3 Secret of How Snacks Can Help You Lose Weight

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Written by Richard L. Lipman M.D.

Wednesday, 01 April 2009 15:54

Just 3 secrets will help you find the best snack.
Snacks can make a great difference between losing and gaining weight. With 95 % of people eating at least one snack a day, snacking can end up being a plus to any eating plan or just as easily a harmful habit. Snacks can be packed with nutrients and supply our bodies with that energy boost most of us need in the afternoon or they can be full of sugar and end up making us hungry and only gain weight. The difference between harmful and healthy snacking is up to the dieter.

Here is some information to make the snacking process even better. It’s about thinking what, when, how often and how much:

The Dangers of Snacking:
Eating your way through a bag of chips, cookies or candies can lead to trouble in the form of unwanted calories and rapid weight gain. The snacks may be full of sugar or rapidly digested carbs and makes you even more hungry. Here are five myths about the dangers of snacks, and some rebuttals.

Myth - Snacks make you gain weight:
Fact –Snacks in the late afternoon can reduce hunger and impulsive like stopping for a bag of chips or a candy bar at the 7-11 or while you are getting fuel at a gas station. They can prevent the usual walking into the home and grabbing what ever is there or for women eating while they are preparing food

Myth - Snacks spoil your appetite for meals:
Fact – Let’s face it, few overweight people should be concerned about “spoiling their appetite.” There is nothing that will spoil most peoples appetite and if they did, so what? It’s only the skinny people who worry about spoiling their appetite. By eating a snack, you can be more in control of your food choices and less inclined to overeat at your next meal.

Myth - Snacking is the same as eating junk food:

Fact – Snacking is not equal to eating high calorie, non nutritious foods. A snack can be an apple or banana, a punch of mini carrots or a small protein bar or some low fat string cheese.

Myth – I can never eat cookies or chips again:
The are of good snacking should never stop you from getting that treat once in a while. One snack, one meal, or one day of eating cannot make or break your health. It is what you eat consistently over time that counts.

The Benefits of the "Right" and "Wrong" Snack:
Snacks can save your diet day (or night) so you need to know when to eat them and what are the best snack choices. The benefits of snacking include:

Binge control. Snacking on a high-protein bar yogurt, a piece of fruit, or raw vegetables can keep you from taking second or third helpings at your next meal and help you consume fewer total calories during the day.
Extra energy and nutrients. Snacking fits our busy lifestyles, offers flexibility, and helps stave off hunger. Healthy, grab-and-go snacks can be a good source of nourishment.
May prevent stress or emotional eating. Listening to your body and eating when you are hungry is beneficial, and preferred over eating because the clock says it is time or because you are bored, stressed, or depressed.

Here is what you need to know about snacks, which ones to eat and which ones to avoid:

Secrets to a Good Snacks

1. They provide protein, which prevents falls in blood sugar, especially late in the afternoon.

2. They can satisfy cravings, prevent hunger and feelings of deprivation.

3. Both convenience and cravings “rules,” Seek 100-calorie snack bags, ice cream-like bars, light cheese, popcorn, low fat yogurt, smoothies

What Snacks to Avoid:

1. Traditional snack foods are high in calories, carbs, sugar, or fat, and often have serious portion control issues. They can easily exceed 300 or 400 calories. Avoid ice cream in cartons (low or not), cookies, candy, cake, chips, regular cheese, nuts, and seeds.

What Snacks to Look For:

Perfect snack foods are the ones that are easy to obtain, inexpensive, high in protein, and low in calories and carbs, have portions that are easy to control, and, most importantly, are pleasing and satisfy your cravings. Fruits and vegetables are unlimited snacks, as you can eat them with no restrictions at any time of the day. Perfect snacks have maximum 100 to 140 calories per serving and should be packaged in portion-controlled containers. Going to the supermarket these days you will see a very remarkable new trend. Almost every snack, from cookies to chocolate bars, to crackers, to chips and even breakfast cereal items are available in low-calorie, portion control-sized packages. These are the easiest choices you will ever make.

The "Important" Chocolate Snacks:

More than half of all dieters crave chocolate, especially during the evening. For many, chocolate is the ultimate comfort food. Many new products, such as frozen bars, cookies, and candies contain low-calorie, low-fat, and low-carb chocolate that is almost indistinguishable from the real thing. If you crave salty snacks, I suggest a miniature bag of 94% fat-free popcorn. Portion control is easy, as one bag is a single portion. Only a few will return to the microwave for a second bag. All of these snacks are pleasing, provide fun and comfort, alleviate anxiety, and prevent feelings of deprivation.

Here are some snack suggestions:

You can have two (if a woman) or three snacks (if a man) per day. Fruits (except for tropical fruits) and vegetables are unlimited. These snacks fall into several groups: low-calorie, low-carb ice creams, bars, cookies, candy, crackers, yogurt and smoothies, as well as individually wrapped string cheeses. Few people will sit in front of the television with a box of frozen bars, eating one bar after another; however, many people can easily do this with a container of cookies, crackers, nuts, or chips. Individually packaged low-carb, low-calorie chocolates, candies, cookies, or crackers are good choices, as is sugar-free Jell-O or pudding in small, individual containers.

3 Best Secrets: The Time of the Day

Time of Day	Snacking Goals	What type of snack	Best Snack Choice
Morning	Prevents impulsive snacking of the wrong foods at work. Less important if you have protein for breakfast.	Easy to obtain	Fruits, yogurt, and very small protein bars.
Late Afternoon	Prevent low blood sugar and hunger late in the afternoon. Cravings are less important here than in the evening.	Easy to obtain	High-protein, low-calorie, portion controlled. High-protein shakes, bars, portion-controlled cheese and yogurt
Evening	Prevent feelings of deprivation. Stress, boredom, cravings, and habits play a major role. A lot of damage can be done without some control of calories, carbs, and portions.	Sweet or Salty	Sweet: low-calorie, low-carb frozen bars, cookies, crackers Salty: baked chips, 100-calorie miniature bags of 94% fat-free popcorn

The secrets to picking the “right” snacks are based on knowing how they can help you limit your food intake, prevent hunger, and satisfy your cravings. Matching your personal preferences, the time of day

and using portion controlled containers remains the basis of good snacking.

Remember there really are no good or bad snacks, only high or low calorie snacks.

Last Updated on Friday, 01 May 2009 00:38

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