How to Snack while Dieting

Snacking thruout the day while dieting can actually be helpful especially because: *It helps us burn more calories per day by keeping our blood sugar levels constant and our metabolism ticking over steadily throughout the day *It helps prevent us from overeating at lunch and dinner and may even help us to eat smaller portions during these meals *It gives us the opportunity to include a wider variety of healthy foods in our diets Here are 10 healthy suggestions to fill up on between meals:

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Snack bags or containers
• Fruits and veggies
• Keep goals in sight!

1. Make sure you are actually hungry.
   
   Ask yourself these questions before grabbing the snack:
   
   Am I hungry? Bored? Another emotion? Trying to fill the time? Avoid something? Maybe I am just thirsty... start with a glass of water, then reevaluate your hunger before diving into your snack!
2. Keep your portion sizes small. Don't over do it. Perhaps having some premeasured snacks in easy to store containers available will help when the snack attack hits.
3. Just the facts! Check the food you are going to snack on.
   
   Nutritional info will let you know if you are going to regret your snack before your jeans tell you!
4. Concentrate on eating while you snack.
   
   Face it, we are busy and we have all eaten in our cars, watching tv. Try to limit this, or make a concentrated effort to be aware and enjoy your snack. Eating slowly will make it enjoyable rather than a gulp fest.
5. Eat protein.
   High protein foods provides vital nutrients to help you build and keep healthy muscles and bones and will keep you feeling satisfied and full longer.
6. Snack on some nuts. Just watch the portions!
7. Eat your veggies.
   
   Keep sliced veggies in your fridge and fill up a small bag with carrot sticks or whatever takes your fancy whenever you head out the door.
8. Put fruit high on your list.
   
   Fruit makes a fantastic snack because as well as being very good for you, most fruits are relatively low in calories, have no fat at all (avocados and olives aside) and are sweet and full of flavour.
   
   Get individual servings to bring to work with you!
9. Try a liquid snack. Healthy liquid snacks like low fat yogurt or milk smoothies with fruits mixed in will keep you energized and feeling full for hours.
10. Fill up on fibre.
    
    As well as being very good for you, fibre may help prevent you from overeating. High-fibre foods take longer to chew and digest, so you feel satisfied longer.
    
    Good fibre snacks include pancakes topped with warm fruit, oatmeal, yoghurt sprinkled with high-fibre cereal, smoothies, fruit and pasta topped with steamed vegetables and beans.

Tips & Warnings

• Chew each mouthful only one time
• Having more fibre in your diet requires that you drink plenty of water. To keep fibre moving through your digestive system, you need to drink water regularly. Make sure you consume at least eight glasses