Snacks can be bad news if you’re trying to lose weight – unless you choose health snacks such as these, which will satisfy your hunger, taste great, and not sabotage your fat loss efforts either.
Blueberries
Blueberries win when it comes to flavour and nutrition. They are packed with healthy antioxidants and phytonutrients, and are very versatile too. You can eat them just as they are, or mix them with yoghurt or half-fat creme fraiche, cereals or a fruit salad. These cute little berries will blend well with many other foods, and will give a boost to your energy levels too.
Other berries, such as strawberries, raspberries and blackberries have many of the same nutrients, and are just as delicious and non-fattening, so mix them up for some extra variety.
Apples
Apples also make excellent fruity snacks, and healthy eating on the go doesn’t get much easier than an apple – no need to peel it, there’s no packaging to deal with, and it doesn’t make a mess as you eat. Apples are great sources of fibre and vitamins, and are light on the calories, with only about 80 in each medium sized fruit.
Raw vegetables
Raw veggies can be cut up and eaten with a healthy dip, such as plain yoghurt or houmous – eaten this way they make a great alternative to chips. Most vegetables that can be eaten raw can be used like this – good choices are carrots, celery, mange tout, sugar snap peas, cauliflower and broccoli.
Almonds and other nuts
A handful of almonds makes a great snack, as do other nuts such as brazils, pecans, walnuts and macadamias. Although nuts are rich in fat, the types of fats they contain are good for you, and so long as you don’t eat too many they work well as a great snack for dieters. Alternatively, try a spoonful of peanut butter or almond butter (go for the salt- and sugar-free varieties), which make a great dip for a sliced apple or raw veggies.
Frozen bananas
When frozen, ripe bananas take on a deliciously rich, creamy texture, and taste as if they’re a lot more ‘sinful’ than they actually are! A bit of melted antioxidant-packed plain chocolate poured over the top makes for a very delicious sweet snack, but don’t overdo it!
As you can see, there’s more to health snacks than plain rice cakes and bran bars – with these ideas you can keep the hunger pangs at bay, and keep your healthy lifestyle on track too.
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