What if you were told that snacking could help you lose weight and balance blood sugar levels between meals? Would you jump for joy like most of us that find ourselves hungry between meals, but are confused about what the deal is with snacking and weight loss? Well, here’s the deal, not all snacks are bad. In fact, there are many snacks that may actually help you lose weight.
Say what? Yes, you heard that right, snacking smart can help support a healthy weight, slash sugar cravings, keep your blood sugar levels stable, and prevent binge snacking on all of those unhealthy foods you know you shouldn’t be eating.
But, not so fast! Not all snacks are created equal, so a snack from the vending machine at work won’t do. Instead, it’s important to focus on well-balanced snacks that will keep you sustained between meals.
So, here’s your invitation to start adding snacks to your diet. But before you do that, let’s break down what you need to know about snacking smart for weight loss.
What You Need to Know About Snacking Smart for Weight Loss
So what in the world does a balanced snack look like anyway? Simply put, balanced snack contains a healthy complex carb, a healthy fat, and a clean source of protein. Yup, that’s all there is to the whole balanced thing, just remember to stick to clean and unprocessed foods. No artificial colors, sweeteners, or trans fats here.
Hungry yet? We are, and we want to share the best snacks for weight loss you can make in minimal time and with minimal ingredients. These snacks are also packed full of flavor because let’s face it, healthy eating has to be delicious.
The Five Best Snacks for Weight Loss
#1 Avocado with Lemon Juice + Himalayan Sea Salt
Avocados are packed full of healthy fat, fiber, and magnesium. A half of an avocado drizzled with freshly squeezed lemon juice, and a pinch of pink Himalayan sea salt will help fuel your body and keep you full between meals.
#2 Anti-inflammatory Smoothie Bowl
There’s just something about a smoothie bowl that makes healthy eating delicious, and throwing together an anti-inflammatory smoothie bowl makes the perfect weight loss snack. Plus, if you’re the type of girl who needs variety in her diet, smoothie bowls make the ideal healthy snack choice. Variety is the spice of life, so go ahead and add something different to your smoothie bowl each day. Make your base with a frozen banana, a handful of frozen berries, or acai, and some unsweetened full-fat coconut milk. Blend it all together, and top with some weight-loss friendly superfoods like chia, flax, or hemp seeds, raw cacao nibs, a handful of almonds, and a drizzle of raw honey. Grab a spoon, and dig in!
#3 Handful of Nuts + Seeds & Fruit
In a pinch and need something super quick? This is the story for many of us super busy women as we don’t always have time to prep all of our snacks ahead of time. This is where healthy snacking on the fly comes in. You can toss a handful of nuts, seeds, and unsweetened dried fruit into a resealable bag and throw it into your purse to have on hand when those hunger pangs kick in. While you’re at it, pack a banana, an apple, or an orange. Nuts and seeds provide plenty of healthy fat and protein to keep you full, and you can balance this snack out with some healthy carbs from a fresh piece of fruit.
#4 Overnight Oats
Overnight oats aren’t just for breakfast, they also make the ideal snack choice for busy women on the go. These are also perfect for busy moms who are chasing around toddlers all day and just need a quick grab and go snack that travels well between your activities. Need a post-workout snack that will be made and ready for you after your sweat sesh? This one’s for you too. This makes the perfect weight loss snack since oats are loaded with fiber (hello healthy digestion) and can keep you full in between meals. These overnight oats also have added superfood power from the omega-3 rich chia seeds and anti-inflammatory berries.
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup gluten free rolled oats
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk
- 2 Tbsp chia seeds
- 1 pinch of ground cinnamon
- Toppings: Fresh berries, drizzle of raw honey, 1 dollop of unsweetened almond butter
To make, add the oats, almond milk, chia seeds, and cinnamon to a glass Mason-style jar and stir. Place in the fridge overnight, and top with the berries, raw honey, and almond butter in the morning before serving.
#5 The PB & Chocolate Fix Shake
Are you a PB lover? This one’s for you. You can have your peanut butter fix all while supporting a healthy weight, and keeping those sugar cravings tamed between meals.
This also makes the perfect after workout treat, like after sweating it out with our Pilates trainer Cassey Ho, or getting your favorite HIIT workout in with Bree Branker. After getting your daily dose of self-care in by sweating it out with our FitOn app, treat yourself with this much-deserved shake that will help refuel those tired muscles.
The real shining start in this recipe happens to be the collagen protein, especially if you are enjoying this as a post-workout snack. Collagen protein can help support digestive health, adds a nice dose of protein, and will help refuel those worked muscles. The ground flaxseeds are also an excellent source of healthy fat and fiber to keep your digestive system in check, your blood sugar stable, all while packing in a healthy dose of omega-3 fatty acids to help combat inflammation. Flaxseeds have also been found to help support weight management. Talk about a total superfood, huh?
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
- 1 frozen banana
- 1 Tbsp. creamy unsweetened peanut butter
- 1 scoop of collagen protein powder
- 1 Tbsp raw unsweetened cacao powder
- 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp ground flaxseeds
- 1 pinch of pink Himalayan sea salt
To make, simply add all ingredients to your blender, and blend until creamy! Add an extra teaspoon of PB for added measures, and get to enjoying this much deserved post-workout snack.
The Healthy Snacking Takeaway Notes
The bottom line here is that not all snacks are created equal. While we should be steering clear of processed and artificial snacks packed with sugar, snacking smart can actually do your body a ton of good while supporting your weight loss goals.
Choosing these healthy snack options in addition to moving your body daily, eating well-balanced meals, getting enough sleep, and reducing stress may be just what you need to reach your weight loss goals.
