What should snacks be on a healthy diet?

Having a couple of small snacks at work will help you stay full, energized, and avoid overeating throughout the day. This is a guarantee of slimness. For those who are losing weight, the “3 main meals + 2 light” regimen allows you to maintain a high metabolism even on a low-calorie diet.

I propose to discuss my TOP 10 ideal snacks: tasty and odorless, inexpensive and easy to prepare (and eat, even on the run), light and healthy.

So which of these would you put in your handbag?

Diet bar

Serving: 1 piece, 35-50 g

Calorie content: from 130 kcal.

Many celebrities love this snack, by the way, among the slim ones. Jennifer Aniston, Eva Longoria and Katie Holmes prefer to replenish their energy reserves with protein bars, and Gwyneth Paltrow chooses nutty and fruity muesli bars. This is one of the fastest, nutritious and easiest types of food: the bar can even be carried in your pocket, and the wrapper allows you to do without washing your hands.

Attention: some protein bars are higher in calories than cakes (alas, you can also gain weight from healthy foods!), choose light options.

Fresh berries

Serving: 200-300 g

Calorie content: up to 100 kcal

In winter, a berry snack is a small holiday in the midst of a difficult day. And now, at the very beginning of the berry season, this is an affordable, simple and refreshing way to eat. Calorie content of a serving of 100 grams of berries: cherries - 49 kcal, blueberries - 37 kcal, blackberries - 33 kcal, strawberries - 41 kcal, strawberries - 34 kcal, raspberries - 41 kcal, currants - up to 40 kcal, cherries - 52 kcal, blueberries - 40 kcal. Agree, there is something to enjoy!

Attention: control the portion size and do not indulge in such snacks - berries contain a lot of quickly digestible carbohydrates, so the burst of energy and pleasure is immediate, but also increases your appetite.

Light snack recipes

Meals prepared at home are much healthier than those from the store, as you can be completely confident in the freshness of the products and their quality.

Apple chips

It is necessary to cut the apples into very thin slices and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Dry at low temperature in the oven for at least 4 hours with the door ajar. These chips are completely safe and contain no fat or calories. And the pectin in the composition will help normalize water-fat metabolism.

Jelly from berries and fruits

Ingredients:

• agar-agar or gelatin - tbsp. l.;
• cold boiled water - a glass;
• compote or juice - 2 glasses;
• a handful of any berries or fruits.

Pour gelatin with water and leave for an hour (for the instant type, 15 minutes will be enough). Bring the swollen gelatin to a boil in a steam bath and immediately remove from the stove. Pour in compote or juice, add berries or pieces of fruit. Mix, pour into molds and refrigerate.

Diet muesli bars.

Ingredients:

• whole grain oat flakes - 400 g;
• bananas - 2 pcs.;
• coconut flakes - 150 g;
• dates - 300 g;
• nuts or sunflower seeds;
• herbs and spices to taste.

Pre-soak the dates in water for 2 hours. Then use a blender to grind together with bananas until smooth. Add coconut, oatmeal, nuts or seeds and stir. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Place the mixture on a baking sheet in a 1.5 cm thick layer and bake for 10 minutes until golden brown. While the cake is still hot, cut into small pieces, cool and place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. The bars can be topped with melted dark chocolate. Wrap the pieces in foil or cling film.

Snacks help normalize metabolism and prevent hunger. If you eat healthy foods during snacks and do not exceed the serving size, then you don’t have to worry about excess weight.

Nutritionist advice.

A nutritious diet with proper snacks is useful for everyone - diabetics, hypertensives, and people watching their figure. This is the prevention of gastrointestinal diseases, changes in blood glucose levels, eating disorders when a person does not control his appetite. Even our mood is connected to how we eat.

Sliced ​​fruit

Serving: about 200 g (1 medium fruit or 3-4 small ones)

Calorie content: up to 120 kcal

The whole secret is to eat fruits not whole, but cut into small cubes or slices. The process of eating is extended over time, so satiety comes before the food runs out. In addition, small pieces are convenient for snacking at the workplace, when the phone may ring or a visitor may come at any moment. Examples of servings: three clementines or tangerines, one medium apple or orange, half a grapefruit, one large pear, juicy dog, 4-5 apricots.

Snacks on a healthy diet

For women or men losing weight, the benefit of a quick snack is that the body does not overeat, but receives the necessary nutrients and muffles the feeling of hunger. The daily menu should include two breakfasts, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. Between meals and before bed, you need to eat foods to satisfy your hunger.

