A major factor in weight loss is controlling your appetite. Limiting between-meal snacks to healthy low-calorie foods can help control hunger and reduce cravings. The key is to select foods that satisfy your hunger and make you feel full longer, according to the MayoClinic.com.
Filling Snacks
Between-meal snacks help satisfy cravings that keep you from overeating at meal times, according to the MayoClinic.com. Vegetables are healthy, full of vitamins, high in fiber and make you feel full. High-fiber foods like vegetables also aid digestion and can reduce your risk of developing some cancers such as colon cancer as well as coronary heart disease, according to the University of Colorado Extension.
Baby carrots have only 52 calories per cup and 3.1g of fiber. Carrots are a good source of vitamins A, C, iron and calcium. One cup of celery has 1.9g of fiber and only 19 calories. Celery can be filled with low-fat cream cheese or peanut butter for a filling nutritious snack. Peanut butter is filled with omega-3 fatty acids that are good for heart health. Be sure to use just a little peanut butter, as it is high in calories.
Some other high-fiber snacks include grapes, raisins, apples, almonds and air-popped popcorn.
Main dishes
Breakfast jump-starts your day. Eat a high-fiber breakfast filled with grains that make you feel full and provide energy to get you going. Bran cereals or other high-fiber cereals, such those made with whole wheat or whole grains, topped with some strawberries or raspberries provide carbohydrates for quick energy and beneficial vitamins and antioxidants for health. The fiber will make you feel full and sustain your energy till later in the day. A high-fiber diet which includes whole grains may protect against heart disease according to the Harvard School of Public Health.
Other main course selections for lunch or dinner include salmon or other cold-water fatty fish, which are good for the heart and help to sate your appetite. High-protein meals keep your blood sugar levels from dropping and making you feel hungry. Lean meats such as chicken breast and turkey are important sources of protein and help you lose weight by controlling your hunger, according to the National Diabetes Education Program.
Desserts
Some desserts can help you feel full and satisfy your sweet tooth. Fresh strawberries or other berries are loaded with vitamins, antioxidants and fiber. Cut up some berries and use a low-fat yogurt topping for a refreshing and filling dessert. Strawberries have 3.8g of fiber per cup and raspberries have 8g per cup, according to the MayoClinic.com.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Snacks: How They Fit Into Your Weight-Loss Plan
- Colorado State University Extension: Dietary Fiber
- MayoClinic.com: Dietary Fiber: Essential for a Healthy Diet
- Harvard School of Public Health: Food Pyramids: What Should You Really Eat?
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Tips for Teens with Diabetes: Make Healthy Food Choices
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