What Are Good Healthy Snacks When Losing Weight?

Viewing a diet as an exercise in monk-like austerity is neither a healthy nor a practical strategy for shedding pounds. Don't try to ignore between-meal hunger. Instead, treat snacking sensibly by opting for small bites (100-200 calories is a good limit for the average 2,000 diet) that are both filling and nutritionally dense, while low in saturated or trans fats, refined sugars and other so-called "empty" calories.

What to Avoid

• In general, stay away from foods that are high in saturated or trans fats and simple carbohydrates because their high calorie content packs a comparatively small nutritional punch. These include refined sugars and processed breads or pasta. Overconsumption has been tied to long-term health issues such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Effective dieting requires consuming and burning calories efficiently.

Healthy Snack Ingredients

• Foods high in protein make excellent snacks because protein is essential to building muscle and leaves you with a satisfied "full" sensation. Saturated fat content should be low, and trans fats nonexistent (note that commercial food products containing less than .5 grams of trans fats may identify themselves as trans fat free on the label). Seek foods with poly- or monounsaturated fats, such as olive and canola oils, which are more heart-friendly and can even reduce cholesterol and plaque build up in the bloodstream. Fruits and vegetables--especially unprocessed and unsweetened selections--should also be included, though they may not feel as filling on their own.

Easy Snacks and Recipes

• Besides simply noshing on a fresh apple or baby carrots, a healthy, nutritionally dense snack can be as simple as celery or carrot sticks dipped in hummus or "natural" style peanut butter (made without added sugar or hydrogenated oils, a form of trans fat), both of which are rich in protein and unsaturated fats. Dry roasted and unseasoned nuts, particularly almonds, make effective hunger relievers in modest portions. An even more efficient option is edamame, a Japanese dish consisting of boiled, lightly seasoned soybeans, which are served still in the pod and shelled by hand, not unlike peanuts. Many beloved snack recipes can also be "converted" into more diet-friendly versions by swapping the fatty or sugary ingredients with healthier alternatives. For example, try spreading chicken salad made with nonfat yogurt, mayonnaise or soy mayo over whole grain crispbreads or crackers.