When you are dieting, starving yourself is one of the worst things you can do. In order to lose weight properly, your body needs fuel to burn for energy. If you don't give your body enough food, it may go into starvation mode and start storing food as fat. To prevent this, eat healthy meals with nutritious snacks in between.
Yogurt
Get a serving or two of dairy each day into your diet, especially if you are not a fan of drinking milk. Yogurt is rich in calcium and comes in a variety of flavors. On a diet, select fat free yogurt as much as possible and avoid the regular version. Yogurt also contains protein, which keeps you full and energized. Read the labels and select yogurt that contains L. acidophilus, which are live active yogurt cultures that help keep your digestive system working correctly.
Air Popped Popcorn
Air popped popcorn is a snack low in both calories and fat, assuming you leave the butter off. A full three cups of plain popcorn contains less than 100 calories. That much popcorn takes a while to eat and the high fiber content leaves you feeling satisfied. If you need to add some additional flavor to your popcorn, try topping it off with cinnamon, garlic powder or chili powder.
Salad
Just as a salad makes a healthy lunch, a small salad is also good when eaten as a snack. Fill your bowl with leafy greens, such as spinach and romaine lettuce and be sure to include lots of chopped vegetables. Top your salad with some low-fat salad dressing, or if you're in the mood for something different, use 2 tablespoons of chunky salsa. To make your own healthy dressing, combine some plain yogurt with dry mustard, chopped garlic, cayenne pepper and onion powder.
Fruit
When you are hungry, something as simple as a few strawberries or a handful of red grapes can keep your hunger pangs away. When using fruit for a snack, keep different types handy so you don't get bored. Some good options include mangoes, bananas, figs, grapes, oranges, apples and berries. All of these choices can be eaten by themselves or sliced up and placed into a healthy fruit salad.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Snacks: How They Fit Into Your Weight-Loss Plan
- "The World's Healthiest Foods"; George Mateljan; 2007
- "The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth"; Jonny Bowden, 2007
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