A common weight loss myth is that you can’t lose weight if you’re snacking in-between meals. This simply isn’t true. In fact, snacking in-between meals can help boost your metabolism and help you with your weight loss goals. But what you eat does matter. There are numerous unhealthy snack foods on grocery store shelves. Today we will share with you ten healthy snack ideas that you can eat while still making progress on your weight loss goals!
1. Hummus and Vegetables
You can never go wrong with a snack of hummus and some veggies! Hummus is made from chickpeas and tahini (ground sesame seeds), so it has a good balance of macronutrients. Pairing it with vegetables is a great choice because it adds even more fiber and nutrients to the snack. Some good vegetables to eat hummus with include carrots, celery, green beans, cherry tomatoes, and peppers.
2. Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Most people have had sunflower seeds before, but have you ever eaten pumpkin seeds? Pumpkin seeds provide a fair amount of protein and contain a good amount of healthy fats that will keep you satiated until your next meal. Pumpkin seeds also contain a good amount of fiber, magnesium, potassium, iron, and calcium. They are also one of the richest plant based sources of zinc, which is a nutrient that is vital for a healthy immune system.
3. Yogurt and Granola
Yogurt and granola is another great snack choice. Since yogurt is fermented, it has probiotics that are beneficial to our gut health. Since dairy can be problematic for many people and can be quite inflammatory to the body, we recommend choosing a dairy free yogurt, of which there are many options these days! Forager and Kite Hill also make yogurts formulated with extra plant based protein if you’re looking to boost your protein intake in your snacks, which we do recommend. If you haven’t already seen our guide to dairy free yogurt alternatives, you can check it out here. You can either buy store bought granola or make your own at home!
Guacamole on it’s own is a great snack, but it contains mostly fat and doesn’t contain too much protein. While good fats from healthy sources, such as avocados, are necessary for our bodies, if you’re trying to be mindful of your macro ratios, it’s easy to go overboard on fats when eating regular guacamole. That’s why we love this white bean guacamole recipe if you’re trying to be mindful of macros. You can barely taste the beans in the recipe, but it helps even out the ratio of macronutrients because the beans add both protein and healthy carbohydrates that are rich in fiber. You can enjoy this dip with veggies or tortilla chips in moderation.
5. Cinnamon Apple Slices
In honor of autumn approaching, no snack list would be complete without this favorite. Slicing the apples is simple to prepare and adding some cinnamon always pairs nicely. Plus, cinnamon has antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, and may help balance your blood sugar levels. For some extra protein, you can dip them or drizzle them in a nut butter of your choice.
Also often called banana “nice cream,” this is a great healthier alternative to typical ice cream. It has only one ingredient; you guessed it, bananas! It can’t get any simpler than that. And if you want to get creative, you can top it with whatever you’d like. Some ideas are hemp seeds, cacao nibs, shredded coconut, or drizzled nut butter.
7. Peanut Butter Stuffed Dates
This is a great snack that is quick and easy to prepare when you have a hankering for something sweet. Don’t overdo it on these, but they are a great alternative to eating cookies when you really just need something sweet. All you have to do is slice open the date vertically, de-pit it, and then add some peanut butter to the inside. You can even add some shredded coconut or hemp seeds on the top for some extra nutrients.
These homemade protein energy balls are nutritious, tasty, and easy to make. You can make up a big batch and eat them throughout the week for snacks. This recipe also gives you a lot of flexibility on customizing them to your liking. As long as you mix it in well enough, you can use whatever protein powder you’d like, whether it be a vegan protein powder, collagen, or whey, such as our G-Plans Whey Protein Powder.
9. Trail Mix
Trail mix is a great snack, and if you’re making it at home, you can choose what you want to put in it. It usually consists of a variety of nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and oftentimes a few pieces of chocolate. Trail mix can be a great snack to satiate your sweet tooth while not going overboard on the sugar. If you are going to include chocolate in your trail mix, we recommend making it with dark chocolate since it is lower in sugar and usually dairy free. And if you don’t have the time to make it at home, you can look for a good store bought version, but we recommend looking for one with a variety of the ingredients we mentioned above, especially the nuts and seeds!
If you have never tried chia seed pudding, you are missing out! Chia seeds gel up when mixed in liquid, providing the pudding consistency we know and love. This version is dairy free and has no added sugar, but there are a variety of ways you can make it. This recipe even lists our favorite nutritionist hack, which is adding collagen powder into the mixture. This is a great way to add in extra protein, and the best part? Collagen protein powder is tasteless! So you won’t even know that it’s in there. Chia seeds contain fiber, antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and many other micronutrients. The fiber in chia seeds also helps promote a healthy gut microbiome by feeding our probiotic bacteria.