The benefits of healthy snacks

Doctors and nutritionists agree that for proper metabolism, maintaining a healthy digestive system and maintaining a normal weight, you need to eat small portions 4-6 times a day. There can be many healthy snack options: cereals, fruits, vegetables, dairy and protein products. Sweets, carbonated drinks and junk food should be avoided.

Snacks should not replace a full breakfast or lunch.

The volume of an adult's stomach is 0.5 liters. It is very undesirable to stretch it out by eating large portions, but rarely - one to three times a day. During the break between meals, a strong feeling of hunger appears, and it seems that the amount of food is not enough. A distended stomach requires filling with more and more food, which leads to digestive problems, disrupts metabolism, and contributes to the appearance of fat deposits. That's why it's so important for health to eat often and in small portions. There should be at least one and a half to two hours between meals.

You need to snack on healthy foods that contain proteins and complex carbohydrates. Such foods benefit digestion and promote the formation of muscle rather than fat tissue. Sometimes, if you are not feeling very hungry, it is recommended to drink a glass of water with a slice of lemon: the body may signal a lack of liquid, not food.

The right time to have a snack

Eating healthy snacks throughout the day improves your metabolism and helps curb your appetite. The amount of intermediate snack should be 2 or even 3 times less than the serving of the main food. Maintaining water balance plays an important role; you need to drink at least 1.5-2 liters of water per day.

The best time to have a snack is:

• second breakfast (if the menu for the day is correctly planned, it should be from 11.00, but no later than 12.00); afternoon tea (from 16.00 – 17.00);
• second dinner (shortly before bed, but no later than 21.00).

Breakfast is an important part of the daily diet for a person leading a healthy lifestyle. It must be remembered that after the main breakfast, at least 3 hours should pass before the first snack. For second breakfast, you can eat a dairy product or a vegetable salad. Before lunch, such a light snack will be enough.

What can you eat for a second snack, that is, an afternoon snack? Fruit, milk or tea are suitable for this. For tea, you can make a delicious sandwich from bread, lightly salted red fish and a slice of avocado. If the afternoon snack was too light and before the evening dinner, it is difficult for the body to do without snacks, then before dinner you can eat a baked or soaked apple with tea, you can drink a glass of yogurt or eat a little fruit and nut mixture. The evening snack should be the lightest. Ideally, it would be a glass of kefir or an apple. You can use cottage cheese. Snacking at night is a bad habit, especially when losing weight.

Wrong snack

Most often they snack on foods that do not require additional processing. For example, it could be a chocolate bar, bread, crackers, chips. But the degree of their pre-processing varies significantly.

Wrong snacks:

1. We went through complex processing. After complex processing, the body has to digest food for a long time and with difficulty.
2. Contains many “empty” calories. What is meant by empty calories? These are sugar, salt, starch and all other components that do not bring any benefit to the body, but make the product taste good. This also includes substances that fall under the category of preservatives, flavor enhancers, etc. For example, a typical example of unhealthy snacking with empty calories are chips and crackers. They contain a lot of spices and other additives that turn out to be extremely harmful to the body.
3. Rich in dyes and flavor enhancers. In principle, these components do not provide any saturation, but subsequently lead to health problems. The brighter the product looks and the stronger its taste, the more dangerous it is. A typical example is most yoghurts and sweet dairy products. Some people think that eating yogurt is healthy. In fact, it contains so many dyes that it can cause illness.

Unhealthy snacks, which include candy, chocolate, cookies, sausages, baked goods made from premium flour, chips, crackers, etc., should be reduced as much as possible in the diet.

This gives the illusion of satiety, although the body is not at all supplied with the nutrients it needs. But why is all this dangerous? Such products:

• they do not satiate at all, but only create the illusion of satiety;
• enhance the process of accumulation of fats and fluids in the body;
• can potentially cause diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
• over time they become very addictive;
• lead to overeating and excess weight.

Turkey breast

Serving: 100 g

Calorie content: 84 kcal.

Pieces of turkey breast fillet can be fried, baked with spices or stewed in broth - this is a very light, tasty and completely non-greasy meat that can be eaten even cold. It is important that such a snack smells practically nothing, so it will not irritate your colleagues or embarrass you. It is very convenient to carry turkey slices in your lunch box, seasoned with a spoonful of your favorite sauce, yogurt, a slice of hard cheese or a few cherry tomatoes. You can’t eat this while running, but why not go out for 15 minutes to the nearest park on a bench or even on the grass?

