure that you always choose the foods with the lowest calorie count. Instead, it’s about choosing options with the right combination of flavor and nutrient density. In this way, you’ll not only use snacking to benefit your daily nutrition, but you’ll also make sure you’re supporting your weight management efforts at the same time.
Regardless of what you might have heard, snacking is not the enemy of weight loss or weight maintenance. In fact, snacking can play a key role in making sure you can keep up your nutritious eating strategy over the long-term!
How Much Should You be Snacking?
The goal for eating healthy snacks is to satisfy your hunger between meals while you provide your body with nutrition in a way that won’t derail your weight control efforts. Therefore, the frequency of your snacking or the amount you’re eating will be decided by the way you satisfy your goal.
For some people, that will mean one little bite of something in the middle of the afternoon. On the other hand, you might be someone who is more comfortable with a bit of extra food both mid-morning and mid-afternoon. It all depends on when you eat your meals, what you have, and when your hunger pangs start kicking in.
Start paying attention to your eating habits and when you find yourself feeling hungry. As you come to recognize your patterns, you can start to build habits around them. This way, you can start satisfying hunger before it becomes so strong that it will make you more inclined to overeat.
Focusing on eating foods that are high in fiber and that contain a range of nutrients will help you to feel satisfied by your healthy snacks and maintain that feeling until mealtimes.
Healthy Snacks You’ll Crave
The following are some fantastic options for healthy snacks you’ll enjoy and that will satisfy your hunger until your next mealtime comes around.
- Nuts – A small handful of nuts like walnuts or almonds comes with rich flavors, a great crunch, and great dose of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and protein.
- Hummus and veg – Nothing is faster and easier to prepare than some baby carrots, sliced bell peppers, and or broccoli florets dipped in a little bit of hummus. It fills you up and packs a nutrient punch at the same time!
- Parm popcorn – Three cups of air-popped popcorn topped with a tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese gives you lots of fiber and protein while letting you munch away for a while. The perfect healthy snack to go with a movie!
- Egg salad – If the idea of a boiled egg just isn’t thrilling you, then don’t stop there. Crush it in a bowl with a fork and mix it with some Greek yogurt. A sprinkle of chives and paprika means every mouthful is packed with flavor.
- Fruity cottage cheese – Satisfy your sweet tooth and your body’s need for protein and calcium at the same time by mixing some low-fat cottage cheese with peaches or pineapple. Not feeling like fruit but still want the sweet stuff? Drizzle a teaspoon of honey on the cottage cheese, sprinkle with cinnamon, and top it off with chopped walnuts or almonds. You’ll forget you’re eating a healthy snack and think you’re having dessert!
