Feel full until your next meal with these whole food nutrient dense snack ideas.
Feeling hungry is actually a good thing. It signals that you are in a fat burning zone. Except it’s only 10am in the morning, your stomach is growling, and you’re feeling hungry.
You are doing your best trying to watch your weight and don’t want to overdo your daily food intake limit. But you don’t know if you can make it until lunch without something to nibble on, nor should you will power it out until lunch. You will lose and the chocolate bar will win!
It can be hard finding snacks that are both low in calories, nutritious and filling at the same time. The trick is to find a snack that has protein for energy and/or fiber to keep you satisfied. No matter if you’re in the mood for something sweet, savory, or a combination of the two, here are some great snack ideas to satisfy your cravings.
Even though you should not be counting calories each option is less than 100 calories AND the quality of the calories are all Cheryl approved.
Sweet Tooth Snacks
Depriving yourself of sweets is a recipe for diet failure. Give yourself a small break every now and then to enjoy in the foods you love. Otherwise you’ll reach a breaking point and overindulge.
If sweets are what you’re craving, try the following low-cal options:
- 1 cup of frozen grapes
- 1/2 cup of nonfat Greek yogurt mixed with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a teaspoon of raw honey
- 1 cup of your favorite berries
- 1.5 teaspoons of natural peanut butter spread on ½ apple
- 3 squares of dark chocolate
- 1 cup of unsweetened chocolate almond milk mixed with ½ scoop protein powder
- 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce with a sprinkle of cinnamon
- 1 small container of chocolate pudding
- 1 small banana and 1.5 tsp of natural peanut butter
- ½ cup of plain frozen yogurt
Savory Snacks
Just as easily, you can go overboard when munching on salty snacks. It takes a lot of will power to eat only a few potato chips. It’s better to just keep them out of the house.
So when you’re in the mood for something savory or salty and low in calories, go with one of the following:
- 10 baby carrots dipped in two tablespoons of hummus
- 25 pistachios (about two handfuls)
- ½ ounce of low fat cheese and 1 cup raw veggies
- 1 hard boiled egg and a 1 Ryvita cracker
- 2 cups of air-popped popcorn
- 8 olives and 1 cup raw veggies
- 8 boiled shrimp dipped in two tablespoons cocktail sauce
- 1 cup of low sodium tomato soup sprinkled with one tablespoon of cheddar cheese
- 1 cup red raw peppers dipped in two tablespoons of balsamic vinaigrette
- 2-3 slices of nitrate free turkey and a dill pickle
Sweet + Savory Snacks
Perhaps you’re craving a combination of salty and sweet foods, this is what I crave. Sound good to you? Get your appetite satiated without feeling guilty by indulging in the following snack ideas:
- ½ ounce low fat cheese with half an apple sliced
- 1.5 tsp of peanut butter spread on 1 Ryvita cracker
- 1 cup of chopped melon in ½ cup of non-fat cottage cheese
- Trail mix made of four chocolate chips, eight almonds, and one tablespoon of raisins
- ½ cup Greek yogurt with 1 tsp honey
- 2 cups popcorn with 1 tsp raw honey sprinkled on top
- ½ cup frozen yogurt with 1 tsp of chopped cashews
- 8 ounces of unsweetened iced tea with 2 baby bell lights
- ½ cup cottage cheese with 4 chopped strawberries
- 1 cup unsweetened apple sauce with 1 tsp chopped peanuts
Green Light on Snacks
If eating healthy is a priority for you then planning, preparing and bringing snacks with you should be a must. If you’re not prepared, then poor snack choices tend to overtake your sensible side.
If you’re overly hungry when mealtime comes, you’ll be more susceptible to overeating. None of these 30 snack ideas sound appealing to you? Then get creative and make your own.
Because contrary to what your past eating habits may indicate, wise snack choices should be part of a healthy, balanced diet.
In good health,
Cheryl Wahl, RHN, CPCC, Personal Trainer
