When we think of healthy snacks for weight loss, it doesn’t exactly get our taste-buds tickling with excitement does it? Ahh but it should! Just because we are being healthy doesn’t mean we have to give up foods that we would normally associate with being unhealthy…I think you’re about to be surprised.
But first here are some notes to make these healthy snacks work for you!
- Portion Sizes – Keep them sensible..even the healthiest snacks are made unhealthy if you gorge on them!
- Organization and planning – Plan your meals in advance. Don’t be caught out being hungry in an inconvenient place. Remember convenience foods usually mean junk foods.
- Home-Cooking – Also part of planning. Make your food yourself and take it with you! This way YOU control what goes in! You don’t get the extra heart disease causing, cancer inducing chemicals that come with packaged foods!
So without further a do …
My Top 10 Healthy Snacks For Weight Loss
1) Tuna Sweetcorn Mix –
A popular snack that is always MISTAKENLY considered a healthy option. Ever looked inside most Tuna sweetcorn mixes in cafe’s or sandwich bars? When have you ever seen Tuna and sweetcorn that is so sticky and thickly bound together? Well the magic ingredient at work here is Mayonnaise!
Now mayonnaise isn’t the devil if consumed once in a while (Mayo rarely contains heart-disease causing hydrogenated fats) but there is a better, low calorie option to use in a tuna mix if you want a healthy snack for weight loss.
This ingredient is LOW FAT YOGURT – Now before you screw your face up at the thought of it, have you ever tried it? It’s very difficult to taste the difference once it’s in a mixture! A personal favorite recipe of mine is :
- A Can of Tuna
- Half a can of sweetcorn
- A heaped tablespoon of low fat yogurt
- Chopped Onions, Lettuce and cucumber (or whatever vegetables you like! Carrots, tomatoes etc!)
This recipe gives you more protein than the mayonnaise option and contains way less calories too due to the massive amount of fat you’ve just cut from the recipe – This will keep you on track to burn fat and lose weight!
2) Lean Beef Burger
“What?? Surely you can’t include a burger in a top 10 healthiest snacks list?” – Well I can and just did. Here’s why..
If you can get a hold of lean meat and make your own burgers at home (or even out of a packet as long as they’re not frozen in a box), you’re looking at a great tasting meal which can support weight loss! Lean meat typically contains about 8-12% fat and tastes great because it is still tender. You can even go for extra lean meat if available but this becomes more chewy and less tender. Still a great tasting meal though!
So how is this healthy? Well we’ve been taught that fat is evil right? Especially saturated fat. Well depending on the source, saturated fat can actually be healthy in small quantities and depending on the quality of the meat. That’s why I would recommend picking up organic, grass fed meat where possible to get the healthiest type of saturated fat.
Use the burger as a bed for your salad. Add lettuce, tomatoes, gherkin etc and you’re good to go!
Eat with a small portion of brown rice or a single slice of Rye bread if you need some healthy carbs. or if you want to keep it low-carb, add more salad to fill the gap in your stomach.
NOTE : Don’t throw loads of ketchup or mayo on this meal! You’ll just negate the healthiness of the meal. Make your own relish at home from a can of chopped tomatoes! Tastes better too! Also remember to keep your portion sizes sensible. Fat isn’t evil but remember it is high in calories. A BIG burger will contain a lot of fat even if it is lean meat.
3) Fruity Frozen Yogurt
“STOP! Put the spoon down..Slowly step away from the Ben and Jerries…” – Ok let’s be honest, we all love a Ben and Jerries with a movie (I’m more of a Haagen Daaz man myself!) but I think we also know that these rich ice creams aren’t going help to reduce our waist line and lose fat.
A healthier AND great tasting alternative is to make yourself an ice cream substitute! Here are the steps :
Grab yourself a pot of PLAIN low fat yogurt.
When you get home chuck your favorite fruits in there! Chopped strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, bananas…whatever you fancy.
Mix it up, shut the lid – Pop it in the freezer. Enjoy a great tasting ice-cream substitute a few hours later!
Want to go one step further? Pour the yogurt into a blender – Chuck the chopped fruits in and blend. Now put it in the freezer and you have yourself a completely flavored, healthy, awesome tasting frozen yogurt snack! It’s just like ice-cream but makes you feel less sick afterwards!
NOTE : Again, although this is a healthy snack, your portion size will also depend on whether it becomes healthy or not. Be sensible.
4) Full English Breakfast!
“NO WAY!” – Yes way! I’m just full of surprises today..
