Author: Karen Kelly
Grabbing a snack is a great way to keep up your energy and make it until your next meal. However, many snack foods are terrible for you. Luckily, many healthy snacks for weight loss can help you eat a more nutritious diet.
People were thought to eat a fat-free diet in the past, but today, we know many healthy fats that everyone should include in their diets. A wide range of great snack options can help you stay energized and focused without being junk food. Let’s dig into our list of healthy snacks for weight loss.
Eggs
Eggs are one of the easiest things to cook, and they’re packed with nutrition. When you eat scrambled or hard-boiled eggs, you’re getting about 6 grams of protein each. These contain healthy fats and iron, lutein, and other essential nutrients. You can also fry them in olive oil for even more healthy fats. The five grams of fat they contain will help you to feel full until your next meal.
Fresh Fruit
If you have an incurable sweet tooth, one of the best snacks is simply pieces of fruit. You can eat it alone or with cottage cheese for more protein, calcium, and healthy fats.
There are so many types of fruit you can vary your snacks daily if you wish and still get plenty of essential nutrients from your snacks. If your fruit often goes bad before you eat it, you can choose frozen fruit instead. This is especially nice to have on a hot day.
Nuts and Nut Butter
An excellent low-calorie snack is to have a couple of handfuls of nuts. Nuts have many essential omega fatty acids that your body and brain need to stay healthy.
You can also choose a nut butter such as almond butter. You can spread it on whole-grain bread, apple, or celery for an easy snack full of nutrients. Trader Joe’s is a great place to find nuts and nut butters.
Protein Chips
These make easy snacks for any day that you’re craving something salty. Protein chips are a reimagined variety of potato or corn chips full of protein. Most are low-calorie and low-carb, as well as very high in protein. These are good snacks for when you’re on the go and need a snack to energize yourself. However, it’s best to skip salty snacks altogether if you have high blood pressure.
Popcorn
When you picture popcorn, you may imagine the highly salty and butter-covered snack in movie theaters. There are also many ways to make oily, high-calorie popcorn at home. However, that isn’t the only option. You can also make popcorn with little or no salt or butter.
Getting an air popper for home use is a good option for a healthy, high-fiber snack. Popcorn without toppings is low-calorie and is a whole-grain snack. It can help your weight loss goals by keeping you from too much sodium and calories.
If you want to spice up your air-popped popcorn, try adding some fun savory spices like garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, or dried dill. You might like cinnamon or coconut sugar if you have a sweet tooth.
Greek Yogurt
Even if you’re a yogurt fan, you might not have gotten on board the Greek yogurt train yet. This type of yogurt is made a little differently from regular yogurt, with numerous nutrients and health benefits. Getting a cup of Greek yogurt high in added sugar and calories is possible, but plenty don’t come with these additions. Opt for a low-calorie version; you’ll get a snack with plenty of protein and calcium and live bacteria for your gut health.
It’s best to add your toppings instead of buying yogurt with mix-ins. Try a few raspberries, granola, chia seeds, or chopped nuts. The options are endless!
Kale Chips
This easy snack is made from dried kale, another alternative to high-calorie chips. Kale is one of the most nutrient-dense vegetables and is often recommended for inclusion in a healthy diet.
It has protein as well as fiber, and several vital antioxidants. These vitamins can help you to prevent premature aging and keep you healthier. Kale chips are easy to carry when you’re going out, and they won’t add unhealthy fats to your diet.
Hummus
Hummus is a dip made from mashed chickpeas. It’s a fiber-rich snack that is full of anti-inflammatory nutrients as well as protein. Keep the portion size small, however, as it’s one of the higher-calorie snacks on this list.
Don’t add nutrition-free items like crackers when you eat hummus. Use a vegetable such as carrot sticks, celery, or bell peppers to dip into your hummus for even more nutrition and vitamins.
Healthy Smoothies
One of the best things about a healthy smoothie is there aren’t any rules other than using healthy ingredients. Many people mix fruits and vegetables to make a delicious treat with plenty of essential vitamins and micronutrients. Some people also add protein powder to their diets to get more of it.
A green smoothie made from mostly vegetables, or 50% vegetables, will ensure you get a nutrient-dense drink that will give you some much-needed servings of vegetables daily. Just be wary of smoothies made from all fruit, as they can be loaded with calories.
Oatmeal
As with many snacks, oatmeal can be eaten as a low-calorie, low-sugar snack, but high-sugar, high-calorie versions are available. Getting oatmeal without sugar or just a small amount of sugar can give you a healthy snack with a lot of nutrition. It’s full of soluble fiber, keeping you feeling full for a long time. Fiber is also an essential nutrient for intestinal health.
Oatmeal is high in protein and is a whole-grain food often recommended for those with high cholesterol. You can add fruit to your oatmeal to give it more flavor and nutrition.
Dark Chocolate
Wait, chocolate for weight loss? Yes! If it’s the right blend of dark chocolate, it can be extremely healthy without being too loaded with sugar. Of course, moderation is the key. Eating a lot of dark chocolate will cause you to take in a lot of calories. However, a few small pieces will give you the fat you need to feel full and an incredible array of vitamins and nutrients from the cacao. Choose a dark chocolate with a high percentage of cacao to get the most nutrition possible.
Whole-Grain Toast
There are many types of bread, and not all the whole-grain variety. When you choose a low-sugar bread made from whole grains, you get a lot of fiber and vitamins without many calories.
Just be sure not to load it down with butter. Instead, you can eat plain or spread nut butter or fruit with no added sugar. You can even top it with hummus or guacamole for protein and vitamins. The fiber in whole-grain toast makes you feel full, so one piece is all you need to get a quick, easy snack that’s low in calories.
Crudité
A simple way to get essential nutrients that come with very low calories is to make a plate of raw vegetables. Putting together veggies like carrots, cauliflower, avocado, celery sticks, and other vegetables is one of the healthiest snacks you can eat. Putting together a crudité can be highly creative and delivers a lot of fiber and vital vitamins. Hold off on the high-calorie dips to make it one of the best snacks for nutrition and energy.
String Cheese
This is a stick of mozzarella that is easy to peel off in strings. You can choose a low-fat type for fewer calories. A stick of string cheese is easy to carry with you, and it’s filling thanks to its high protein level. It also contains calcium and other nutrients your body needs. Add a piece of string cheese to a plate of fruit or vegetables to add protein. You can also eat it to get a filling treat that tastes great.
When you have several healthy snacks for weight loss, it’s easy to grab one, get that extra nutrition you may be missing, and keep your calories low. Making good snack choices can keep you full on less so you don’t overeat unhealthy foods full of sugar and too much fat. These choices are a smart way to handle your cravings without ruining your diet.
This article originally appeared on PinkWhen.
