Trading your regular 3 p.m. king-size candy bar for an apple will probably help you lose weight. (And, let’s be honest, make you feel pretty frickin’ virtuous.) But it also might leave you sort of hungry.
It’s no secret that loading up on fruits and vegetables is a must for eating clean. But when it comes to a snack that’ll actually keep you going for a while, let’s be real: If mealtime is more than, like, an hour away, a handful of baby carrots or a banana probably isn’t going to cut it.
And not only because they’re pretty much devoid of satiating protein and fat. Sometimes, you just aren’t feeling the celery sticks—which in itself might leave you more prone to scarfing down a bag of pretzels or who knows what else.
Of course, we’re not saying you should go back to the candy bar. NO WAY. Instead, try one of these clean snacks.
1. In-Shell Pistachios
Nuts are on every weight-loss-foods list, and for good reason: They’re packed with protein and healthy fats, which study after study shows helps people stay fuller for longer. So why pistachios instead of the usual almonds? They’re lower in calories, so you can eat a few more of them. But more importantly, having to shell each individual nut takes forever, so your snack lasts way longer.
2. Avocado With Salsa
OK, technically an avocado is a fruit. But for nutrition purposes, it’s a delicious and addictive source of healthy fat. Research suggests that it’ll also leave you less interested in eating for up to five hours.
And even though avocados are high in fat, they hardly break the calorie bank—half a medium avocado has about the same number of calories as a handful of nuts. And the salsa? It just gives you more flavor than the typical sprinkle of sea salt.
3. Low-fat cottage cheese with cinnamon
Don’t think of it as your grandma’s diet food. Think of it as a power snack that’ll keep you full for the long haul. A 160-calorie cup of low-fat cottage cheese packs a crazy 28 g protein—which, FYI, is 5g more than a cup of low-fat Greek yogurt. A sprinkle of cinnamon helps keep things interesting and tricks your taste buds into thinking you’re having a sweet snack.
4. Olives
For those times when dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes but you need something in your stomach now. Olives’ rich, buttery texture and briny flavor are super satisfying—and since they’ve got a little bit of fat, they really will hold you over until it’s time to eat. Plus, you can eat five of them for just 20 calories.
5. Roasted chickpeas
They’re salty and crunchy like chips—but they’re packed with appetite-squashing protein and fiber instead of empty calories.
To make them, toss a can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed) with a tablespoon of olive oil, a pinch of salt, and a teaspoon or two of ground cumin or smoked paprika and bake on a baking sheet at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. (You can save the leftovers for adding to salads instead of croutons.)
6. Oat bran
What has more fiber than a bowl of oatmeal? A bowl of oat bran. A ⅓-cup serving of the stuff delivers nearly a third of your daily roughage, which will help you stay full for a really long time. For extra staying power, cook your bran in low-fat milk. It’ll add an extra shot of protein—plus, research suggests that pairing fiber with liquids can help make the fiber even more filling.
When you’re in the mood for something sweet, a square of the dark stuff is your best bet—and not just because it’s considerably less bad for you than a brownie. Research suggests that foods with super intense flavors tend to sort of tire out your taste buds faster. So you end up feeling satisfied with a square or two—versus an entire sleeve of mediocre cookies.
Source: Eat Clean
0 Mga Komento