We all love to snack, let’s be honest. Now, most people believe that all snacking is bad and that it adds too many calories to our diet. However, that is not strictly true. In fact, in order to lose weight you need snacks; you just have to choose the right kind of snacks. Healthy snacking gives you the opportunity to add some much needed fuel to your body before meals and before or after any exercises. It ensures that you will not be gluttonous come dinnertime and that you will have the energy to complete a workout. Also, eating the right snacks helps to keep your fat burning metabolism stimulated.
Below you will find an array of healthy snacks and drinks that are perfect to eat/drink between meals and before/after exercise. These snacks and drinks are low in calories (around 150-200), are filled with nutrients (protein and fiber), which are good for you, and most importantly they are delicious.
Greek Yoghurt with Raspberries and Honey
This sweet and creamy snack may not look like much, but believe us when we say that it is more than enough to get you over that 3pm slump or to give you much needed energy for that after-work workout. This is thanks to the fiber and protein that is present in it. Another benefit of this delicious snack is that the vitamin C in the raspberries helps to increase your body’s ability to burn fat.
One snack = a single pot of Greek yoghurt, a small cup of raspberries and around half a tablespoon of honey.
Cottage Cheese Filled Avocado
This rich and creamy snack is every bit as tasty as it is healthy. To prepare this snack, simply cut an avocado in half, remove the pit and fill the vacated space with 1% cottage cheese. This quick, delicious and easy-to-prepare snack will reward you with 7g of fiber and 9g of protein.
Walnuts and Grapes
There is no denying that these are two scrumptious foods. However, due to the fact that grapes are sweet and walnuts are filling, there are only so many you can eat at a time; this makes the combination of the two a perfect snack. A small cup of grapes and a handful of walnuts is a powerful combination of protein, fiber and natural sugars – guaranteed to provide you with long lasting energy.
Wheat Thins and Cottage Cheese
Take ten Wheat Thins and a half a small cup of 2% cottage cheese and you have got yourself a very enjoyable and healthy snack. This serving of cottage cheese will contain 25% of your recommended daily protein intake. The carbohydrates from the Wheat Thins along with the fat and protein from the cottage cheese will keep you full until your next meal and will provide you with the energy you need before/after a workout session.
Banana with Peanut Butter
Take a banana and a tablespoon of peanut butter to create a healthy and delightful snack for yourself. The carbohydrates will increase your energy levels and the protein will give you enough energy for the next few hours. This is undeniably a great snack for between meals or before/after exercise.
Power Berry Smoothie
To make this yummy drink, simply add a cup of frozen mixed berries, half a cup of water, a quarter of a cup of plain yoghurt (low-fat), a teaspoon of honey, and a tablespoon of soy protein powder to a blender and blend until smooth. This drink will give you approximately 9g of protein and 4g of fiber – and it is only 139 calories!
Summertime Blast
To make this scrumptious smoothie simply blend a small cup of seedless watermelon, two teaspoons of lemon juice, half a cantaloupe, one banana, a quarter of a cup of pineapple, two thirds of a cup of ice and four basil leaves. This smoothie will reward you with approximately 4g of protein, 47g of carbohydrates and 5g of fiber – and it only contains 182 calories!
