10 Easy Snacks for Health and Weight Loss

1.  Blueberries:

Blueberries appear on all kinds of “healthy” lists, and there’s good reason for it. They are also convenient to eat and often come in small containers in the grocery story. You can eat them raw or throw them in a smoothie, cereal or even salads.

The healthy part comes from the unique blend of antioxidants that blueberries contain. All berries are high in antioxidants, but blueberries are known for their high level of anthocyanin which helps with heart health, memory, and improved glycemic control.

2. Water:

Water is not usually considered a “snack,” but it most certainly will stop you from eating too many other snacks and is something you can grab quickly. Quenching your thirst can stop hunger pangs and one study even showed it can increase your metabolism by 30%.

If you want to make it more into an experience you can sip on hot water. This is considered within the ancient Ayurvedic health traditions to be one of the best techniques to increase digestive power, flush out toxins, and flatten the tummy.

If you want to go one step further you could add some lemon juice and alkalize your body at the same time.

Lemon Water (AKA Sugar-free Lemon Aid)

Ingredients:
1 lemon
Water
Stevia

Directions:

1. Wash lemon well
2. Cut lemon in half, horizontally
3. Squeeze each half of a lemon
4. Add to 2 – 4 cups of water. The lemon juice can be diluted more according to taste.
5. Add stevia ( or honey) to taste.

Could it get any simpler?

3. Broccoli:

Broccoli is a great combination of protein, fiber and low calories. Broccoli has a bad reputation that often makes kids turn their nose up at it, but don’t let that stop you from eating a few raw broccoli flowers.

4. Almonds:

Many people are scared of almonds because of the high fat content of most nuts. It turns out that eating moderate amounts of almonds is good for weight loss. Read about the 9 Health Benefits of Almonds.

Hint: Raw are better digested if you soak them first. Wet soaked almonds aren’t always ideal, but you can buy soaked almonds that are also dried.

5. Peanut Butter on Anything (besides bread):

Peanuts, like almonds have been found to satisfy hunger. Peanuts are also high in protein and studies show they can help with energy balance and weight loss.

Ideally you could fill celery or broccoli with peanut butter, but if you’re craving carbs, go for lower calorie snack like crackers. Read about the 8 Health Benefits of Peanut Butter.

6. Apple:

Apples are high in fiber and low in calories.

The nice thing about apples is they are so durable. They don’t bruise easily and don’t spoil fast as long as they are whole. Read 10 Reasons Why to Eat An Apple a Day.

7. Oranges:

Oranges are also durable. They can also keep you busy pealing and eating sections one at a time.

Oranges like all fruits have simple sugars in them, but the orange has a glycemic index of 42 (anything under 55 is considered low). This means as long as you don’t eat a lot of oranges at one time, they won’t spike your blood sugar and cause problems with insulin or weight gain.

8. Grapefruit:

Grapefruits have most of the benefits of oranges plus they also lower insulin resistance and assist with weight loss.

9. Celery:

Celery is on every weight loss list because they have so much fiber and water content that they can actually require as many calories to digest as they provide.

This is one food most people need to fall in love with (celery also makes a great companion to peanut butter).

10.  Beans and Peas

Beans and peas have some of the highest fiber content of any food. Fibers fills you up and keeps the hunger down. Beans and peas also contain significant protein. 

One of the easiest ways to eat peas is with fresh sugar snap peas. You can buy them any time of the year at the grocery store. 

Beans go well in dips and if you make them yourself, like the below recipe – they can be low salt and low fat.