People who snack during the day don’t lose weight, right? Wrong. They most certainly do! As a matter of fact, nutritious nibbling is not only allowed, it’s encouraged! If you're seeking to satisfy your hunger, prevent overeating later in the day and boost your metabolism, good-for-you goodies are the way to go. Here are some tips for choosing the right tasty tidbits:
Set your snack times. If you consume small snacks in between your meals you’ll be less likely to overeat during lunch and dinner. To keep your stomach growling at bay, make a promise with yourself to consume a healthy meal or snack every three to four hours during the day, so you never become too hungry.
Keep healthy foods on hand. Surround yourself with healthy foods to snack on at home, at work or in your car, to prevent yourself from grabbing high-fat and sugar-laden snacks (or making a dangerous U-Turn into a fast food drive-thru!).
Pay attention to portions. Keep snack size in mind and choose your servings wisely: try purchasing single portion containers of snacks whenever possible, or pre-portioning snacks such as lower fat crisps, nuts, popcorn and low-fat cheese after coming home from the shops. Just grab one when it’s snack time and you won’t have to worry about going overboard.
Read the small print. Foods labelled as "fat free" may lead you to believe that they are also calorie-free, but this is often not the case. Fat is often replaced with sugar. So always be sure to read a product’s Nutrition Information label to find out the real deal, and adjust your portions accordingly.
Fibre keeps you fuller. When choosing the right snacks, you’ll receive nutritional benefits such as fibre, vitamins and minerals. Snacks rich in fibre such as fruit, vegetables and wholegrain complex carbs (aim for at least two to three grams per serving) will fill you up but with fewer calories than no-fibre noshing.
Snack-Worthy Suggestions
Snacks under 10 calories
- Sugar free gum
- Sugar free jelly
- Coffee with skimmed milk
- Tea with skimmed milk
- Water with slices of lemon or lime
- Sugar free flavoured fizzy water and no added sugar cordial
- Diet drinks and other calorie free drinks
- Herbal and fruit tea, de-caff coffee
60-90 calorie snacks
- Fresh fruit
- Snack-A-Jacks and Rispinos
- Individual bag of pretzels such as M&S Count on Us
- Pint volume of air popped popcorn spiced with cinnamon or paprika
- Big bowl of raw vegetables sprinkled with lemon juice or balsamic vinegar
- Skinny latte or cappuccino (no added sugar)
- Cereal bowl of strawberries and 1 tbs Greek yoghurt
- (Quaker) Apple and raisin harvest bar
- Reduced fat instant hot chocolate drink (made with water)
- 1 slice Nimble bread with a tsp sugar free jam
- 2 bread sticks and tomato salsa dip
110-130 calorie snacks
- 1 pot low fat yoghurt or fromage frais
- 2 wholegrain crackers with cottage cheese and tomato
- 50g raisins and sultanas
- 20g mixed nuts
- Cereal bar
- 1 slice wholegrain toast with 1 tbs lower-fat peanut butter
- 1 slice wholegrain bread with 30g chicken breast or lean ham
- 1 slice wholemeal toast with 2 tbs reduced sugar baked beans
- Mini pitta bread with 30g lower fat cheese such as Edam, tomato and salad
- ½ pitta bread with 30g reduced fat hummus
- 1 apple with 30g low-fat cheese
- 2 celery sticks with 2 tbs low fat cream cheese