Want to expand your weight loss efforts? You may be eating healthy at meal times, but find yourself letting loose on the bag of French fries, or pretzels, or ice cream tub, or cookie jar, or… you get the point. To help get you back on track with your weight loss goals, modify your snacks so they’re friendly energy combos for weight loss.
A great rule of thumb is to eat snacks that have these two key nutrients: protein and fiber.
“Snacks that combine fiber Y protein They are very conducive to weight loss. Fiber and protein calm hunger hormones and balance blood sugar, so you can feel full and satisfied between meals,” says Kylie Ivanir, MS, RD, a registered dietitian who runs her own private practice called Inside Nutrition. “Balancing blood sugar and keeping insulin (the fat-storing hormone) low between meals is key to staying in a fat-burning state.”
Below, registered dietitian nutritionists weigh in with their best snack options that promote healthy, lasting weight loss. Read on and for more information on how to eat healthy, don’t miss Eating Habits to Lose Belly Fat as You Age, Dietitians Say.
Decadent and healthy? We’ll take it. “bananas They are a source of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Fiber is particularly important for weight loss as it helps keep you full and adds few calories to your diet. Peanut butter is rich in heart-healthy unsaturated fats, protein and fiber,” says jinanbanna, PhD, DR, a registered dietitian and professor of nutrition, citing this investigation. As a bonus: “The fat in peanut butter promotes health when it comes to your heart,” she adds.
To make this snack, Banna likes to slice up a banana, freeze it, and then spread some peanut butter on it and eat it.
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“whole grains They contain fiber, which is important for weight loss, as it helps you feel full and adds few calories to your diet,” Banna says, noting this investigation on the health benefits of dietary whole grains. “Cheese contains fat and protein, which also help keep you full and prevent overeating.”
Banna suggests limiting a serving to about five crackers and one ounce of cheese, “although it’s okay to eat more or less depending on your hunger level and needs.” Looking for the perfect crackers as a container for your slice of Swiss? See our list of 11 Healthy Brands of Store-Bought Crackers, According to Nutritionists.
“If you really want to supercharge your fat loss, you want a snack that not only satisfies your sweet and crunchy cravings at snack time without providing too many calories, but also helps you avoid overeating at your next meal,” she says. Lyssie Lakatos, RDN, CDN, CFT and Tammy Lakatos Shames, RDN, CDN, CFT, The twins of nutrition, founders of The 21 day body reset and eat this, not that! board of medical experts members
“The sweet and crispy Apple packs a weight-loss double whammy because it’s low in calories to keep you lean and high in water and fiber to keep you full. Additionally, apple polyphenols have been shown to help the body shed fat, including by altering gene expression and fat pathways to promote weight loss,” they say.
“Crunchy pistachios extend the staying power and energy boost of the fastest-digesting carbohydrate (the apple), prolonging satisfaction as pistachios provide a winning combination of vegetable protein and fiber, as well as unsaturated fat, for a trio of nutrients that they can help you stay full longer. The duo elaborate on this, noting that investigate shows that unshelled pistachios can help you eat more mindfully because leftover shells can be a visual cue for serving sizes, which could help reduce intake. Shoot about 30 pistachios.
This idea of serving toast with almond butter Y greek yogurt The mix, topped with pureed raspberries, comes from Ivanir: “Mix a tablespoon of almond butter and a tablespoon of plain Greek yogurt for a protein- and probiotic-rich spread,” she says. “Then mash two tablespoons of raspberries with a fork, for a naturally sugar-free jam, and add them on top for your fiber fix,” she continues, adding that you should use Greek yogurt over regular yogurt, as it’s higher in protein.
“Most people only think of fat when they hear ‘avocado,’ but each avocado actually contains 14 grams of fiber,” says Ivanir. “Combine it with a seed cracker to add a bit of protein and even more fiber on top. Investigate has shown that avocados can promote satiety long after comparable high-carbohydrate snacks.” For more information on avocados, see 8 Amazing Secrets About Avocados You Never Knew.
If you can put yogurts and berries in a bowl, you can make this snack (and if you want to get fancy, alternate layers of yogurt and berries in the glassware and sprinkle some cinnamon on top with a few sprigs of fresh mint).
“The secret to this weight loss snack is Greek yogurt, which is high in protein. Protein is key to weight loss because increasing the percentage of protein in your diet can curb your appetite and increase satiety throughout the day, which helps prevent overeating and facilitates weight loss,” says The Nutrition Twins. “Greek yogurt is also a good source of probiotics, the good bacteria for your gut that research shows can help you lose weight. weight by having a positive impact on hormones that help regulate appetite, fat storage and fat burning,” they add.
“Boost the fat-burning potential of Greek yogurt by adding berries, including blackberries, blueberries, wild blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. Berries are naturally low in sugar and calories, but are sweet enough to help curb your craving for sweets.” Berries are high in fiber to promote satiety and contain the phytochemical C3G that seems to help with weight loss and increases the production of both adiponectin (which improves fat metabolism) and leptin (which suppresses appetite).”
Aim for about ¾ cup of unsweetened Greek yogurt and ¾ cup of berries
there are so much goodness in this little blue fruit! And walnuts are a great help in promoting good health and also aid in weight loss efforts. “This is a super easy option,” says Ivanir. “Berries are high in fiber and low in sugar. They also contain a good dose of antioxidants. ½ cup of berries has three grams of fiber and only four grams of sugar and ¼ cup of walnuts It has two grams of fiber, five grams of protein and less than one gram of sugar.
When you get hungry, try this nutrient-rich combination of Amy Gorin, MS, RDN, an inclusive plant-based diet registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of dominate the media. “I suggest having a half cup of POM Wonderful Pomegranate Arils. They’re a good source of fiber—you get 4 grams in every half cup,” says Gorin. “Y investigate in The nutrition diary found that dietary fiber intake helps promote weight loss in overweight or obese adults following a calorie-restricted diet. I like to combine the arils with a quarter cup of sunflower seeds, which offer additional fiber as well as protein and healthy fats.”
Love dark chocolate? Here’s your excuse to eat more. “One of my favorite snacks to recommend is chocolate. Yes, I’m telling you, you can eat chocolate and still lose weight! Lately I’m obsessed with Gatsby Chocolate’s Sea Salt Extra Dark, which is made with allulose, a non-artificial sweetener found naturally in fruits like figs and raisins. So it contains less sugar and calories than a traditional chocolate bar,” says Gorin. “Also, dark chocolate contains monounsaturated fats, which can help keep you full longer, meaning you’re less likely to snack additional later in the day. I like to recommend pairing a third of the bar, which is only 60 calories, with a cup of raspberries, which have satiating fiber.”
