What I find with the ladies (and myself at times) is getting the meals right is fine, it's the snacks where people often go wrong.
Unhealthy snacking can really slow down results.
I do always focus with my clients first on getting the meals right and the rest will follow.
Unfortunately with the amount of temptation out there today going through a day without snacking is virtually impossible for some (especially office workers!!) so I’ve come up with a list of healthy snacks to stop you from reaching for the nearest biscuit tin or bag of crisps.
So here they are:
1. Nuts – Nice, easy and delicious. You can pick up some good packs for relatively cheap of mixed nuts. Make sure you get unsalted. Great ones to eat for loads of healthy fats and packed with goodness are Brazil nuts, cashews, almonds and walnuts. Seeds (pumpkin, poppy, sunflower) are also great.
2. Fruit – What could be easier? If you are trying to lose weight then you don’t want to be eating much more than about 2 pieces of fruit a day. Aim for low GI fruits, basically means less sugar. So go for fruits such as berries, plums and apples as opposed to grapes and pineapple.
3. Dark Chocolate – I’ve found this so useful at cutting out those sweet cravings. Try and get high quality 80% + cocoa dark chocolate it’s delicious and just one piece can really stop you craving foods and suppresses your appetite.
4. Yoghurt – There are loads and loads of unhealthy yogurts out there. Ignore the low fat versions as they have added sugar (THE ENEMY) to replace the flavour lost from the fat. Full Fat Greek Yoghurt go for.
5. Salad – Lettuce, cucumber, celery, tomatoes and sliced peppers drizzled with some balsamic vinegar and a bit of black pepper. Easy! That’ll keep you going until your next meal and has hardly any calories in.
6. Veggie Crudites – Chop up some carrot, celery or cucumber sticks and snack on these. Great to dip into hummus for a delicious snack (occasionally).
7. Boiled Eggs – Maybe a little boring if you eat too often but a couple of boiled eggs are packed with good fats and protein and very filling.
8. Peanut/Almond Butter – Avoid overeating this but if you have got a bit of a sweet tooth this helps. Chop up some apple and have with a bit of peanut butter for a lovely tasting snack. Almond butter is healthier but sometimes more expensive. Go for natural peanut butter, Meridian do very nice peanut butter and it’s quite a bit healthier than your normal supermarket version.
9. Popcorn – Now we’re talking. Buy some popcorn seeds. Have a small handful and cook in a pan for a great and low calorie snack. That is as long as you avoid adding loads of salt or sugar. Try cinnamon and a little bit of honey.
10. Healthy Bars – There are a few decent bars out there which are great for deserts or snacks. You will find the best ones are higher in calories but that’s as they have some goodness in, you aren’t just eating empty calories. Good ones to try are Eat natural bars (The dark chocolate ones are amazing), Nakd bars or 9 bars. You can even make your own healthy bars.
So there you have 10 healthy snack ideas which are easy to make and healthy to eat.
Hope this helps you stick on the straight and narrow!
Jamie Stedman