Having mid meal cravings is quite natural for all of us. The trouble with this kind of snacking is the extra calories it comes with. Usually, these snacks add to our excess calorie intake on a daily routine resulting in accumulated calories in our body. The next time you feel craved between your meals and find yourself drifting towards a bar of chocolate or a bag of chips, STOP RIGHT THERE! and remember the line 'a moment on the lips, forever on the hips!'.
Don't worry, wipe those worry lines off your forehead because we have the perfect solution to your mid meal hunger pangs. All we need to know, is not how to fight that hunger but how to satiate it with a healthy decision. The right food choices will not only make you lose those unnecessary calories but also make your body fitter.
So, check out the list of the easy to carry yummy snacks for weight loss which will keep your calorie count in check and ward that hunger right off.1. Almonds
Almonds make a perfect snacking option as they’re packed with protein and healthy fat to ward off hunger.
Studies have shown that eating almonds may help prevent diabetes, heart disease and more.
5-6 almonds can be eaten as a quick snack to overcome cravings between the meals.
Also, there is very little caloric difference between roasted- salted, plain or soaked almonds but the healthiest way to have them is soaked with skin as it retains all of its nutrients which roasting might take away.
1 Almond= 7 calories. Read health benefits of nuts and seeds.
2. Roasted Chickpeas
Roasted chickpeas also make a great evening snack when you are craving for something salty.
They are a good combination of proteins, fibre, calcium and magnesium.
A handful of roasted chickpeas is packed with essential nutrients can keep you full for a longer period, which help in keeping you active throughout the day.
1 bowl of chickpeas= 246 kcal (1 bowl/katori= 150 gms). Read about the additional health benefits of chickpeas.
3. Fruit Salad
Fruits are almost synonymous with healthy and when you chomp on a fruit you instantly feel healthy and give yourself a mental pat on the back for choosing a fruit over a fattening option.
Snacking on only one type of fruit can become boring over time. So, just to jazz your snack up mix a variety of fruits to your snack bowl and munch on.
Fruits are not only high in vitamin and mineral content but also act as an energy booster. So feel light and lively instead of bloated and lazy just by making the right snacking choice.
4. Trail Mix
Trail mix is a great snack because it packs a caloric punch, but doesn’t take up a lot of space.
It is a complete package of major and minor nutrients. Trail mix can give you the energy you need when your resources run low.
It is the combination of nuts, seeds and cereals, wherein, a small portion of either of the mixtures provides energy and helps control mid meal cravings.
5. Yogurt and Fruits
Fresh fruits provide carbohydrates for quick energy.
Pineapple, orange, apple, pear and kiwi fruit are packed with vitamin C, a powerful nutrient for joints and connective tissue that also boasts antioxidant properties which boost immunity.
Yogurt and almonds add protein and healthy fat to make this fruit salad super satisfying.
Enjoy for a mid-day snack a few hours before your afternoon workout.
You can go for packaged one but choose plain yogurt instead of flavoured yogurt as it comes with added sugar and flavouring substances which are not healthy.
6. Green Tea
We don't know if a better beverage exists out there! The chinese have been using green tea in their traditional medicine to cure everything from headaches to depression.
Green tea is believed to help with not only weight loss but it even decreases your chances of getting a heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's disease.
Moreover green tea helps fight cholesterol build up in the body.
Green tea contains less caffeine than coffee, but like coffee, it helps boost dopamine in the brain. So, we can't think of one reason why you should not convert from coffeeism to green-teaism.
7. Salads
Salads can be both nutritious and versatile, because they’re endlessly customizable by adding fruits and vegetables of your choice.
They are fiber and antioxidant rich and can be carried easily in air tight container.
As a note of caution, not all salad are healthy. Avoid heavy dressing to keep salads lighter and healthier.
8. Soups
Now when we talk about about soups, we don't mean the store bought packaged preserved powder which contains heavy quantities of sodium.
Soup in all it's glory is prepared at home where we know what is going into our food.
The magic of soup is such that it can be made by using almost any vegetable and it is full of nutrients.
Since, soups are mostly made out of water, they will quickly fill you up without adding much to your calorie intake.
9. Puffed Rice Chaat (a.k.a Bhel Puri)
This Indian wonder is probably the most healthy Indian evening snack out there.
It has nothing fried in it and when mixed with the right sauces it will keep your calorie count in check while fulfilling that chaat craving.
Just add chopped tomatoes, cucumber and onion with a dash of mint chutney and a few drops of lemon juice.
You can make a variety of it by simply adding or replacing some of the ingredients like roasted chana, almonds, and walnuts to make it more nutrition packed and tastier.
1 bowl of puffed rice chaat give approximately 100 kcal which is very less if compared to your packet of chips. Read about easy snacking options at work.
10. Air-Popped Corn
One cup of air-popped popcorn is really healthy snack, has only 31 calories, and almost no fat.
Once popped, sprinkle any of your favourite low-calorie toppings like a dash of chilli pepper flakes or dried spices, they add lots of flavor without extra calories.
It is quite simple to make as well. All you need is a microwave, a paper bag and plain corn kernels.
Just pour 3 to 4 tablespoons of plain kernels into the paper bag, fold over the top twice to seal the mouth properly and microwave for two minutes or until the popping slows down to a few seconds in between pops.
All that is left to be said now is BEST OF LUCK on YOUR way to a healthy body.