6 Healthy Snacks to Fuel Your Body
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When it comes to achieving weight loss goals, many people focus on the main meals of the day and forget about snacking. However, snacking can actually be an important part of maintaining a healthy diet and achieving weight loss. By choosing healthy snacks, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and lean proteins, you can keep your metabolism revved up and avoid overeating during meal times. Healthy snacking also helps to stabilize blood sugar levels, which can prevent cravings and energy crashes.
All of this to say, snacks can make or break your weight loss goals. Eating healthy snacks between meals is essential to maintaining energy levels and managing hunger throughout the day. Snacks support meals in providing the body with the nutrients it needs to function efficiently and can aid in achieving weight loss goals, since curbing your hunger with satisfying food between meals can help you avoid overeating at meal times. Our goal is to set you up with nutrient-rich, low calorie, filling snacks that nourish your body with every bite.
The snacks you'll find below combine the filling, energizing, and satiating powers of carbs, proteins, fats, and fiber. Feel free to use our six healthy snacks as a framework for creating your own snacks using foods you love.
And, bonus, while these suggestions can aid you in weight loss, they're also just good sound advice for incorporating nutrient-rich snacks into your diet, which is vital to achieving a healthy lifestyle.
Start with Fruits and Veggies
Pro-tip, all of the suggestions below include fruits or vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are nature's powerhouses, packed with essential vitamins and minerals that nourish the body from within. Unfortunately, most people tend to neglect their consumption, resulting in a nutrient deficiency that can lead to a host of health problems.
However, incorporating these nutrient-rich foods into your diet can do wonders for your health, improving your immune system, digestion, and overall wellbeing. So the next time you reach for that bag of chips or sugary snack, consider swapping it out for a crispy carrot or juicy apple.
If you do nothing else after reading this blog post, simply keep apples and bananas in a fruit bowl on your counter. You'll be amazed how convenience and line-of-sight plays a role in your eating habits. Your body will thank you for it.
Red Bell Pepper with Tuna
Red bell peppers are a great source of vitamins C and A, promoting a strong immune system and healthy eyes and skin. They also contain various antioxidants that help protect the body from inflammation and damage caused by free radicals. Tuna offers the satiating power of a little fat and lots of protein with Omega-3 fatty acids that are thought to lower cholesterol and improve brain function. We like to add half a tablespoon of olive oil-based mayonnaise to the tuna to make it more palatable and tasty, while keeping the calories minimal. Yum!
Greek Yogurt and Mixed Berries
Greek yogurt is an excellent source of protein and calcium. When paired with mixed berries such as blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries, it becomes an excellent source of fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. In fact, raspberries are often associated with increased prostate health and are often recommended by doctors for prostate cancer prevention. This snack can be enjoyed alone or added to a smoothie with lots of spinach and a banana for added sweetness.
Apples Paired with Peanut Butter
Apples are high in fiber and antioxidants, but when paired with peanut butter, they provide the body with an excellent source of healthy fats and protein. Eating one apple along with one tablespoon of peanut butter is a fulfilling snack that will keep you going until your next meal. Try fresh ground peanut butter if you want to avoid added vegetable oils and table sugar.
Cottage Cheese with Fruit
Cottage cheese, particularly low-fat cottage cheese, is a rich source of protein and pairs well with a variety of fruits, such as peaches, strawberries, and pineapples. Adding fruit to cottage cheese not only makes it more enjoyable, but it also adds additional vitamins and fiber to the snack. When foods like this are combined, the fiber helps fill your belly now, the protein helps the feeling of fullness last longer, and the fat gives the food the richness that leaves you satisfied, otherwise known as being satiating.
Cucumber Slices with Hummus
Cucumbers are very low in calories but high in vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber. When paired with hummus, which is an excellent source of fiber, protein, and healthy fats, it becomes a perfect snack to give you energy throughout the day. You may notice fiber being a key component to many of these snack ideas. Fiber is a secret ingredient to keeping you fuller longer, and it's important to watch. This snack incorporates lots of fiber and provides you a savory option when the sweetness of fruits doesn't sound particularly appetizing.
Cherry Tomatoes with Mozzarella and Basil
Cherry tomatoes, the perfect blend of tarty sweetness, are high in vitamins and antioxidants, particularly the antioxidant lycopene, which fights free radicals and protects your skin against UV damage from sun exposure. They're also rich in vitamins A, C, E, and potassium. Mozzarella cheese is a mild, lower calorie cheese option that provides fats and protein to this healthy snack. To add a Mediterranean flare, add a sprinkle of herbs and spices like basil or oregano for additional flavor.
Have a Snack
Incorporating nutrient-rich snacks into your diet is one of the easiest steps to improving your overall health. Not only do healthy snacks provide your body with the necessary nutrients to function efficiently, but they also help with weight loss goals. By trying out some of the snack options we listed, you are taking a step toward a healthier lifestyle that supports your body's needs. Remember, snacking should be enjoyable, so choose snacks that you like and satisfy your taste buds.