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Easy
snack ideas for a healthy diet
Don't
screw up your weight loss program by eating junk snacks
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By Erin
Rogers
Most
experts agree that snacking is a part of a balanced and healthy
diet, as long as the snacks don’t pile on empty calories. Like
any other part of your diet, it’s important to put some
thought into what kind of snacks to have on hand; otherwise
it’s all too easy to pick something high-calorie, high-fat, or
high-sugar.
It’s a good
idea to not let yourself get too hungry before eating a meal or
snack, since this is a surefire way to encourage overeating.
Drinking sufficient water throughout the day (8-10 glasses is
generally recommended) will not only serve to keep you
well-hydrated, but will also help you feel less hungry. Another
good idea is to include some protein with your snacks, as this
will help keep you feeling full for a longer period of time.
(Related article: Water
helps your skin)
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Following are
some ideas for different types of snacks. You may be hungry for
different kinds of snacks at different times, or on different
days. Pick what sounds best, what you have on hand, and what
fits best into your eating plan or strategy.
Crunchy/Salty:
- Flavored popcorn or rice cakes
- Pretzels (with or without some honey
mustard dip)
- Light microwave popcorn
- Baked tortilla chips with salsa
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Fruits& Veggies:
- An apple (with or without some caramel
dipping sauce)
- Sliced strawberries with fat-free half and
half
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Raw veggies (try a dip with ranch seasoning
and fat-free sour cream)
- Frozen grapes
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Dairy:
- String cheese
- Light yogurt
- Chocolate milk (made with low-fat milk)
- Cottage cheese with canned pineapple
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Sweets:
- 2 whole wheat fig bars (look for these in
the organic food section)
- 2 low-fat graham crackers spread with 1 T.
chocolate frosting
- 3 Hershey’s kisses
- Animal crackers (1/2 small box) and a cup
of low-fat milk
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Drinks:
- Banana-chocolate whip (In a blender,
combine 1 cup fat-free milk, 1 small banana, and a squeeze
of chocolate syrup. Optional: toss in a few ice cubes for a
frostier concoction)
- Orange whip (In a blender, combine, 1 cup
orange juice, 1 carton orange nonfat yogurt, and a few ice
cubes)
- Light Root Beer Float (Diet root beer with
1 cup low-fat ice cream
- Steaming mug of fat-free hot
chocolate/cocoa (with added calcium)
I recommend
keeping a list of your favorite healthy snacking ideas, either
on your refrigerator, in your purse, on your computer, or even
your PDA. Sometimes it’s hard to think of a good snack option.
With your list, you’ll never have to worry again and it will
help with shopping, too!
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About the author
Erin Rogers, a work-at-home mom of two, is the founder of
Health-E-Meals.com, providing practical healthy living resources for busy people. Visit her website to sign up for the FREE newsletter, 'Dinners on the Double' - offering a quick and healthy, no-recipe dinner idea each week. Other available services include quick and healthy recipes, healthy cooking articles, fitness and motivation tips, healthy living web links, and lots more! Erin can be reached via
email. A FREE copy of the
book of recipes is available here for
download.
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