Tanveer Nawaz Health, Beauty, Fashion, Novels & Urdu Poetry Choosing the wrong food while snacking causes weight gain issues; on the other hand, if you select good snacks, then it may help you in weight loss.
Research shows that choosing nutritious foods that have high proteins and fiber while snacking helps to decrease the total number of calories that you consume in a day and promotes feelings of fullness in your body and food requirements.
Thankfully, you have a wide range of choice to choose from various low-calorie and delicious snacks that will keep you on track while taking you to wellness goals and a healthy body.
Here we are going to share ten low-calorie but healthy snack ideas.
- Hummus and Veggies
People do not try to eat enough vegetables. But it’s a fact that eating more and more veggies can help you in countless manners and reduces your risk of getting more diseases and chronic conditions, including disorders of the heart.
You would have noticed that vegetables are mostly paired with proteins like hummus which is a creamy spread made up of tahini, salt, lemon juice, olive oil and chickpeas.
Pairing fiber-rich, low-calorie veggies like radishes, bell peppers, broccoli, or celery with hummus always makes a beautiful combo snack that makes you feel full without the addition of a lot of calories in between your meals.
For more reference, two tablespoons (30 grams hummus) that are served with one sliced medium carrot delivers around about 100 calories.
- Apple slices and natural peanut butter
Though apples are the best healthy and filling choice, but pairing with protein-rich natural peanut butter is fantastic too.
Peanut butter contains protein that has macro nutrients like carbs, fat, and protein. Researchers have researched that the addition of peanut butter helps in reducing your hunger and maintains your body weight.
Two tablespoons of peanut butter and one small-sized apple contain 267 calories.
- Coconut Chips
Coconut Chips are undoubtedly delicious and also high in fibers and healthy fats. These can be counted as an excellent and healthy substitute for potatoes or potato chips.
Half a cup of coconut chips has more than 315 calories. These flakes are mostly tossed with vinegar and salt for cinnamon or Savoury twist, and honey can be used for a sweeter version before its baking process.
- Hard-boiled eggs
Eggs are well-known as nature’s multivitamin. One hard-boiled, large egg has 78 calories, along with vitamin A, vitamin B, phosphorus, healthy fats, selenium, and more than 6 grams of protein.
Hard-boiled eggs are a convenient and portable snack that pairs best with other healthy foods like fruits, cheese, vegetables, and nuts.
- Homemade energy balls
Energy balls are morsels that are made bite-sized with nutritious ingredients like nuts, dried fruits, coconut and oats.
For making energy balls at home, pulse the following food ingredients:
- ¼ cup of cashews.
- ¾ cup of almonds.
- ½ cup of dates.
- ¼ cup of cocoa powder.
- One tablespoon of coconut oil.
- 1/3 cup of unsweetened coconut but shredded.
Roll the mixture and made bite-sized balls. Now store in the refrigerator for a wholesome, convenient snack. The calorie content is different due to different size and ingredients, but one energy ball has at least 100 calories or even more.
- Greek Yogurt and Berries
Greek yoghurt is a package of vitamin nutrients like magnesium, potassium, calcium and proteins. On the other side, berries are enriched with disease-fighting antioxidants and fiber, which helps in preventing cellular damage in a body.
You can top unsweetened Greek yoghurt with berries in a healthy, delicious way to keep your belly full at bay. It also helps in nourishing your body and keeps you bright and healthy.
½ cup of blueberries with plain Greek yoghurt of 7-ounce container delivers 180+ calories.
- Banana with nut butter
The nutty, salty flavor of peanut, almond, or cashew butter and sweet taste of bananas makes the best snack combo.
Plus, the pairing of bananas and nut butter gives you more filling by bumping up fiber and protein.
One small banana and two tablespoons of almond butter contain 280 calories.
- Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds are nutrients rich, including magnesium, potassium, manganese, zinc, and copper. All these nutrients are vital for making your bones healthy and strong.
You can toast pumpkin seeds by tossing raw seeds in pepper, olive oil, and salt, then bake it at 300°F for 40-45 minutes. Stir occasionally until they get golden brown. A serving of ½ cup toasted Pumpkin seeds delivers 145 calories.
- Guacamole and Plantain chips
Plantain is just like bananas but has a more natural and starchier flavor. When these are sliced and then cooked, they became alternatives to potato chips.
You can pair plantains with guacamole – a dip made up of lime juice, onions, herbs, Avocados, and salt. These make excellent snack choice because both of these are loaded with so many beneficial nutrients and fiber, such as minerals, antioxidants and minerals.
A 1-ounce of platinum chips along with 1-ounce guacamole gives 190 calories.
- Protein-packed smoothies
Smoothies are perfect for adding more fruits, vegetables, and healthy protein ingredients to your diet.
You can create a nutrient-dense, protein-packed smoothie by adding a leafy green like kale with a scoop of protein powder (like pea, hemp protein, whey) and frozen berries, and a blended liquid of your own choice, such as nut milk or water.
Chia seeds, cacao nibs, flax seeds, but kinds of butter, and coconut are additional ingredients in smoothies for boosting nutrition.
For getting low-calorie smoothies, use berries, greens, and protein powder and leave the high-calorie foods like coconut and nut butter.
Always keep in mind the amount to eat, portability, snacks that should be avoided as much as you can and frequency while taking snacks for healthy snacking. Always be sure about eating the right amounts and types of food for reducing hunger and prevention overeating. String cheese, sunflower seeds, cottage cheese with a combination of fruits, fresh vegetable slices, almonds, hard-boiled eggs, and peanuts are the best, super and healthy snacks to eat. Choosing the right healthy snack that is high in fiber and protein helps in reducing hunger, and it also keeps you full for so many hours.
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