If you want to lose weight and stay the course toward better health, you should reinvent your definition of a mini-meal. The following are the healthiest snacks that you can eat between meals.
1- Banana
One medium banana has just 105 calories, 14 grams of naturally occurring sugar and provides 3 grams of satiating fiber, making it one of healthiest cheap snacks on the market. Bananas also a great source of belly-flattening nutrients like potassium and prebiotic fiber, which helps to feed good gut bacteria and improve digestion.
2. Honeydew Melon
Honeydew is packed with stress-fighting vitamin C; and thanks to its high water content, it has a diuretic property that helps banish bloat.
3. Cottage Cheese
The dairy-based snack is a good addition to your diet because it’s high in protein and light in the calorie department. It’s also considered a complete protein, which means it contains all nine essential amino acids your body needs to function properly and build metabolism-revving muscle.
4. Nectarine
Nectarine is a potent source of phenolic compounds that can fight against belly fat. Gobble one up as a healthy on-the-go snack.
5- Oatmeal
Thanks to its high fiber count, oatmeal can help you lose weight, lower your cholesterol and reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes. Mix a half cup of the stuff with some water or milk and zap it in your office microwave to have a mini-meal on your desk in just minutes.
6. Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurts are low in sugar, high in protein and creamy enough to make you think they’re sinful, making this weight loss staple a perfect snack to quell that angry 3 p.m. hunger.
7. Apples
While traditional advice for saving the skin was based mainly on its fiber content (an average apple provides 4.5 grams), there’s a growing body of research to suggests it’s actually the polyphenols in the peel—non-digestible compounds capable of doing everything from increasing sexual pleasure to reducing cholesterol—that are responsible for the apple’s doctor defense.
8. Bell Pepper
When they’re still in one piece, a bell pepper isn’t exactly an easy thing to snack while on-the-go—but if you cut the veggie into slices and throw them in a sandwich bag, you have yourself a vitamin C- and fiber-filled snack for just under a buck! And get this: Studies indicate that vitamin C helps muscles process a fatty acid called carnitine that’s essential to muscle growth and recovery.
9. Whole Almonds
If you keep just one snack in your bag at all times, make it almonds. The small but mighty nut is filled with a winning combination of satiating fiber, protein and heart-healthy monounsaturated fats that keep you feeling full.
10- Carrots
Carrots are one of the most satiating veggies in the supermarket as they carry a hefty serving of vitamin A and beta-carotene, which makes them ideal for staving off metabolism-slowing inflammation.
11. In-Shell Pistachios
According to Cheryl Forberg, pistachios are heart-healthy snack that aid weight loss. Studies suggest having to manually remove the shell helps people eat more mindfully and slows the rate at which they nosh, helping to reduce portion size and calorie intake.
12. Hard Boiled Eggs
Boiled egg is source of protein and filled with health-improving amino acids and a fat-fighting nutrient called choline. Boil up a dozen at the start of the week so you have an ample supply of hard-boiled eggs to last throughout the week.
13. Watermelon
Eating watermelon improves lipid profiles and lowers fat accumulation, thanks to the fruit’s high concentration anthocyanin, a compound that calms the action of fat-storage genes.
Watermelon can also help reduce post-pump muscle soreness, helping you get back to your workouts sooner rather than later after a grueling Crossfit class.
14. Red Grapes
Like watermelon, red grapes add fuel to your flat-belly fire because they contain anthocyanin. Pop a cup of ‘em in the freezer so you have a healthy snack on hand whenever a craving for something sweet and refreshing strikes.
15. Cucumber
An entire cup of cucumber slices has just 16 calories! And normally we’d say that’s not nearly enough calories to keep you full and satisfied but the veggie is about 95 percent water.
16. Organic Popcorn Kernels
Source: Yahoo Health