Like to have your mid morning or afternoon snack? Good! Having a snack or two during your day will help you lose weight and keep it off for good.

Eating small and mid sized meals throughout the day is a great way to stabilize your blood sugar, avoid over eating, and keep your mind alert. So here’s how to snack and lose weight.

Snacking Wisely

The number of calories you will want in your snacks is going to vary depending on your weight loss goals and the amount of calories consumed during your daily meals. Pairing a carbohydrate and a protein gives your body the short and long term fuel it needs to sustain you until your next meal.

Ten healthy snacks to help you lose weight!

1)  Fruit.  Fruit is low in calories and makes a great snack when paired with a slice of cheese or a tablespoon of peanut butter.

2)  Tortilla Chips and Salsa. Yes, this can be a low-cal snack if you check the bag to determine a serving.  Since Salsa is very low in calories, I like to have 1/4 cup of yoghurt with it.  This is a great snack in the afternoon.

3)  Cheese and crackers.  Sounds fattening?  Not really when you eat a single serving. Pre-sliced cheese is a great way to control the calories.  Break it into pieces and eat with whole wheat crackers.

4)  Yogurt.  Yoghurt with fruit or a small amount of honey makes a great low-cal snack.

5)  Whole wheat toast and a tablespoon of peanut butter or slice of cheese.

6)  Leftovers.  A 1/2 serving of a low cal meal makes a great snack.

7)  Frozen Yoghurt.  Make sure it’s small and go light on the sprinkles.

8)  Shakes.  I don’t endorse meal replacement shakes as I prefer to make my own low cal smoothies. But for people on the go, shakes can be a great option for a low-cal snack.

9)  Hummus.  Whole wheat pita chips and hummus is one of my favorites! Hummus is great for satisfying hunger, and a good whole wheat pita chip will give you the complex carbs you need for energy.

10)  Cottage Cheese.  Pair  1/2 cup cottage cheese with fruit or crackers for a great snack.

While cookies, candy, and potato chips are labeled as “snack foods”, they have a high calorie count and do not keep you filled up for very long.  It’s best to think of these foods as “treats.”

Have a low cal snack you’d like to share?  Please leave a comment below.  I’d love to hear from you!

Blessings to you and yours!

Jennifer