Healthy Snacks for Dieting

Healthy Snacks for Dieting
Photo Credit Relish tray filled with vegetables and dip image by Edward Stephens from Fotolia.com

Create healthy snacks from natural, unprocessed foods. It is best for your body when your snacks do not contain high levels of fat, salt or sugar. If you're on a diet, snacks should have a maximum of 100 calories, advises MayoClinic.com. Talk to your doctor about which snacks are best to help you maintain a healthy weight.

Vegetables

Raw vegetables are a healthy, low-calorie snack. Dice some vegetables in the evening so you can quickly grab them the next day. Some choices for snacks include green, red or yellow peppers, cucumber slices, celery sticks, cauliflower or chunks of tomato. Eat the vegetables with a small amount of low-fat cheese to add some variety to the snack.

Air-Popped Popcorn

Air-popped popcorn is also a healthy snack that is fat-free. It provides a lot of fiber and is filling. To add some excitement to the popcorn, sprinkle it with spices like cinnamon, allspice, diced red pepper flakes, curry or chili powder. Natural, homemade popcorn is better for your health than commercial popcorn, which may contain additives. A 3 1/2-cup serving of air-popped popcorn has 100 calories.

Fruit

Eating fruit as a snack is a way to avoid unhealthy, high-calorie snacks like high-fat chips or nachos. Some enjoyable fruits include kiwi, apple, pear, peach, raspberries, strawberries, grapefruit, honeydew, blueberries, grapes or a small box of raisins. Fruit snacks are easy to take with you to work or school in a small bag or container. They offer your body vitamin C and a healthy dose of fiber.

Whole Grains

Whole-grain snacks are healthy and filling. Whole-grain crisp breads, pretzels and crackers are a healthy snack. Whole-grain foods provide fiber, which helps you stay feeling full for longer. Whole grains also provide vitamins and minerals.

Low-Sugar Cereal

A small serving of cereal is a healthy snack for children or adults as long as you do not add sugar to it. Choose a cereal with 15 g or less sugar per serving, advises The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Serve the cereal with skim milk to keep the fat content low in the snack. Cereal is a high-fiber food that will help your digestion system function optimally.

Banana and Raspberries

A snack of 1 cup of sliced bananas and a few raspberries is nutritious. It also provides fiber and a taste of natural sweetness. This snack contains 100 calories.

References

Article reviewed by Elizabeth Ahders Last updated on: Mar 3, 2011

Must see: Photo Galleries

Member Comments