Snack Ideas for Weight Loss

How to Eat Well and Still Lose Pounds

Have you ever heard the expression, "Have your cake and eat it too"? It is good advice. Letting yourself have treats on a regular basis keeps you from feeling deprived and helps you lose weight faster. Here's how to make it work.

Healthy Convenience Store Snacks

If you are always on the go, you may find that convenience stores are your first stop for snacks. This may not be a bad thing, though, if you chose wisely. "If you are a grab‑it‑on‑the‑go type of person," says spa owner and beauty industry expert Susie Galvez "simply grab a protein bar instead of a candy bar, or pretzels instead of chips. The main thing is to keep the 'good stuff' on hand, ready to grab and go."

Keep Snacks to 200 Calories

Galvez also suggests making 200 calories a snacking goal. "A healthy snack or mini‑meal replacement consists of 200 calories," says Galvez. "In a pinch, do you know what low-calorie food you could grab on the go? If so, good for you. If not, right here and now, pre‑plan some 200‑ calorie selections. Think of other foods that will work for you, so you will always be prepared to stay on plan. "

What foods does she recommend for the 200 Club?

• a meal replacement bar or shake
• a boiled egg and slice of toast
• a piece of fruit and a serving of yogurt or cottage cheese
• a garden salad with a mozzarella cheese stick

Keep Snacks Small

You may be wondering how small is small enough and how you keep from eating more than the allotted amount. Well, it is going to take some planning. First, take your favorite snack and look at the label. What is the serving size? Now cut that amount in half.

To keep your new serving size manageable, and to keep temptations at bay, you need to control portions. Take your snack of choice, separate it into the half serving size and store it in individual baggies. Put these baggies somewhere out of sight so you are not tempted to get more. Out of sight is out of mind.

Make Milk a Snack

To lose weight faster, try making 3 servings of low- fat milk products your snacks for the day. According to a clinical trial published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women burned more fat and more calories after a meal when their diets included 3‑4 servings of dairy daily.

The National Dairy Council touts, "Enjoying 3 servings of milk, cheese, or yogurt each day as part of a reduced‑calorie weight loss plan can give adults better results when it comes to trimming the waistline than just cutting calories and consuming little or no dairy." This is great news for those who thought eating milk products were diet sabotage.

Here are some dairy low-fat snack ideas:

• low-fat cottage cheese on peach slices
• a fruit smoothie made with a cup of drained canned fruit, a cup of milk, and a teaspoon of vanilla, blended until smooth
• cheese and crackers
• a cup of low-fat yogurt
• add strawberry slices to low-fat strawberry flavored milk and freeze to make fruit pops
• low-fat graham crackers and a glass of milk
• a slice of cheese rolled in a tortilla
• low-fat sour cream as dip for low fat chips

Nutrition is the key to weight loss. Use these tips to lose weight and feel your best every day. For more eating right ideas see: How to Make Eating Right Taste Great.