Snacking for Energy and Weight Loss

When you hear the word "snack" do you think of unhealthy, empty-calorie foods such as chips, candy, cookies or pastries?

If so, you're not alone, and that's mostly thanks to all the great marketing by the "snack food," or more accurately "junk food" industry.  

However, at AAY! those types of foods are not considered snacks, but rather "special treats."  You may "treat" yourself in moderation (maybe once or twice a week at most).

 

Snacks, on the other hand, are healthful mini-meals that should be eaten on a daily basis.  The key is to choose the right types of foods and to eat them at the right time of day.

Eating small, protein- and fiber-rich snacks between meals helps keep your blood-sugar levels balanced. This not only improves your body's ability to burn fat, but also reduces risk factors for heart disease by lowering cholesterol and triglycerides.  Proper snacking also reduces cravings & can help prevent afternoon or late-night binges on empty calories.

We recommend two snacks per day. Your mid-morning snack should be eaten halfway between breakfast and lunch and should consist of fruit + protein.  Your mid-afternoon snack should be eaten halfway between lunch and dinner and should consist of vegetables + protein.

Here are some of our favorite healthy snacks: 

MID-MORNING SNACKS (fruit + protein)

• Low-fat cottage cheese and mixed berries
• Frozen grapes and almonds
• Nonfat yogurt, sunflower seeds + any type of fruit
• Orange slices and cashews
• Apple and peanut butter
• Homemade fruit smoothies with yogurt or whey protein powder (beware of high-sugar, high-calorie smoothies that you don't make yourself)

MID-AFTERNOON SNACKS (vegetables + protein)

• Cherry tomatoes and light string cheese
• Carrots, ak-mak crackers and hummus
• Lettuce leaf wrapped around a slice of turkey or chicken
• Low-sodium chicken broth with any frozen veggies and a few slivered almonds
• Egg whites with veggies
• Air popped popcorn and a few raw almonds
• Protein-rich dip and raw veggies (carrots, snap peas, celery, bell peppers, baby tomatoes). Some of our favorite protein dips are hummus, peanut butter, cottage cheese mixed with a little mustard, or yogurt mixed with a little salsa. See this week's AAY! newsletter for a delicious cashew dip recipe.

No more feeling guilty for snacking between meals! Just make sure you're making the right choices.