A specific food item can be healthy but that does not mean it will not result in gain in weight. On the other hand, few healthy food items may not be delicious but essential for your body to work. Therefore, there is a lot of factors and points that you should take care of when you want to have healthy snacks that will not have any adverse side effects. Here is a list of healthy food items that you can add in your snacks at home or even at your workplace and not have to worry about that extra fat around your tummy and hips.
Nuts:
You can go nuts when you think of having to prepare a healthy snack and in such situations nuts can come to your rescue significantly. Nuts are very useful for reasons one too many such as:
- These are highly nutritious and therefore an ideal snack item
- These reduce risks of any heart disease
- These can even prevent certain cancers and other diseases
- These can be an effective anti-depressant
- These are very filling in spite of being comparatively high in fat content
- These contain high amount of protein and fiber and
- Taking nuts in moderation may also help you to reduce weight.
These are rich in taste and do not require refrigeration and therefore these are ideal to carry with you when you are away from home.
Red bell pepper
Red bell peppers especially those with Guacamole are also very useful and extremely healthy snacks item because:
- These are nutritious
- These are the best antioxidants containing beta carotene, quercetin, and capsanthin
- These are rich in vitamin C containing as high as 300% of the Recommended Dietary Intake or RDI for vitamin C and
- These add healthy fat and fiber.
If you eat red bell pepper, you will not have to worry about the calorie count as well because it will be well below 200.
Yogurt and berries
You can even mix berries with Greek yogurt to make a healthy, delicious, and a nutrientdense snack.
- This is a great source of potassium and calcium and at the same time the Greek yogurt will also act as a very high protein source.
- Berries on the other hand are known to be one of the best sources for antioxidants all over the world, especially the colored berries.
You can mix half a cup of different types of colored berries with 3.5 ounces of plain and full fat Greek yogurt to get 10 grams of protein instantly while keeping the calorie count much below 150.
Apple and peanut butter
You can also eat slices of apple with peanut butter which will not only taste good together but will also provide you with the following benefits:
- High fiber from the slices of apples
- Polyphenol antioxidants to improve your gut health
- Reduce the risks of heart diseases
- Increase HDL cholesterol due to the peanut butter and
- Reduce LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
Though peanut butter is said to be fairly high in calorie content, taking it in moderation will not have any adverse effects. Combining 1 tablespoon of natural peanut butter with the apple slices will provide a healthy snack having a nice, creamy and crisp texture and keep your calorie count under 200.
Mixture of cinnamon, flaxseed and cottage cheese
All these ingredients individually have a lot of health benefits and therefore when you take cottage cheese, flaxseeds and cinnamon together, it will make a super healthy snack.
- Cottage cheese has very high protein content and is extremely filling. If you have the full-fat variety it will also contain conjugated linoleic acid. This will help you to reduce your body fat.
- Flaxseeds on the other hand are highly beneficial for controlling blood sugar level, weight loss, and may even help in reducing risks of breast cancer.
- Lastly, cinnamon will also help in lowering blood sugar and at the same time will improve your gut health.
A combination of all these three ingredients will provide around 15 grams of protein while keep your calorie lower than 150.
Cream cheese and celery sticks
Yu can make a classic snack that is low on carbohydrates if you mix celery sticks with cream cheese.
- Celery is known to contain luteolin which is a useful antioxidant that helps in reducing inflammation. It also helps in preventing certain cancer.
- If you add cream cheese with these celery sticks, it will make a quick. Satisfying and delicious snack.
Simply add five small sticks with 2 ounce of cream cheese to keep your calorie count less than 200.
Kale chips
Kale is known for its incredible health benefits as it is loaded with fiber. It also contains some useful antioxidants such as quercetin and kaempferol. Kale can reduce blood pressure and at the same time may also reduce risks of colon cancer. If you have a cup of raw kale you will have more than 100% of the RDI for vitamins A, C and K.
Dark chocolate and almonds
Having dark chocolate itself is very good for health and when you have almonds with it, you will have a rich and satisfying portable snack in your office.
- Dark chocolate is known to have high amounts of flavanols which helps in reducing blood pressure and lowering risks of heart diseases.
- Almonds on the other hand, contain very high amount of monounsaturated fat that are god for heart and helps in blood sugar control. It will also help you to lose weight as it will reduce your appetite.
The combination of dark chocolate and almonds will make it very high in magnesium and an ounce of each will provide around 300 calories depending on amount of cocoa content.
Fruits
You can have fruits anytime and every time you are hungry and this does not need any special mention. You can take cucumber slices with hummus for its high nutritious value and cucurbitacin E benefits. Remember, healthy snacks need not be complicated. Even a banana, apple, grapes, pear, oranges and grapefruit can be incredibly satisfying.