Healthy foods

Healthy, low-calorie snacks for those losing weight at work should contain fiber and protein. It is these elements that give long-term saturation and do not negatively affect the figure.

Cellulose

Coarse dietary fiber takes a long time to pass through the esophagus. In addition, when mixed with gastric juice, they swell and turn into a jelly-like mass, saturating us for a long time. They also act on the intestines like a natural “brush”, capturing all toxins and removing them naturally.

The calories in fiber-rich foods are minimal, so they can be safely used for snacking at work.

The following foods contain fiber:

• beans and peas, lentils;
• oatmeal and bran;
• fruits (but it is not advisable to eat bananas, dates and grapes when losing weight, as they contain a lot of sugar);
• dried fruits (candied fruits, raisins and dried figs are not eaten during weight loss due to the large amount of simple carbohydrates);
• broccoli;
• carrots;
• celery;
• cabbage

However, be careful with sweet fruits, they are a source of light carbohydrates. It is best to replace sweet apples with green ones, eat more citruses, pineapples, kiwis

It is important that these products do not contain harmful chemicals

Protein

Protein is the “building blocks” that are necessary to build all the cells in our body. They are extremely beneficial for health, and if you lose weight, they are also good for your figure. Protein will help you shed pounds through fat deposits, not muscle tissue.

Protein food:

• lean meats and poultry;
• lean fish;
• dairy and fermented milk products without sugar and additives;
• nuts (not roasted, without salt, sugar or glaze).

It is important to prepare healthy snacks correctly. Meat, fish and poultry will provide maximum benefits to the body if it is steamed, baked in a sleeve or foil, or boiled

Also note that lunch or afternoon snack should only contain one protein product.

Nut cocktail

Serving: 14 nuts

Calorie content: up to 140 kcal

Actress Christa Miller (Jordan from Scrubs) is a big fan of this snack. She always has a small bag of oven-baked pumpkin seeds, pistachios and almonds in her purse, sometimes with the addition of dried cherries. Delicious and very nutritious.

Attention: you should not snack on nuts “automatically” - it is too easy to exceed the portion that is safe for your figure.

Cabbage mix

Serving: 300 g

Calorie content: less than 100 kcal.

This is one of the most “smart” snacks, especially for those who do not know how to fill themselves with small amounts of food: a portion of cabbage is voluminous, it has a lot of fiber, but few calories, and most importantly - fast carbohydrates, which are mainly why women and are getting better. Try making a quick salad in the morning: chop white cabbage, season with a spoon of vegetable oil and sprinkle with lemon juice. You can also slightly stew different types of cabbage: white, cauliflower, broccoli, kohlrabi - you will get a tender and juicy mix for your lunch box.

What can you snack on?

Before you decide what to cook for a snack, you need to understand which foods you can and cannot eat. After all, it’s better not to eat everything if you really want to lose weight. But we’ll talk about forbidden types of food later, but now let’s break down what’s best for a snack.

Healthy foods

FRUITS AND BERRIES

For a second breakfast, provided that the first was satisfying and nutritious, fruits and berries are well suited. They are full of minerals, saturate the body with vitamins and other benefits.

• An apple, pear, kiwi, orange, grapefruit, half a glass of blackberries or raspberries are a great option for refreshment
• Only those who do not have problems with stomach acidity can snack on an apple.
• When snacking on dried fruits, do not forget to limit yourself in quantity. It’s best to allocate yourself a portion in advance or soak them before eating so that they swell.

Don't snack on grapes or bananas. These fruits are very high in calories and contain a lot of sugar, so it is better to reduce their quantity. For example, half a banana will be enough.

HEALTHY VEGETABLES

If you still have to think and understand with fruits, then with vegetables there are practically no restrictions, especially if they are consumed raw.

But even if they have undergone heat treatment, they still remain healthy, rich in fiber, and capable of satiating anyone.

NUTS AND SEEDS

These are real superfoods, about which there is already a large review article on our website. Almost all of their types contain large amounts of vitamins, micro- and macroelements, and minerals. They saturate well and give you a feeling of fullness for a long time.

Nuts can lower cholesterol levels and also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. They are rich in antioxidants that will prevent premature aging. However, you will have to be extremely careful with them, because they contain a lot of calories. Therefore, it is recommended to consume no more than 8015 grams at a time.

