Those who’re trying to lose weight are not really sure whether they should be having snacks, in addition to their regular meals, and if yes, what constitutes a healthy snack. Here are some thoughts on this and suggestions on what you may have as snacks.
Most are under the impression that snacking is not a good idea when trying to lose weight, which is actually not true. But it does depend on what you are snacking on.
Ideally, you should include a reasonably portioned snack that contains a mixture of carbohydrates, protein and healthy fat. Doing so will sustain you and help you feel full for a longer period of time, without adding lots of calories.
Smart & Healthy Snack Options
Here are some smart & healthy snacks that you can add to your eating plan, which may help you in your weight-loss efforts.
1. Greek-yogurt parfait
Try blending a Greek low-fat yogurt with a mix of strawberries and bananas topped with 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed. This is a great snack as it will provide you with a blend of protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats. The flaxseeds will provide you with heart-healthy, omega-3 fats, while the fruit will provide a boost of fiber that will keep you full for longer.
2. Veggies and hummus
Mix your favorite veggies with 2 to 3 tablespoons hummus. When it comes to veggies, try to get a blend of colors to maximize your nutrients. Some of my favorites are red peppers, carrots, cucumbers and broccoli. This is a smart snack as the veggies are low in calories and high in fiber and nutrients including antioxidants while the hummus contains a blend of healthy fat and protein.
3. An apple with nut butter
Slice an apple and add a tablespoon (3 teaspoons) of your favorite nut butter — almond or peanut butter taste great. The fruit contains few calories and lots of fiber while the nut butter will provide you with a blend of protein and healthy fat, which will sustain you for a while. Because nut butters are high in fat, and therefore, calories, it is important to watch your portion.
4. Whole-grain crackers with part-skim cheese and sliced tomato
Choose your favorite whole-grain crackers and include a serving (up to 1 ounce) with your favorite part-skim cheese. Some examples include: 2 to 3 rye crisps topped with part-skim cheddar cheese and sliced tomato. You can also modify this to include a “fun” serving of whole grain such as 3 cups air-popped popcorn (yes, 3 cups!) or three-quarters of a cup whole-wheat pretzels and add a part-skim mozzarella stick and a few cherry tomatoes. The whole-grain serving is high in fiber and low in fat, while the cheese provides protein, calcium and some fat. The tomato gives you a healthy dose of vitamin C and the antioxidant lycopene.
5. Your favorite vegetable bean soup
I am a soup lover and I must confess that I include soup in my diet even in the hot summer months. Soup makes for a great snack, as it is filling and you tend to eat it more slowly than you would a crunchy snack, especially if it is hot. Bean soups are a great choice, as they contain the perfect blend of protein and carbohydrates and plenty of fiber. Some healthy choices include a bowl (12 ounces) of lentil soup, split-pea soup or white-bean soup. Instead of waiting until you join your dinner companion at a restaurant and ordering soup as an appetizer, if you are hungry in the late afternoon, have the soup as a snack and it will sustain you for several hours.
Healthy Snacking Habits for Weight Loss
Here are healthy & smart snacking tips that will help you to slim down…
1. Watch the clock. Having a bite to hold you over ’til lunch is common practice, but a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that mid-morning snackers tended to snack more throughout the day than afternoon snackers, resulting in hindered weight loss efforts. Afternoon snacking was associated with a slightly higher intake of fiber and fruits and vegetables.
2. Color code your snacks. A recent study suggests you can avoid a mindless binge by adding visual traffic lights to your snack. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and Cornell University gave one set of students a bowl of uniform yellow chips, while another group had their regular snack layered with differently colored chips. Students who had their snack segmented ate 50 percent less than those with a uniform bowl.
3. Muscle up your munchies. Make sure your snack contains protein, which requires more energy to burn than carbs or fats and thus keeps you fuller longer. But don’t take it from me: In a study printed in the journal Appetite, researchers from the University of Missouri compared the satiety effects of high-, moderate-, and low-protein yogurts on 24- to 28-year-old women and found Greek yogurt, with the highest protein content, to have the greatest effect.
4. Swap hands. Want to snack less without going snackless? Try the left-handed diet (or right-handed). A study printed in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found moviegoers grabbed for less popcorn when doing so with their non-dominant hand. I tested the hypothesis myself earlier this year with the ABC World News team and came to the same conclusion: Eating with your non-dominant hand makes you think about what you’re doing and may help you eat less.
5. Use smaller bowls. Grabbing handfuls from the bag is never a good idea, but munching from a punch bowl won’t do much for weight loss either. Research printed in The FASEB Journal suggests that overeating may be associated with the size of our serveware. Participants who were given larger bowls served and ate 16 percent more than those given smaller bowls. Not only that, the big-bowlers underestimated just how much they were eating by 7 percent! Take advantage of the visual illusion with belly-friendly bowls or ramekins.
6. Don’t be duped. Just because something is marketed as “low fat” doesn’t mean it’s good for you — or you should eat more of it. A Cornell University study printed in the Journal of Marketing Research suggests people eat more of a snack that’s marketed as “low fat.” Participants in the study ate a whopping 28 percent more of a snack (M&Ms!) labeled “low fat” than when they didn’t have the label.
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