January is often a time of year when gyms are packed full of people trying to keep their new year’s resolutions of losing weight and staying in shape. Did you know that although being in the gym IS important to help with weight loss, what you eat is almost more important?
Many people out there are trying to lose those extra few pounds and can’t figure out why they won’t come off. Often, it’s because of their diet. Are you one of those people? Do you struggle to lose the extra 5 pounds you have been carrying?
This week’s posting is dedicated to healthy snacks. It’s not a solution to a healthy diet but snacks are a huge part of what we eat. And if not monitored closely, snacking can fill our diet with unnecessary fat and sugar.
The grocery store isles are laced with poor choices for snacks including chips, cookies, crackers, fruit snacks, candy, juices, etc. While I’m not opposed to having a “treat” snack every now and then, there are much better options out there for healthy snack ideas.
Here are some of my favorite healthy snack ideas
- Celery, either by itself, dipped in hummus, or with a little natural peanut butter
- Carrot sticks. Similar to above, these are also good served with hummus or by themselves.
- Any other veggie (cucumber and peppers are wonderful), by themselves or with hummus
- String cheese
- Low-fat yogurt or Greek yogurt. Plain greet yogurt can be dressed up with natural honey, some dried fruit and some almonds for a tasty treat too!
- Almonds or other nuts. Grabbing a handful for a quick snack is easy and healthy
- Rice cake with a piece of low-fat cheese or some natural peanut butter
- Fruit, either raw fruit (oranges, bananas, apples) or dried fruit
I often hear of people saying that they are limited to healthy foods when they are dieting and there aren’t many choices but I don’t feel this observation is correct. There are plenty of healthy options out there for you to try and for you to weave in to your diet plan. The key is to not let yourself get hungry and to stick with it. When you get hungry you tend to binge eat anything in sight, which is usually not healthy!
So time to try it today! Go pick up a few new healthy snacks at the store and next time you are hungry, try them. You will feel great! If you have any questions about healthy eating or weight loss or your health, please contact us today.
At Carlos and Parnell, M.D., P.A. our professional and caring staff makes the difference with patient care. – See more at: http://www.dev.carlosparnellmd.com/thermometers-and-babies/#sthash.MFvVROkI.dpuf
