You Can Snack on These 6 Healthy Foods and Still Lose Weight

In this post, you’ll discover healthy foods you can have as snacks, even if your goal is to lose weight.

The benefit of eating healthy snacks is that it not only provides the right nutrients and energy you need during the day. 

But it also helps keep you full so that you don’t crave more calories to exceed your daily goal. 

As several studies have shown, one of the important factors in losing weight is your overall calorie intake.

You’ll notice that some of these snacks even include some sweet ones (who said you can’t have that!).

Let’s dive in.

1. Yogurt

The proteins in the yogurt are known as ‘pre-digested proteins’. Fermentation makes it convenient for the digestive system to digest proteins. 

But this is not all. 

About 8 ounces of yogurt contain 10-14gm of proteins. This is way more than milk which contains only 8gms of proteins. 

This is why the researchers give preference to yogurt over milk for protein intake.

Proteins supply energy to our body. 

They contain calories/gram, which is equal to carbs. In the long, fasting state, proteins are very helpful.

Thousands of chemical reactions are the resultants of enzymes, which are proteins. 

Enzymes are essential for functions, including digestion and blood clotting.

The effect of eating more protein is that it boosts your metabolism by reducing muscle loss. 

A study by the Harvard School of Public Health found something compelling. 

Researchers found that high protein diets increase metabolism. 

Turns out high proteins significantly increase thermogenesis and satiety. Both these effects help in weight loss and fat burn.

2. Banana

One serving of banana, which is about 120 grams, contains 110 calories, 1 gram of protein, and 30 grams of carbohydrates.

Bananas have several attributes that make them useful for weight loss:

• Fewer calories, about 110 per serving
• Easy to digest due to the high fiber content
• They are very feeling, meaning you will not eat much
• The resistant starch reduces hunger by inhibiting the release of ghrelin (the hunger hormone)

Moreover, according to this study, bananas boost metabolism. Increased metabolism helps in weight loss. 

Like other fruits and vegetables, bananas have dietary antioxidants. 

They contain different types of antioxidants, including catechins and dopamine. 

Catechins and other antioxidants have many health benefits. This includes a decreased risk of neurodegenerative conditions, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. 

3. Blueberries

Blueberries are super fruits because of its power-packed nutrients. 

Also, blueberries are rich in fiber, low in calories, carbohydrates, and has heavy water content. 

Blueberries are one of the richest sources of anthocyanin. 

Anthocyanin is a pigment that gives blueberries its blue ripening color. 

This pigment supports the treatments of cancers, cardiovascular health illnesses, and other diseases. 

A cup of blueberries (150g) can reduce your chances of cardiovascular diseases by up to 15 percent. 

Blueberries contain flavonoids and these are rich in Vitamins A, C and E, and carotenoids. 

These work together to reduce bone loss and improve bone strength. This is as a result of their anti-oxidizing activities. 

Also, blueberries contain magnesium, iron, phosphorous, calcium, manganese, zinc, and vitamin K. 

All these nutrients play critical roles in bone formation and bone strengthening. 

4. Pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin seeds are one of the healthy snacks you’d want to add to your day if you want to lose weight.

They are full of antioxidants that safeguard your brain from free radicals. 

Also, pumpkin seeds contain tons of magnesium. This helps to control your anxiety and stress, protecting against depression.

Because of higher levels of fibers in pumpkin seeds, they are very helpful in improving your brain health through the gut-brain axis.

Pumpkin seeds contain micronutrients that promote mental health and brain activities. 

5. Dark chocolate

Cocoa intake helps with weight control- even if it is in the form of dark chocolate. 

Consuming cocoa helps regulate energy use. 

For starters, it reduces appetite and inflammation. And also helps to increase fat oxidation. This increases feelings of satisfaction or fullness.

But one study found something more revealing.

Turns out people who had a higher and more frequent dark chocolate rate consumption had a generally lower BMI than those who did not.

6. Sweet potatoes

One of the healthy snacks you can eat if you want to lose weight is sweet potatoes. Here’s why.

Packed with dietary fiber and low in fat, sweet potatoes are a top-ranked go-to food with high potassium. 

It also ranks low on the glycemic index (GI) scale. The GI is a measure of how fast or slow foods cause blood glucose levels to rise. 

Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of complex carbs and potassium. 

A medium-sized sweet potato has about 541 mg of potassium.

I like to bake my sweet potatoes. Wash and dry them, poke a few holes in them using a fork and rub it up with olive oil. 

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and then let it bake for 45 to 60 minutes. Add them to other vegetables and enjoy!