HEALTHY SNACKS TO HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT
Do you want to eat healthy snacks? These are often not just for the taking. In today’s society many foods are processed and contain unhealthy ingredients, making it difficult to even find really healthy snacks.
Maybe you’ll do your very best for a healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner, but you have a problem with finding healthy snacks. Unfortunately, snacks are often the major culprit that stops you from losing weight.
Do not worry, because in this article we’ll give you 5 options for super healthy snacks, so you can eat healthy all day long and lose weight faster.
1. Nuts.
Walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios and macademia nuts are all healthy snacks. These nuts contain many healthy fats and are also low in carbohydrates. Furthermore, they are full of nutrients such as protein, vitamins and fiber. Nuts therefor ensure more beautiful skin, nails and hair. Research shows that they also help you lose weight (New York Times). This is partly due to the substance called serotonin. This reduces the appetite and increases the feeling of happiness.
Please note that you should only eat nuts that are unsalted and raw! And there should certainly not be a crunchy layer of sugar or chocolate. And peanuts are not nuts, as many people think, but legumes!
2. Vegetables. Cherry tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, and avocado are all vegetables that
actually require no preparation, so eat as much as you want. Ideal for a healthy snack.
Did you know that vegetables are sometimes up to 90% water? Since water has no calories, there are only few calories in vegetables. Nevertheless, they contain a lot of vitamins and minerals. Also, almost all vegetables have a very low glycemic index, which makes them very healthy!
3. Fruit.
Fruit contains many of the same characteristics as vegetables, which means fruit can be seen as a very healthy snack as well. The big difference between fruits and vegetables is that there are a lot more calories in fruit in the form of sugars. But rest assured, these are healthy sugars, which are completely unlike table sugar.
The fruit sugars give fruit simply that delicious sweet taste that you often long for in a snack. However, it is not advisable to eat more than three servings of fruit per day.
4. Dried fruits
Dried fruits are often very sweet and also contain additional vitamins, minerals and fiber. As the water evaporates from these fruits, they are less healthy than if you were to eat fresh fruits. But this snack is still many times healthier than candy or chips, because dried fruits still contain most of the healthy nutrients.
Also, dried fruit contains a lot of fibers that make you feel full quickly. Because they are often so sweet, there is no need to eat so much of them. That’s exactly what you need! Preferably, choose sun-dried fruits.
5. Legumes
Legumes are also very healthy, because of the many fibers, antioxidants and proteins they contain. Moreover, they are low in fat. On the other hand, legumes contain a relatively high amount of carbohydrates, but these are the so-called slow carbohydrates. Furthermore, research has shown that legumes have a positive effect on obesity. Aside from weight management, the fiber content of legumes have other benefits. Here, you can read those benefits that I’m talking about. Examples of legumes are beans, peas, lentils and peanuts.
References:
- Grain and Legumes Nutrition Council (n.d.) Legumes and Fibre. Retrieved on December 24, 2014 from http://www.glnc.org.au/legumes/legumes-nutrition/legumes-fibre/
2. Moss, M. of New York Times (December 17, 2013) Are Nuts a Weight-Loss Aid? Retrieved on December 24, 2014 from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/18/dining/are-nuts-a-weight-loss-aid.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Disclaimer: All of the information stated here should not be used as a replacement for a professional advice of a dietitian.
