Recently I was giving some advice to a friend about what snacks are good snacks to snack on during the day or between meals. I will be the first to admit that I am a BIG snacker. I would not make it through the day if I did not have my snacks. But the key to maintaining a healthy eating habit is to find the right kind of snacks to consume throughout the day.
Of course you can snack on fresh raw veggies and fruit. These are my favorite and some of the easy things to grab especially in a time crunch. With some fruit and veggies, I have found some healthy dips to use on them to make them a little more enjoyable. The key to allowing yourself to splurge on these type of dips is to make sure that you do not use too much and to find a dip that is not packed full of calories.
The key to snacking is not to eat something that will make you full. The idea is to consumer something that has nutrients that will satisfy you until you have your next meal. And since a snack is just a snack, you want something that is low in calories.
I will now give a few examples of some great snacks to have during the day! And the best part is that most of them are 150 calories or less!!
Hummus with Pita and Peas
3 tablespoons hummus; 1/2 whole-grain pita, cut into pieces; and 1/2 cup pea pods
Strawberries with Chocolate Sauce
1 cup strawberries drizzled with 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
Apple and Peanut Butter
1 medium apple, sliced, with 1 tablespoon peanut butter
Pumpernickel with Swiss Cheese
3 slices mini pumpernickel with 1 slice Swiss cheese
Oatmeal and Berries
1 packet low-sugar oatmeal topped with a handful of berries
Spiced Maple Yogurt
Spiced maple yogurt: 6 ounces plain yogurt, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, and a dash of cinnamon
Green Tea with Cookie
Unsweetened green tea with 1 oatmeal dark-chocolate cookie (such as TLC by Kashi)
Granola Bar
1 trail-mix granola bar
Chocolate Pudding
1 chocolate pudding cup with 1 graham-cracker square crushed and sprinkled on top
Cafe Mocha
12-ounce nonfat cafe mocha (with no whipped cream)
Tomato Juice and Cheese
8-ounce V8 juice with 1 piece of string cheese
Chips and Dip
2 tablespoons low-fat spicy bean dip and 18 baked tortilla chips
Crackers with Honey Soy-Nut Butter
4 whole-grain crackers with 1 tablespoon honey soy-nut butter
Oranges with Walnuts
4-ounce mandarin-orange cup topped with 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts (or you can substitute your favorite nuts for the walnuts)
Apple and Cheese
1 small apple Apple and 1 ounce of Brie Cheese (or substitute in your favorite cheese for the Brie cheese)
Pudding with Cherries
4-ounces of low-fat vanilla Pudding with 1/2 cup of Cherries (fresh or thawed out frozen cherries)
Coffee and Cookies
2 whole grain fig cookies and 12 ounces of black coffee (with one teaspoon of sugar)
Red Grapes and Almonds
1 cup of red grapes and approximately 11 almonds
Cereal and Yogurt
6-ounces of light yogurt and 1/2 cup of whole grain cereal (Kashi cereal is a good choice for this snack)
Cheese and Crackers
1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese, 1 teaspoon of fresh chopped chives, and 6 whole grain crackers
For that late night snack…
Lemon Sorbet with Raspberries
1/2 cup of lemon sorbet and 3/4 cup of fresh berries
Spiked Pomegranate Lemonade
1 1/2 lemon lime vodka, 1 1/2 ounces of light lemonade, 1 1/2 ounces of pomegranate juice, and 4 ounces club soda
Root Beer Float
12-ounces of light root beer and 1/2 cup of light vanilla ice cream
Beer and Nuts
12-ounce light beer (such as Bud Select 55, Michelob Ultra, Miller Light, Bud Select, or Coors Light) and 12 pistachios
Like I said there are 100′s of snacks out there for you to have, it is just about finding the right snack for you. I hope some of the snacks suggested will cater to you and your snacking needs.
You can find more suggestions and tips at:
http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/healthy-eating/nutrition/the-you-can-do-it-diet-snacks/?page=1
So go ahead and get your grocery lists ready so you can have some amazing snacks to have when you need them!!
