Find out what you should be looking for in a snack so that it aids your weight reduction efforts, and how to incorporate healthy evening snacks into your diet.
Although you may have been led to believe that snacking is detrimental to your weight loss efforts, having snacks in your daily diet really has several positive effects. A snack in between meals, for instance, can help you control your hunger levels and consume a more reasonable amount of food at dinnertime. You may receive the nutrients you need by snacking as well. On the other hand, if you’re not a natural grazer and it works for you, nibbling on meals throughout the day that provide little in the way of nourishment may lead to overeating.
When hunger hits, it’s helpful to have some healthful snacks on hand. Many of these diet snacks are also convenient to bring along on the road. In this article, we answer some frequently asked snacking issues and provide a list of 10 weight loss-friendly foods.
Don’t Miss Out on These Weight Loss-Friendly Breakfast Options
Is it possible to snack when on a diet?
Yes! Allowing yourself to become excessively hungry increases the likelihood that you will overeat at your next meal. Snacking can be a great way to control hunger between meals. Pick a food that has protein, fat, and/or fiber. Because your body needs more time to absorb all of these nutrients, you’ll feel full sooner.
Extra nutrients can also be obtained via snacks throughout the day. Carrots with hummus, an apple with nut butter, or whole-grain crackers with cheese are all good options for a healthy snack.
The worry of consuming too many extra calories prevents many people from nibbling while they’re trying to lose weight. In contrast, 200 calories of nuts and dried fruit will offer just enough satisfaction to tide you over until the next meal, but 100 calories of jelly beans won’t do much to satisfy your hunger (or your body’s nutritional needs).
To be clear, calorie count is still crucial, but so is picking a snack that really helps you feel full and provides some nourishment. Two snacks per day are permitted on all of our weight reduction meal plans, with each snack contributing around 200 calories to the 1,500 calorie meal plans.
What If I’m Hungry in the Evening?
One of the biggest challenges with nighttime snacks is most of us typically reach for ice cream and chips—not fruit and yogurt. That’s not to say you can’t have a treat after dinner. Some of your favorite evening snacks may even be on this list (pass the popcorn, please!)
One thing to note—if you’re always hungry after dinner, make sure your meal is made up of filling and nutritious foods and that you’re eating enough of it. If all you’re nibbling on is a lackluster salad for dinner, it’s likely that won’t satisfy you for long and you will need an evening snack.
If you love an evening snack after dinner, serve yourself an appropriate portion onto a plate or bowl, so you’re not scooping straight from the container where you’re more likely to eat more. Having your own bowl also allows you to check in with your body and hunger levels.
If you’re looking for more inspiration for nutritious snacks, read on to find out our top 10 smart snack choices to help manage weight.
