Low-Calorie Snack Idea #5: Pour a handful of nuts.
Almonds, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, and cashews contain the healthy monounsaturated fats that lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. And because they’re packed with protein and “good” fat, they won’t raise blood sugar as much as crackers or pretzels do. Because many nuts are high in calories (almonds are the lowest), stick to an amount that will fit in the palm of your hand.
Low-Calorie Snack Idea #6: Have a few whole-grain crackers with peanut butter.
You’ll eat more protein and fewer carbs than if you have a bigger pile of crackers with no peanut butter, and your blood sugar won’t rise as much.
Low-Calorie Snack Idea #7: Snack on raw veggies.
Get in an extra serving of vegetables by nibbling on cherry tomatoes, carrots, red and green peppers, cucumbers, broccoli crowns, and cauliflower. Eat them plain or dip them into nonfat yogurt, a light salad dressing, or hummus (stick with 1 to 2 tablespoons’ worth).
Low-Calorie Snack Idea #8: Spread some black bean salsa over eggplant slices.
The salsa has only about 15 grams of carbs, 80 calories, and 1 gram of fat.
Low-Calorie Snack Idea #9: Sip a small cup of vegetable soup.
Cook non-starchy vegetables such as spinach, onion, celery, green beans, and squash in some vegetable or chicken stock. It’s filling, full of veggies, and low in carbs.
Low-Calorie Snack Idea #10: Indulge in a few decadent bites.
Have a snack of three dried apricots, a small piece of dark chocolate (about the size of a square of baking chocolate), and three walnuts or almonds, suggests Vicki Saunders, RD, who teaches nutrition education programs at St. Helena Hospital in Napa Valley, California. Savour every nibble!
To Be Continued.....
