Share |

What Snacks Can You Eat on a Diet?

what snacks can you eat when trying to lose weight

Hi Janice,

It's only natural to feel hungry in-between meals and look for snacks, especially when you don't eat breakfast and then have a salad and light soup for lunch.

Many dieters skip breakfast because they think that by not eating in the morning, they save calories. This isn't true. Skipping breakfast may actually wreak havoc on your weight loss progress. When you don't eat breakfast, you'll feel cranky and become ravenously hungry by mid morning and therefore more likely to overcompensate with a big lunch or unhealthy fat-ridden foods – donuts, cookies and chips – later in the day. Not a smart weight loss strategy.

If you're worried about carbs in common breakfast foods such as oatmeal, toast, pancakes, or sugary cereals, then munch on high protein foods like low fat cheese or an hard boiled egg, and wash it down with a cup of unsweetened green tea or coffee.

Protein is research-proven to benefit weight loss as it controls hunger and reduces appetite better than carbohydrates or fast. As you may already know, caffeine is a natural brain stimulant that can help you fight off sleepiness and fatigue, and increase your mental alertness. In my experience, I found that I've more energy to exercise harder and longer if I consume caffeine first. Don't forget, exercise is an equally important element of any effective and sustainable weight loss program.

For lunch, I'd suggest you eat something more substantial and healthy like chicken salad made with Greek yogurt instead of high fat mayo. Vegetable sushi hand rolls, or shredded skinless roast turkey breast wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla along with a cup of low fat broccoli slaw are great ideas for a healthy lunch.

I believe you can lose more weight in less time when you change eating habits. Try it out for a week and see if it helps you resist unhealthy snack cravings.

Knowing what foods to snack on when trying to lose weight is not enough. You should also be mindful of the portion sizes of food so that you won't overeat mindlessly and burst your calorie bank for the day.

Some seemingly harmless snacks like dried fruits and nuts are easy to over-snack and if you're not careful (when you eat them straight out of the container), they can quickly add hundreds of calories to your daily intake that may slow down your weight loss/fat loss progress.

I feel that portion-controlled snacks with less than 100 calories are great for those times when you're a little peckish and need to eat something to get you through your next meal. It doesn't have to be fat free; a bit of extra fat in a snack is good because fats help slow down digestion and sustain you for longer.

Here's a list of "healthy snacks to eat when dieting" that many of our weight-watching friends have found to be very helpful during those monstrous snack-attack moments. These healthy tide-you-over snacks will provide a boost of energy to refuel your body between meals while keeping you slim and comfortably satisfied. Feel free to tweak them according to your dietary needs but make sure to keep them to 100 calories or less.

What Snacks Can You to Eat Between Meals When Dieting?

1. 1 tablespoon almond butter, ¼ cup cherry tomatoes, 2 stalks celery.

2. ¼ cup blueberries with 2 tablespoons low fat plain yogurt and 1 tablespoon chopped pecans.

3. 1 small cup unsweetened chocolate soymilk or almond milk.

4. 5 almonds, ½ cup air-popped popcorn, 2 tablespoons dried cranberries

5. Chopped steamed broccoli or cauliflower florets with 1 ounce of crumbled feta cheese

6. 1 small baked potato with ½ cup salsa

7. French toast sticks (made from 1 slice wholewheat bread) with ½ cup unsweetened applesauce for dipping

8. 3 saltine crackers with ½ tablespoon natural peanut butter

9. 1 ounce smoked salmon on ½ mini bagel

10. 3 tablespoons of guacamole with ½ cup cucumber rounds

Fresh fruits that are not too sweet can also be a powerful tool for weight loss. Have an apple or orange. You can also eat plums, banana, grapes, watermelon, apricot, mangoes but watch out for portion sizes as these fruits contain more sugars and calories. Same goes for dried fruits like dates and raisins.

By Diane Hanson

10 Best Fruit for Weight Loss

Fruits are undeniably good for health but not all fruits help weight loss. Learn what are the best fruits to eat when trying to lose weight so you drop pounds quickly while enjoying the right fruits in the right amounts.

Does Eating Nuts Make You Fat?

Will nuts sabotage your diet with its high fat and calorie contents? Find out why eating nuts can actually help you lose weight and keep your hard-earned weight loss off for good.

5 Killer Ways to Control Appetite at Night

Having a big problem with out-of-control appetite at night? Learn no-fail strategies to suppress your appetite naturally without pills and stop your urge to eat unhealthy junk foods.

3 Guilt-Free Healthy Pizza Alternatives

Don't let late night pizza cravings ruin your weight loss plans. Find out what are healthy snacks to eat at night and ideas to give your traditional pizza a healthful makeover.

Best 100 Calorie Snacks

Snacks can be part of a healthy and balanced diet. What are some healthy snacks that will satisfy your cravings and help you lose weight?

5 Best Tips to Stop Eating Junk Food

Need help to resist fast food cravings and make yourself stop eating so much junk food? Learn what you can do to take control of your relationship with food and stick to your weight loss goals.