Snacking can be detrimental, not only to your health but particularly to your weight loss efforts. When you head to your local supermarket it is important to be aware that highly processed snacks in particular, are positioned on the shelves in a way that they are directly in your eyeline on the supermarket shelves or at the end of the aisle. Not to mention the chocolate bars that sit right beside the checkout, all this temptation is hard to resist especially if you are hungry when you do your grocery shop.
The truth is that you should be able to find everything that you need for your week’s shopping on the outskirts of the supermarket where the produce for example fruit, vegetables, meat, eggs and dairy can be found. By skipping the inner aisles, it will be much easier to resist grabbing unhealthy drinks and snacks.
If we skip the shopping aisle to resist temptation, what healthy snacks can you eat that can help you lose weight?
Healthy Snacks You Can Eat To Help With Weight Loss
The hCG diet Australia program allows you to enjoy some delicious low carbohydrate snacks in both phase 2 and 3 of the program. It is also important to keep in mind that phase 3 or maintenance will put you in a really good position to continue with your healthy lifestyle habits for life. So, don’t think of these suggestions as being a öne off” I will eat these only while I am losing weight, these suggestions if continued will help you maintain your weight loss.
I mentioned low carbohydrate snacks above, this is due to the fact that not only do low-carb alternatives promote impressive health benefits associated with weight loss. They also help balance blood sugar control and improve several other metabolic parameters improving your overall health.
Finding healthy low carbohydrate snacks may be difficult, as many are often filled with food additives and preservatives especially if they come straight out of a packet.
However, never fear, there are plenty of alternate healthy snacks that can help you lose weight that are quite simple.
These are just a few:
Protein is always a good place to start due to the benefits in muscle growth and repair with the addition of protein helping with satiety, which comes in handy during weight loss the longer we can feel full the less likely we will be to go reaching for a snack. Here are some examples that you may want to keep on hand to help you stay on track.
- A small number of raw almonds, approx. 7-8 will help to stave off hunger and are super easy to keep handy. Pop some in a container at work or in your handbag for those times when hunger pangs arise, almonds are packed full of healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals.
- An apple a day keeps the doctor away, is how the saying goes, but it can also be a great healthy snack for weight loss. Add a couple of teaspoons of almond butter if eating uncooked or add to boiling water on the stove to soften and make a yummy apple cinnamon desert. Celery with added almond or peanut butter can also be a great healthy snack alternative.
- Included in phase 2 of the hCG plan are Grissini sticks and Melba toast, although limited they will be sure to stave off unwanted hunger pangs.
- A piece of hard cheese is also a great go to when it comes to healthy snacks when losing weight.
- A turkey roll-up using a slice of turkey breast, and avocado is a delicious alternative to unhealthy packaged snacks. My daughter also loves taking these in her school lunch box making it an easy addition and a healthy snack alternative for the entire family.
- Cottage cheese with cut up vegetables like capsicum, celery, and carrot.
- Plain Greek Yoghurt as a dip with sliced cucumber or topped with frozen berries.
- Fresh mixed berries with a dollop of cream. This snack feels very decadent and absolutely delicious. Berries are a great choice of low-carbohydrate fruit and are a must to add to smoothies or to enjoy on their own.
- Boiled eggs are packed full of nutrients and a must have to keep on hand in the fridge. They are a great quick way to go when you are hungry and on the run, or just feeling a bit flat and in the need of a protein energy boost. Full of healthy fats, vitamins and minerals, eggs are a fantastic low-carb snack.
- Small tins of tuna in water.
- Grass-fed beef jerky, make your own if you are lucky enough to have a dehydrator, this will ensure you have quality meat with no added nasties.
- Kale chips, not only delicious but super easy to prepare. Just tear the leaves from the bunch of kale, rinse and dry. Toss with 1 tablespoon of cold-pressed olive oil and ¼ tsp salt and roast in the oven until crispy, Yum.
Don’t forget to drink lots of water, the most inexpensive, lowest carb drink on the planet. Water does not only help to flush toxins from your body, it helps keep you full for longer and will help your body to distinguish whether or not it is actually hungry or in fact thirsty.
Indulging in low-carb treats like sugar-free ice cream, keto bars and low-carb baked goods may sound tempting as they are convenient and do not take up much of your precious time to prepare however, they can get in the way of you losing weight as they may contain sugar alcohols. If you are making your own snacks, you know exactly what ingredients are used.
In saying that even homemade healthy snacks should be kept to an absolute minimum as they are easy to over-consume and may lead to carbohydrate cravings, totally defeating the purpose of trying to lose weight in the first place.
As always more is not always better, and snacks must be kept to a minimum if you are trying to lose or maintain weight loss. I hope this post gives you some great ideas for healthy snack alternatives that can help you lose and/or maintain weight to enable you to continue your weight loss efforts.
We also have a clean eating guide available on the website if you prefer to have a more structured approach to a healthy eating plan and would like to expand your recipe repertoire post maintenance phase of the program.
Liza Brunell
Adv Dip Health Science Naturopathy, Nutrition