FITNESS BARS AND MUESLI

This delicious delicacy comes from both nuts and seeds and dried fruits. Usually they are made precisely on their basis. There are bars made with cereal flakes, which are also very healthy.

Another good option is muesli, so beloved by many. This is a good, healthy, complete snack that does not require much cooking.

MILK AND SOUR MILK

Not all adults, and even children, accept milk; many develop lactose intolerance, which will completely eliminate this product from the diet. If you don’t have problems with this, you can pay attention to such snacks.

Yogurt, kefir, fermented baked milk, natural curds. As a bonus, milk supplies the body with a lot of calcium, which makes our hair, teeth and nails strong and beautiful.

Harmful products

SAUSAGE

It is difficult to find real meat in modern sausages. Basically, these products contain animal fat, soy and harmful food additives such as sodium nitrite, which contributes to the development of malignant diseases.

BREAKFAST CREATES

This is an absolutely useless food, since breakfast cereals contain practically no useful components. Breakfast cereals are created by extrusion - turning sugar and flour into one mass, which is then made into cereal.

INDUSTRIAL DRIED FRUITS

Before hitting the shelves, dried fruits are treated in acids and alkalis, and then soaked in sugar syrup. If you love dried fruits, cook them yourself.

INSTANT COOKING porridge

It is better to completely remove fast cereals from your diet. When processing grain crops, their structure changes. Complex carbohydrates turn into starch, which is harmful to your figure. In addition, sugar is added to instant cereals, which only increases their calorie content.

CRUSKS AND POTATO CHIPS

Crackers and chips are a popular snack for beer, and many people have heard about the dangers of them. As a rule, these products are prepared in cheap vegetable oil, and they also contain a large number of flavor enhancers, flavors and preservatives.

SWEET CHEESE

It would seem that why sweet cheese is so bad. Few people know that such cheese curds mainly consist not of cottage cheese, but of sugar, vegetable fats, dyes and flavor enhancers. It is better to stay away from such a snack.

MUESLI

The myth about the benefits of muesli has long been debunked. As a rule, processed raw materials, mainly consisting of simple carbohydrates, are used in the production of muesli.

In addition, candied fruits, which contain many harmful food additives, are often added to muesli.

PACKAGED JUICES

Juices in packages are prepared from fruit concentrate, which is diluted with a large amount of sugar and citric acid. In addition, reconstituted juices may contain flavorings and preservatives.

DONUTS AND FRYING DOUGH

When fried in oil, donuts absorb large amounts of harmful fat, which increases the risk of developing atherosclerosis and heart disease. On average, 1 donut contains about 300 kcal! Their regular use will very quickly affect your figure.

PROCESSED CHEESE

It is worth keeping in mind that all processed cheeses are made from cheese waste, which cannot be sold. During heat treatment, cheese loses almost all of its beneficial qualities, turning into solid fat.

Fresh vegetables + nut sauce

Serving: about 100 g

Calorie content: less than 100 kcal.

These recipes are offered by American nutritionists. I love that these snacks are easy to make and quite unique. The key is to eat fiber-rich fresh vegetables (1 medium celery on the left, 10 mini carrots on the right) tossed with a little peanut butter or hummus (a couple of spoons is enough). You can imagine how many vitamins and other nutrients this snack contains!

Boiled eggs

Eggs can be boiled either at work (in an electric kettle) or in advance at home. It is better to opt for quail eggs, which contain large amounts of vitamins A and B. These vitamins contain feminine beauty: healthy hair, nails, skin and vision. The daily norm is 5-6 quail eggs.

Many factors depend on the right snack at work or school - your figure, performance and, of course, your mood. Eat right and make the most of nature's gifts!

Sandwich substitute

Serving: 1 piece, 50 g

Calorie content: up to 120 kcal.

Another “American” recipe. Instead of bread - a slice of tomato, instead of sausage or butter - 1.5 teaspoons of mozzarella. In principle, using soft low-fat cheese, you can prepare many light and tasty sandwich substitutes: spread mozzarella on a circle of fried zucchini or baked eggplant, connect a slice of avocado and a piece of chicken breast with a thin layer of cheese, fill half the whites of two eggs with low-fat cottage cheese with chopped herbs...

Cottage cheese

You can also make a healthy snack at work During your lunch break you can easily purchase it at your nearest supermarket.

