What is the number one factor that contributes to weight gain and obesity? Midnight binging and mindless snacking. All of us know how tempting the snacks are, but they are costly on our weight gain! In order to avoid extra calories and to slim down, we tend to make a change in ourselves by choosing healthier options. But, are you aware of the fact that there are many healthy snacks that do not cause harm to the body and are helpful. Here are a few ideas on weight loss with healthy snacks.
How snacking can help in losing weight?
Eating healthy snacks is one of the best methods to lose weight. Researchers have found that people who ate more snacks daily weighed less compared to those who ate fewer snacks. Why? Because consistent snacking helps to maintain blood sugar levels, which in turn keep one fell full and avoids the storage of excess fat.
Weight Loss With Healthy Snacks
There are generally two snack variants that you should avoid if you want to reduce weight:
- Dry fruits and salted nuts: Intake of nuts like pistachios, almonds, peanuts, and cashews can give you a lot of vitamins, nutrition, magnesium, copper, and fiber. It has been proved through various studies that salted nuts and dry fruits speed up the weight loss procedure, but you can commit one big mistake by eating them. Most of us love to binge on snacks, mainly the packaged and salted ones. They are even labeled as “low-fat” snacks, but they contain a huge amount of salt and sugar in them.
Just, choosing a pack that says, “roasted”, “flavored”, “healthy “generally consists of added ingredients in it, which ultimately takes out the essential nutrients from the seeds and nuts. In a similar manner, diet snacks are not regarded as the best option. Additionally, packaged products also g through the different stages of preservation and consist of dashes of refined flour, oil, and trans fat which is bad. So, if the label says “non-fried” or “baked” don’t believe those.
- Multigrain chips: Consuming chips can lead to a big belly, right? Among the various kinds of chips available in the market, potato chips are regarded as the worst for your health. In order to suppress our cravings and to be healthy, almost all of us eat multigrain and whole-wheat variants which are known to be low in carbohydrates and high nutrition value. You will be surprised to know that none of these is true. In fact, you are getting nutrients from the wrong source if you consume them most often.
Most dieticians recommend this and conform to the fact that while multigrain chips are much better when compared to the buttered and salted chips, your body will do you a favor if by any means you extract the essential nutrients from the real sources like quinoa, millets, and rice. In addition, experts say that the entire theory of mindful eating goes into waste when you start eating these chips. Just as you think you are eating in a healthy way, you can go overboard and eat large quantities that you should, killing your attempts to reduce weight instantly.
- Red bell pepper with guacamole
Red bell pepper is good for health. Although all bell peppers are very nutritious, the red bell peppers are specifically high in antioxidants like capsanthin, quercetin, and carotene. They are rich in Vitamin C. In fact, several studies have found that a large red bell pepper contains more than 300% of the regular value for this nutrient. Mixing one big red bell pepper with 3 ounces of guacamole adds healthy fiber ad fat while keeping the calorie count of this snack below 200.
- Mixed Berries and Greek Yogurt
If you are looking for weight loss with healthy snacks, then berries are a must. A mix of berries and plain Greek yogurt makes a nutrient-filled and tasty snack. Being a great source of potassium and calcium, Greek yogurt has also a high protein content. Berries are the best sources of antioxidants. Have a mix of various colored berries to attain an array of powerful compounds. Mixing 3.5 ounces of plain, full-fat Greek yogurt with ½ a cup of berries offers nearly 10 grams of protein and below 150 calories.
- Apple slices with peanut butter
Peanut butter and apple together taste great. Apples have high fiber content and contain polyphenol antioxidants that improve gut health and lessens the risk of heart disease. Peanut butter has extra benefits as far as heart health is concerned. It increases HDL cholesterol and at the same time reduces LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Peanut butter is high in calories. Though it is not linked with weight gain, it is best when consumed in a moderate quantity. A medium-sized apple with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter offers a perfect balance of sweet taste with creamy and crisp texture at below 200 calories.
- Cottage Cheese mixed with Cinnamon and flax seeds
Flax seeds, cinnamon, and cottage cheese all have impressive health benefits. Together, thee are extremely healthy. Cottage cheese is high in protein and also filling, and full-fat varieties boast conjugated linoleic acid, a fatty acid associated with health benefits. Flax seeds are beneficial for controlling blood sugar as well as weight loss. They also reduce the risk of cancer. Cinnamon helps in lowering the blood sugar and may also improve your gut health.
- Kale chips
Kale is immensely healthy. It is fully loaded with antioxidants and fiber-like kaempferol and quercetin. These compounds lessen blood pressure and may also reduce the risk of colon cancer. One cup of raw kale offers essential Vitamins A, K, and C.
- Almonds and dark chocolate
Almonds and dark chocolate make a rich and satisfying snack. You can carry these easily wherever you go. Dark chocolate is filled with flavanols that may lower your blood pressure It is also known for lessening the risk of heart disease, provided chocolate contains nearly 70% cocoa solids. Almonds have monosaturated fat and are beneficial for those who want to control their blood sugar level. Both these are high in magnesium. One ounce, i.e. 30 grams of each offers about 300 calories in total, based on the content of cocoa.
- Slices of cucumber with Hummus
Hummus and cucumber, when consumed together, tastes great. Cucumber contains Cucurbitacin E, an essential compound that has anti-cancer effects. Hummus is made of olive oil, garlic, and chickpeas. It reduces inflammation and can improve the health condition of the heart. A cup of sliced cucumbers dipped in 100 gms of hummus contains about 180 calories.
- A fruit
Healthy snacks for losing weight do not always have to complicated. Just a single fruit can be extremely satisfying. Portable, simple-to-eat fruits include apples, bananas, grapefruit, oranges, and grapes.
- Mozzarella with cherry tomatoes
The flavor of Mozzarella cheese and tomatoes is really great and it is healthy also. Tomatoes are rich in Vitamin C, lycopene, an antioxidant, and potassium that may reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer. Mozzarella contains protein, Vitamin B12, and Calcium. It may decrease heart disease challenges by increasing the HDL, i.e. good cholesterol. A cup of cherry tomatoes mixed with 2 ounces of Mozzarella cheese has less than 200 calories.
- Chia pudding
Chia seeds are full of fiber and you can include them in all kinds of diets, including ketogenic and vegan diets. They are high in antioxidants that help in reducing inflammation and improves the condition of your heart.
What else can you do?
Trying to remain healthy while on a mission to reduce weight can be much difficult than you imagine. Simply purchasing products that say “low-fat”, “high-fiber”, “multigrain” or “diet” fool customers and make them believe that they are choosing a healthy option. Always make sure to check the label and understand what you are purchasing. Try to include more and more weight loss foods in your diet. This will help you in losing weight.
Always keep in mind, if you snack in a healthy way, you can see a change in your body. Try these ideas of weight loss with healthy snacks ans surprise everyone with your new weight.