Do you like to snack during the day without gaining weight? If you know what are healthy snacks, enjoying them won’t harm you.
There are many delicious foods that are fat-free and allow you to indulge in a mid-morning or mid-afternoon treat.
A small portion is enough to recharge your energy and satisfy hunger, while keeping your weight fully under control.
Moreover, they are excellent for providing nutrients to your body, so it’s worth selecting these products as snacks.
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What are healthy snacks?
They are small amounts of food with proteins, non-harmful fats, and fiber, perfect for snacking.
They include fruits, vegetables, cereals, seeds, nuts, yogurt, semi-skimmed or fat-free cheeses, among others.
They satisfy your cravings for something tasty between breakfast, lunch, or dinner. And you can enjoy them daily.
Being well-balanced, they not only provide you with vitamins and nutrients but also prevent you from overeating during main meals.
Why should I eat healthy snacks?
There are several reasons to include these products in your eating habits, such as the fact that they won’t make you gain weight.
According to ScienceDirect, consuming them every day reduces approximately 4g of saturated fats, as well as 0.5g of sodium.
This minimizes the risk of obesity, hypertension, and heart diseases caused by these components.
The reason is that healthy snacks are made with monounsaturated fats and oils with antioxidants, beneficial for health.
These snacks also have less sugars and calories, which prevents other chronic conditions like diabetes mellitus.
How to lose weight by eating healthy snacks?
A review on what healthy snacks are, published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, suggests several ways.
One of them is that they allow you to distribute calories intelligently throughout the day and eat a little lighter between meals.
Thanks to this, they are more favorable for metabolism and digestion compared to heavy foods.
Because they take longer to digest, your appetite decreases, preventing you from filling your stomach again in a few hours.
If you are overweight, by consuming them, you ingest more fiber, as well as components for weight loss from fruits and vegetables.
What are healthy snacks? 12 Snacks that will help you lose weight
These small meals do not replace breakfast, lunch, or dinner, but they provide you with energy and curb hunger without adding kilos.
There is an increasing variety of healthy snacks on the market, which makes consuming these food products easier.
From tortilla or corn chips, nuts, to low-fat potato chips made through different processes.
However, you can also prepare them at home easily. Here is a list of snacks that will help you lose weight.
1. Mixed nuts
An excellent example of what healthy snacks are, without a doubt, are the different types of nuts or complete mixes.
Including almonds, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, Brazil nuts, and Indian nuts, among other varieties. Why?
Basically, due to their high amounts of proteins, fibers, and satisfactory fatty acids for your health.
Eating them in moderation could help you lose weight.
2. Greek yogurt
In addition to being a delicious snack, this food provides abundant proteins and low caloric content.
It has less sugar, carbohydrates, and sodium than regular yogurt, making it perfect for maintaining a suitable body weight.
It stands out for its richness in probiotics, and if you consume it with berries, you add nutrients and an even more delicious flavor.
These fruits provide antioxidants that, when mixed with Greek yogurt, promote your health and satisfy hunger.
3. Cottage cheese with fruit
Another healthy snack you can try without fear of gaining weight is cottage cheese combined with your favorite fruit.
A cup of this cheese has 25g of proteins. If you eat it with pineapple, watermelon, or papaya, for example, you complement it with fiber.
You also get a creamy, sweet, and fat-free snack as a result. Want a crunchier texture or different flavor?
Try it with vegetable sticks like celery, or with hummus and salted crackers. It will help satisfy your satiety.
4. Bananas
They are an extremely nutritious and affordable choice for snacking without gaining weight. Especially, green bananas.
Unripe ones have resistant starch, meaning carbohydrates that help you stay slim.
They are a great source of potassium and fiber, which is excellent for intestinal health. It improves and helps control your weight.
With yogurt and almonds, its protein value increases, even stabilizing blood sugar levels and keeping hunger at bay for longer.
5. Red Bell Peppers and Guacamole
The incredible antioxidant properties of this variety of peppers make them snacks that are hard to resist.
All bell peppers are nutritious, but red ones have the particularity of containing abundant minerals and nutrients.
Paired with exquisite homemade guacamole, they are perfect for enjoying a healthy snack in the late afternoon.
It’s an interesting mix, with less than 200 calories, so you don’t need to worry about counting them.
6. Apple with Peanut Butter
You don’t know what healthy snacks are if you haven’t tried this combination. Apples provide fiber and peanuts provide healthy fats.
Likewise, plant proteins and other essential nutrients for a balanced diet. You have to try them to maintain your slimness.
You’ll enjoy a crunchy and creamy bite that won’t affect your figure. But choose peanut butter without added salt or sugar.
You’ll love the flavor, and it will also satisfy your appetite for a good while. You won’t have to fill your plate with food at lunch or dinner.
7. Dark Chocolate and Almonds
Without a doubt, they are another delicious fusion worth considering when having a snack.
Dark chocolate not only triggers hormones that make you happy but also provides many antioxidants.
Almonds, on the other hand, provide good fats for your body. So, you shouldn’t miss out on their benefits.
A square of chocolate with a handful of almonds daily will help you stay in perfect health.
8. Hard-Boiled Eggs
They are ideal for increasing your protein intake and filling you with energy at the same time. However, you should consume them moderately.
For example, three to four per week, as they contain cholesterol. This amount helps reduce joint stiffness.
Likewise, the risk of cardiovascular disease. If you don’t like hard-boiled eggs, you can prepare a delicious omelet.
Add grated skimmed or fat-free cheese to enhance the flavor and healthy effect of this snack dish.
9. Vegan Potato Chips or Baked Potato Skins
If you’re craving potato chips, try the vegetarian style. They have no saturated fats and won’t affect your weight.
You can fry them in olive oil or bake them in the oven, with a minimal amount, to make them as crispy as you like.
You’ll get comforting and delicious snacks for any occasion. Another option is to roast potato skins without using oil.
Bake them for about 10 minutes or until they are toasted and serve with ricotta or cottage cheese with pepper and a splash of lemon juice.
10. Salted Crackers
These carbohydrates also serve as allies for your weight loss. Although you may often refrain from consuming them.
It’s true that they won’t keep your stomach satisfied for long, but if you eat them with tuna, they increase satiety.
It also works to spread crackers with peanut butter or hummus.
They contain healthy fats that alleviate hunger and even allow you to stabilize blood sugar levels.
11. Dried Fruits
Another healthy way to control your appetite is by eating dried fruits such as raisins, dates, prunes, or raisins.
They are delicious and easy to take anywhere so you don’t miss out on your snack between meals while doing some activity.
These sweet snacks contain plenty of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, so they are always an excellent alternative.
When buying them, consider the portion size and make sure they have no added sugar. Combined with nuts, they taste amazing.
12. Cucumber with Hummus
Slices of the green vegetable with chickpea cream, lemon juice, and tahini help you lose weight.
Cucumber has few calories and lots of water, while hummus is a mixture of plant proteins.
It also contains fiber and heart-friendly fats. With less than 100 calories, it makes you feel satiated.
Slice the cucumbers into rounds, roughly one cup, and drizzle them with two tablespoons of creamy paste.
Now do you understand what are healthy snacks? They are small portions that do not replace main meals.
They are composed of nutritious elements, help to have a more balanced and varied diet, as well as to control your weight.