When we are dieting or trying to eat healthy, it always seems to be what we snack on that makes us fall off the bandwagon, so to speak. We have our breakfasts, lunches and dinners all planned out, but when it comes to snacks, we don't seem to exercise the same self-control. A lot of the time excuses are made such as 'the vending machine is so close to my office' or 'I don't have time to prepare snacks before work' or my personal favourite 'if I'm eating healthy main meals, I can snack on whatever I want'. Unfortunately you can't.
Snacks are very important and can help to control your hunger and also curb your portion size during meals. What one must remember when snacking is that the snack must be nutritious and must be around 100-120 calories at most. Below are 6 simple and easy snack ideas that fit this category:
1. Natural Yogurt
Instead of grabbing a sugary yoghurt when next at the supermarket, opt for natural yoghurt. Add a splash honey and/or fresh kiwi fruit or strawberries to create a tasty, natural snack that is not high in artifical sugars and preservatives. You can become inventive and add chopped apricots, chopped apple or dates to the yoghurt. If your work has a fridge, buy a large container of this yoghurt and have as a snack for a few weeks. Evidence has show that dairy serves of calcium can help you lose weight as well as provide your body with much needed protein and fibre.
2. Fruit
An apple a day keeps the doctor away and the weight gain at bay! The best way to lose weight is to increase your daily intake of fruits and vegetables. Replacing an apple in your bag everyday is a great way to stop you from going to that vending machine. Cutting up an apple and putting it in yoghurt is a good way to eat it if you do not enjoy eating apples by themselves. You can also add a small handul of nuts, such as chopped walnuts or almonds to your apple slices. During summer the fruit choices are endless, so make good use of the ample supplies of peaches, plums, nectarines, apples, mangoes and apricots available.
3. Gum
A lot of the time we will snack when we are not even hungry. We may feel bored or be in front of the TV or just need a break at work, and food will seem like a good choice. A great habit to get into is to ask yourself if you are truly hungry before you reach for a snack. If the answer is no, reach for gum instead. Recent research revealed that the energy burned by chewing gum is around 11 extra calories per hour, which on its own does not sound like much. However, multiply 11 calories per hour x how many times you chew gum in a year and that becomes a decent amount of calories. In addition, you are saving calories by not snacking when you don't really need to.
4. Soy Chips
Soy chips are high in fibre, low in fat and an excellent source of soy protein. According to a study found in the International Journal of Obesity, soy protein accelerates weight loss as well as ensuring that this weight loss is fat instead of muscle. A small pack of soy chips will have around 7g of soy protein to every 100 calories. With the availability of health food products increasing everyday, there are several excellent soy chip brands to choose from.
5. Boiled eggs
Eggs are an excellent source of protein and a boiled egg contains only 78 calories. A great idea is to boil 5 eggs on Sunday night, peel them and wrap them individually. Then you have one snack for the next five working days sorted! The health benefits of eggs are vast, such as lowering the risk of breast cancer and decreasing the risk of developing cataracts.
6. Raw Green Beans & Carrots
Green beans are easy to prepare as a snack for work or home, as all you have to do is wash the beans and trim the ends. Green beans are a great source of protein, fibre and complex carbohydrates. Did you know that a 125g serving of raw green beans contains only 44 calories!? Raw carrots also offer similar health benefits and contain only 52 calories for a 128g serving size.
Image by http://www.thedoodlegirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Rainbow-Snack-001.jpg.
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