Cottage cheese is a healthy protein food containing easily digestible and highly nutritious casein. The high value of such animal protein serves as a complete alternative to other foods. 250 g of fresh cottage cheese contains the dose of protein necessary for a healthy body. Don’t forget about the composition of cottage cheese, which is rich in calcium and phosphorus, which help form and strengthen connective bone tissue. Therefore, feel free to prepare cottage cheese dishes for yourself and your child.

For adults, it is better to use low-fat cottage cheese. It can be mixed with herbs and sour cream and wrapped in pita rolls. But for children it is better to choose an option with a fat content of no more than 9% and mix it with dried fruits. Let me remind you that without refrigeration, this product is good for three hours.

Homemade popcorn

Serving: 30g (the same as a small paper bag at the cinema or 3 tea cups)

Calorie content: about 100 kcal

Popcorn is not as scary as people think. There are almost 400 kcal in 100 grams, but this weight accounts for a huge volume - more than 2 liters! I recommend cooking popcorn at home in a dry frying pan (without oil), and adding just a little salt and spices or a little sweetener and vanilla for taste. I like the feeling that such food gives: as if I had eaten something “forbidden”, but in fact it is completely harmless to my figure and health.

Tips for those who eat on the run

One of the biggest obstacles to healthy eating is the eternal lack of time. It is this barrier that prevents many of us from taking a step towards healthier eating. Most people give in to their weaknesses and eat fast food on days when there is no time to have a good lunch. The only thing that these people fail to realize is that you just need to worry a little in advance and think about your snack. I will share some tips that once helped me, and will certainly help you take the path of healthy eating even “on the run.”

1. Stock up on vegetables and fruits for the day. Just grab a few apples or bananas and leave them in your car or on your office desk. And when you suddenly feel hungry, just eat them instead of going to the vending machine or eating sugar-laden buns and candies.

2. No matter where you eat, be sure to follow food portions. It is better to choose a smaller portion, if not the smallest one. If you really like these salty fries, buy the smallest package you can, because even this will be enough to satisfy some of your hunger without eating a huge amount of extra calories.

3. If you are in a hurry somewhere and you have no other choice but to eat at some fast food establishment, try to find an establishment that serves gourmet dishes.

For example, an Italian sandwich and taco contain less calories and fat than other fast food items.

4. Choose a variety of grilled foods whenever possible.

Lettuce leaves with filling

Serving: about 70 g - three stuffed leaves,

Calorie content: up to 150 kcal.

The filling can be anything (within reason), for example, grated hard cheese, soft curd cheese with chopped olives, minced chicken meatballs, tuna in its own juice (you will have to squeeze out the juice), boiled seafood with lemon juice. The main thing is that the total volume of filling in a serving does not exceed 2-3 tablespoons. We choose leaves that are large and elastic, so that it is convenient to make bags and envelopes for filling. It is very tasty and convenient to eat even with your hands if you don’t have cutlery.

How to beautifully pack food for the office?

The most convenient and aesthetically pleasing thing is, of course, lunch boxes. They close securely so odors and juices don't penetrate the bag. If necessary, food can also be heated in them. And most importantly, food packaged in this way looks very aesthetically pleasing. For many mothers in the United States, making beautiful and delicious lunch boxes for their schoolchildren has become a real hobby, not to mention Japanese bento!

An elegant box with light and delicious snacks plus good weather - what else do you need for a quick picnic in the middle of the day? Literally 15 minutes, and you can return to your favorite job with new strength and a great mood!

Photos from US Weekly used for illustrations

Dairy products (yogurt or kefir)

One serving of fermented baked milk contains a large amount of fiber, which promotes good digestion of food. The milky liquid fills the stomach and saturates it with easily digestible simple proteins. Low calorie content is also a significant advantage of these products - 30 kcal per glass. You are given the opportunity to choose; adding various seasonal fruits will prevent you from quickly getting bored with such a snack. Remember, the shelf life of homemade yogurt is no more than three days, and adding berries is possible only immediately before use.

Dairy products such as fermented baked milk or kefir help improve metabolic processes in the body, remove accumulated waste and toxins from the liver and kidneys, strengthen blood vessels, as a result of which the functioning of the cardiac system improves.

The positive properties of dairy products are achieved due to the vitamins A, B and C included in the composition, as well as microelements participating in the biochemical processes of the body.