Choosing Healthy Snacks

Your stomach is growling, but lunch is still house away. You could indulge yourself with a snack, but you think it is best to just grit your teeth and wait until lunch. Not so, if weight loss is your goal.

Although you may feel guilty about snacking, snacks aren't necessarily bad. In fact, well-planned weight loss diets allow snacks to help manage hunger and reduce binging. Eating a healthy snack can tame your hunger without ruining your appetite for your next meal.

The key to incorporating snacks into your weight loss plan is to keep moderation and balance in mind. Keep these tips in mind the next time hunger rolls around.

1. Limit a snack to approximately 200 calories or less
2. Turn coffee or tea into a snack by adding a cup low low-fat or soy milk for protein
3. Do not have a carbohydrate alone - you will still be hungry. Instead, pair a carb with a lean protein or healthy fat. Have low-fat cheese with your apple or some peanut butter on your whole grain crackers.
4. It is okay to have carbs before bed, such as a piece of fruit, because it doesn't need to keep you full for long - you are about to go to sleep!
5. Don't double dip. For instance, don't do string cheese and nuts, or string cheese and yogurt. Instead, choose one high-fiber carb and one lean protein or healthy fat; this will provide you with an optimal balance of nutrients and help keep you full longer.
6. When you eat straight from the bag, you'll consume more. Pre-portion items like nuts in resealable snack bags.
7. Try to keep snack time to three hours after you have eaten. If you eat it too close to your last meal, it won't do its just until the next meal.
8. If buying an energy bar, read the label and look for more fiber and protein, less calories and fat.
9. Just because it is a 100-calorie pack doesn't mean it is a healthy snack. Make sure it offers some fiber and protein or healthy fat. If not, skip it.

What are your favorite snacks between meals? Do you find that if you snack on the "right foods" you stay full longer than if you ate, say, a cookie or brownie?