7 Healthy Snack Tips to Avoid Weight Loss Sabotage

You’re thinking to yourself… will it be different this time?

Maybe all that exercise and calorie counting will pay off. You’ll keep the weight off this time.

But you’re hungry. Not now and again, but all the time.

So far, you’ve put up with the hunger pangs because you don’t want to feel fat again. You’re not prepared to throw all that hard work and sacrifice away.

Maybe you’ve avoided parties and celebrations. You fear that temptation will send you all the way back to where you started.

Back to being fat, unattractive, not good enough.

But what if there’s another way?

A way you can get off the exercise and calorie counting merry-go-round, once and for all?

I spent the majority of my adult life on the merry-go-round up until 4 years ago. Now I’m trim, energetic, never hungry. I’m healthier and happier in my own body than I’ve ever been.

And you can be too. Let’s get started.

#1: A clever way to predict which snacks are low calorie without counting

Snacking is about get us from one main meal to the next. You can maintain your weight-loss gains while snacking by avoiding consuming excess calories.

While this seems obvious, it’s not as easy as it sounds. Marketers have developed clever techniques to make snacks appear low in calories. In truth, they are tiny in size and won’t put a dent in your hunger.

Enter the concept of calorie density. By consuming foods with both low calorie and high density, you will feel fuller longer. Go for anything above 600 calories per pound in the diagram shown.

#2: If you think nuts are an ideal snack, this might surprise you

Nuts are natural energy powerhouses. A great snack option to keep you going on a day-long hike. Perhaps not as ideal when sitting at our desk all day.

On the calorie density diagram above, we can see nuts contain 2,800 calories per pound; which is huge.

It is true, five or six nuts would not affect our daily calorie intake. The problem with snacking on nuts is they contain very little fiber and don’t easily fill us. To feel satisfied you would need to consume a calorie-ladened handful.

#3: Why cafes and service stations aren’t your friends

What’s your go-to snack? Could it be a pie, muffin, quiche, donut, or toasted sandwich? These snacks contain white sugar, butter, oil, eggs, and cheese. All foods at the bottom of the calorie-density table.

Even worse are the fried foods. Fifty-five percent of the calories in a tin of Pringles Sour & Cream comes from fat. Unfortunately, the 22g of carbohydrates are devoid of fiber, so won’t keep you full for very long.

Consider which low-calorie high-density foods you might like to try as a snack option. Have some on-hand, so you can avoid heading to the café or service station when hunger hits.

#4: Still worried eating fruit will make you fat? Read on

Do you avoid eating fruit because they are full of sugar? Fear that sugar converts into fat stores which leads to obesity. Or sugar will spike insulin and worsen type-2 diabetes? You aren’t alone.

A new study shows eating whole fruit, with sugar or white bread reduces insulin spiking. Soluble fiber within fruit has a gel-like effect in our intestines. This slows the release of their sugars.

At only 300 calories per pound, you can feel comfortable to choose your favourite fruits as an ideal snack option. Berries are also packed with antioxidants and other great phytonutrients.

#5: Overcome food label confusion with these quick tips

Product labels can be very confusing. Serving sizes are arbitrary. Overcome this by determining fat or calories as a percentage (number of grams per 100g).

Manufacturers list ingredients from greatest in quantity to least. Choose foods with low-calorie high-density ingredients listed up front on a product label. Try to avoid ingredients at the very bottom of the table, like oil.

Find any multi-word difficult-to-prounce words? If you don’t know what it is, it’s best to avoid eating it.

Try choosing snack foods that don’t contain a label at all. Mother nature creates tasty foods that fill and nourish without excess calories.

#6: How to avoid the need for snacking in the first place

How often do you feel the pangs of hunger? Is it now and again, or between every meal, every day?

If the latter, you may be consuming too few calories, which isn’t sustainable. Or you may be consuming excessive-calorie meals devoid of satiety-inducing fiber.

By eating low-calorie high-density meals, you will feel fuller for longer. And you can avoid the need for hunger-based snacking.

#7: Want to see some of my favourite snack ideas?

Fruits make sense as a snack, but how do you snack on vegetables beyond carrot sticks? And how do you snack on whole grains or beans and legumes?

Pre-cooked potatoes, thrown in a ziplock bag, are my favourite go-to snack. You can enjoy them with a little salt, ketchup, hummus, or hot sauce. Brown-rice or corn crackers are another good option. Be sure they’re oil-free.

I’m happy to eat drained and rinsed chickpeas straight out of the can. Oil-free baked legume snacks, such as roasted edamame, make a convenient alternative. Throw a pack in your handbag or glove compartment.

You’ve got this!

Your struggle can end today. You finally have everything you need to take that first step off the merry-go-round.

Imagine living a healthful life, full of energy.

Decide today to nourish your body. Choose, prepare, and eat satiety-inducing meals and snacks.

You’re worth it.