Today's post is all about healthy snacking! The only rule is MODERATION! Even though these things are healthy, we still need to practice moderation and have one serving and stop after that. Snacks have been proven to be an extreme helper in the weight loss journey, but it just takes some strength to overcome eating more than one serving and then overdoing yourself. I've been guilty of snacking so much that I skip a meal because I am too full! Definitely not good!
Nutrient Dense Snacks: Nutrient dense foods are those that provide more nutrients per their volume.
*Carrots (1 cup)
*Apples (1 medium)
*Berries (1/2 - 1 cup)
*Broccoli (Unlimited amount)
*Spinach (Unlimited amount)
*Kale (Unlimited amount)
*Oranges (1 medium)
*Grapefruit (1 medium) -- Sprinkle with a little stevia/truvia for some sweetness.
You got it...fruits and veggies! They are theee best snack! They will give your body a super boost while filling you up to get you through to the next meal (bonus: for not many calories!) Enjoy unlimited amounts of green vegetables each day to keep you full! The others can be enjoyed using one serving only.
Try cut up veggies with a ranch dip -- cut up veggies and dip into 1/2 c. plain, o% greek yogurt with 1 tsp. powdered ranch mix.
Try a smoothie: 1/2 c. strawberries; 1 handful spinach; splash of milk.
The fruits can be eaten on their own since they're super sweet and tasty as they are!
More Nutrient Dense Snacks: The only difference with these ones is that they have more calories. These snacks are good for people who are already slimmed down to their goal weight, toned up, and just looking to maintain their healthy weight! They are also essential for very, very active people!
*Oatmeal (1/2 cup) -- Flavor with cinnamon, nutmeg, or stevia/truvia and top with a few berries.
*Low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese (1 cup) -- Try to stick with greek yogurt rather than regular yogurt (more filling, less sugar, more natural ingredients)
*100% whole grain bread or cereal (1 slice of bread or 1/2 c. cereal are perfect servings)
*Soy milk/Almond milk (1 cup of milk)
*Low-fat cheese (I like Laughing Cow wedges with a few crackers or veggies OR the Babybel cheese rounds). Just remember -- moderation! Cheese has lots of fat (even the low fat kind) so don't overdue it here.
Energy Dense Snacks: These foods are excellent for those who are wanting to gain some healthy weight or are avid exercisers (such as training for a marathon, etc) and need extra energy. These foods are fine for those trying to lose weight (but in very low moderation). The extra fat in these foods need to be expended through exercise, so make sure if you're eating these you're getting enough exercise!
*Peanut Butter OR any other nut butter (almond, sunflower, cashew, etc) (1 or 2 tbsp)
*Dried fruits (1/4 c.)
*Larabars (You can get these at Hy-Vee. They're made with less than 5 ingredients. Most are made with just dried fruit and nuts!)
*Corn (1/2 c.)
*Peas (1/2 c.)
*Potatoes (1/2 potato)
*Cheese (1-2 ounces)
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