Take a look at that picture below, do you see what we see?
A snack pack with almonds, grapes, apples and cheddar cubes that contains over 1000 calories (1030 calories to be exact!). This is more than a meal’s worth of calories! Even though a snack pack like this can be convenient, pre-packaged and pre-portioned items can often contain more than a single serving and therefore can be very high in calories. Instead of pre-packaged snacks like this one, we suggest preparing your own snacks ahead of time, this way you have control over what and how much you are eating! It does not have to be complicated. Take a look at some simple snack ideas below!
Healthy Snack Tips:
- Aim for a balanced snack that is a mix of protein, fat and minimal carbohydrates.
- Try to limit fruit (fresh or dried) as a snack. Even though fruit may be “healthy”, it still contains a high amount of fruit sugar and carbohydrates.
- Try to minimize salty snacks, as those may be hard to portion control.
- Aim for a snack that is less than 200 calories.
If you’re on Stepwise or maintenance, here are some healthy snack ideas:
10-12 almonds (70-85 calories)
20 pistachios (80 calories)
½ – 1 cup non-starchy veggies (jicama, celery, carrots, cucumbers, etc) + ¼ cup salsa (20 calories)
½ medium apple (45 calories) + 1 tbsp nut butter (~90 calories)
½ medium apple (45 calories) + 1 String cheese (~80 calories)
½ – 1 cup non-starchy veggies + 2 tbsp hummus (~80 calories)
½ – 1 cup non-starchy veggies + 1 hard boiled egg (~75 calories)
1-2 cups of air-popped/low fat popcorn (30-60 calories) + favorite dried spices (garlic/onion powder, paprika, cumin, ground pepper).
If you’re on VLCD, only have your emergency snack (10-12 almonds) if you are unable to get to your next planned meal. Otherwise, try to maintain that 4-5 hour fast between meals.