Check it out..
- Poached/boiled/scrambled Eggs
- Baked Beans
- Slice of Wholemeal/Rye Bread
- 2 slices of grilled bacon with fat cut off
How much fat would you say is in that whole meal?
Go to a cafe and you’re looking at around 30-40 grams of the worst fats money can buy.
My version of the full English? 8 grams of fat maybe? 10 grams maximum if you spread a little butter on your bread (NEVER margarine – Most contain heart disease and cancer causing trans fats!).
The food is all healthy. Lean bacon is a great source of protein with practically zero fat. Poached eggs are another great source of protein and they’re not fried in fat! Beans contain protein and carbs with most brands being low in sugar. Rye bread is a slow energy releasing starchy carbohydrate! Also you’re eating this meal first thing in the morning when your metabolism is sky high and will remain that way after consuming this healthy meal!
Again portion size is what is important here – don’t go crazy or the meal then becomes unhealthy. A cup of tea or a small glass of fresh orange juice can also be added to this meal without any ill effect (Cut your sugar down..no more than half a teaspoon in your tea!)
5) Wholewheat Chicken/Beef Tortilla’s
Another great tasting meal that is quick and easy to make! Chop your chicken, chop your peppers, onions, garlic etc and get to work! Use 1 calorie spray to oil the pan and you’re good to go! Make sure you buy wholewheat tortilla.
If you’re trying to cut out the carbs (and bread is usually a good one to let go) then replace the tortilla with a mixed bean salad! Add the chicken and you have one of the best tasting healthy snacks for weight loss!
Add a little bit of guacamole, low fat yogurt (Yup our good friend yogurt is back) and/or some salsa! Go get your sombrero and enjoy! (Ok the sombrero isn’t a strict requirement )
NOTE : Please don’t buy pre mixed tortilla seasoning. Most of it is laden with sugar and salt. Usually among the top 2-3 ingredients. Try making your own mix. Get creative or find a mix that doesn’t contain much sugar (This will be difficult) and REMEMBER – Portion sizes
5 more healthy snacks for weight loss in less detail
6) Raw Almonds / Raw Mixed Nuts – A handful of raw almonds = good source of protein and fats. (Make sure they’re raw!)
7) PopCorn – Must be air-popped yourself. No Butterkist or any of that stuff..Unless you enjoy blocking your arteries as a hobby..
Fruit Salad / Bean Salad / “Salad” Salad / Chicken Salad / Tuna Salad – You can make a salad out of most stuff and turn it into a well balanced, great tasting, nutritious meal. Add eggs, small boiled potatoes or any other healthy food in among your salad. Be careful with salad dressing! Most contain tons of sugar and fat. Squeeze a lemon over the salad or try different types of vinegar. They go down a treat!
9) Little Snacks for your Lunch Box –
- RyeGrain Crisp Bread with Cottage Cheese
- Celery Sticks/Carrots with humus dip
- Dried Fruit and Nuts (Be careful not to eat too much of either of these. A handful should suffice)
- Fruit Salad
- Homemade fruit yogurt
- I’m sure you can think of an endless list (but the point is they are LITTLE snacks)
10) Homemade Milkshake!
Ingredients for a health shake to help with fat loss
- Scoop of Whey protein concentrate/Casein protein
- Skimmed milk
- Water
- Yoghurt
- Fruit
- Small teaspoon of natural peanut butter
- Finely ground porridge oats
NOTE : These ingredients are interchangeable for your situation. For example if the whey protein you are using is chocolate flavored, you won’t be adding fruit to it! Porridge oats are great for a breakfast shake or in the afternoon to keep you feeling full and delivers sustained energy.
Women, yes I’m recommending you go pick up a tub of whey protein concentrate or casein protein too. You won’t turn into Arnold. If that were the case you would have got big drinking milk and eating chicken. Protein is a great way to keep your lean muscle tissue which provide you with your curves while burning more fat calories from your body. In my experience whey protein is better tasting than casein.
So there you have it! My top 10 list of healthy snacks for weight loss! As ever once I start writing, I can’t stop..you’ve got way more than 10 idea’s here so go put them to use!
Thanks for reading and remember sharing is caring – If you feel that this page will help your friends or family, either like the page on FB or Tweet this post for other peoples benefit. Let’s help each other lead a healthier life!
Until next time guys and girls.
Filed under Diet + Nutrition, Lose Weight · Tagged with healthy snacks for weight loss, healthy snacks to lose weight, snacks for weight loss, weight loss snacks
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