Snacks That Are Okay..

[Santopia]

I want to loose about 3 kilos but slowly. I'm quite a snacker so I'm looking for somew snacks that are okay to eat in the sense that they're low on calories.

thoose rice cookies. How much calories are approx in them?

Dried fruit for example dried mango. how about them?

Any suggestions for snacks that are healthy and not super high in calories?

[lifemagic]

Not sure your definition of a 'snack'. I make up mashed potato with boiling water, you know, the instant stuff. I get it in Big C and put a small tin of sweetcorn in and it's about 250 cals for a small bowl, which is quite a lot of food.

Also, I get the imported crackers with no sugar, and have one packet with a instant soup, like mushroom cheese, and that's about 250 cals.

When I wake up, I have a carrot. Not sure if you can handle something like that, I put a bit of mustard on it and I'm not hungry until mid afternoon.

Watermelon slices precut in the supermarket are quite nice.

Is this the kind of thing you meant by snack? If you meant the kind of thing you could just jump in 7-11 on the fly then I don't really know, though they do have little packets of two boiled eggs that might be 120 cals together as they're quite small.

[JuliaThazinMayerhofer]

When you want to loose weight, you need to realize that it's not only about the calories but also about the carbohydrates. All the snack you have mentioned are high in simple carbs (rice cookies, mashed potato) and sugar (dried fruit, watermelon) - the only time you can have this is after heavy workout (I mean weights here not cardio) and even then these are not the perfect foods. And sorry, but any instant stuff is an absolute no-go when dieting.

I don't know what your goals are and what is your exercise level but generally I would also recommend to eat snacks which are high in protein and are complex carbs. Here are some suggestions for healthy snacks in Thailand:

- Complex carbs: Sweet potato, instant oatmeal

- Greek yoghurt with berries

- Fruits: apples, grapefruit, cantaloupe - strawberries & mango are too high in sugar

- Cottage cheese

- Eggs, eggs and more eggs, or egg whites when you need to be cautious about the calories

- Canned tuna

- Almonds and other nuts (buy natural ones, not salted/roasted)

- Homemade protein bars and cookies (based on oatmeal and no sugar) - if you google you can find a lot

Let me know if you need more help and advice

Julia

[aussiebebe]

Hi, I'm no expert but the two examples of rice crackers and dried fruit are things I'd aim to avoid if wanting to lose bodyfat.

My recommendation for dried fruit is simple; don't eat it - whether it's organic, sun-dried or whatever, it's too sweet, addictive and difficult to digest. Ditto rice cakes; they are low-calorie but don't satiate you fully; overeating and weight-gain follows.

In Thailand, tuna is a good bet, with salad.

[tutsiwarrior]

if yer trying to lose weight stay away from the carbs for snacks like rice crackers and dried mango...if you can get the western style 'rice cakes' which are pure air (probably prohibitivley expensive if available in Thailand) then OK...dried mango/dried fruit is pure fructose and no good but OK for constipation which is a problem when dieting...

I'd say carry around a baggie with carrot sticks and celery and munch continuously...they also keep well without refrigeration...any fresh fruit has a carb/fructose problem and should be limited to a couple of pieces per day...in a pinch and starving open a can of tuna packed in water, drain and eat half...

works for me, anyway...

Edited March 1, 2012 by tutsiwarrior

[jinjinswing]

Snack on fresh products like fruit, not dried, small amounts of protien ie, tuna, egg, cheese, the proten will fill you up dout if you need to snack often then.

[robblok]

Id say a good thing to do is drinking green tea. For me it really helps with my cravings.

[tutsiwarrior]

Id say a good thing to do is drinking green tea. For me it really helps with my cravings.

+1, excellent suggestion...I like the japanese green tea with the toasted rice, gen mai cha...it also helps when cutting down on booze and need a substitute to keep on the go...like robblok sez it helps with cravings, very nice stuff, an anti-oxidant and quite good for you...plus loads of varieties available everywhere...

[robblok]

Just make sure that if you buy those ready made ones that they are not filled with sugar. I usually just brew my own tea and let it cool down. I drink a pot or 2 of them during the day.

Actually been loosing weight now for 2 months at a good rate and gaining some muscle back. But it did not happen over night. Just have to count your calories and work out.. and persevere.

Its hard to loose weight if you dont want to make any concessions.

[Tolley]

Good snacks that keep cravings at bay include things like raw almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds. I am known as the bird man at work for all the seeds i carry around with me.

[robblok]

Raw almonds are good.. but really calorie dense too. I believe 350 cals for just 100 grams. That is near the level of oatmeal. And i add milk with oatmeal to give me a healthy breakfast and it fills. I don't see almonds doing the same thing.

[lazysceptic]

peel and slice various fruits and freeze them in zip-lock bags - being frozen it takes longer to eat them and you feel more satisfied afterwards.

[foxboy]

Just do some exercise then you can eat whatever you want. Seriously, if you have a little jog 3-4 times a week you'll have those 3kg off in a month, with your diet remaining the same. Up-2-you!

[Tolley]

Raw almonds are good.. but really calorie dense too. I believe 350 cals for just 100 grams. That is near the level of oatmeal. And i add milk with oatmeal to give me a healthy breakfast and it fills. I don't see almonds doing the same thing.

We are talking about snacks that keep cravings at bay and are also healthy. A handful of raw nuts and seeds provide a lot of vital vitamins and minerals as well as regulating blood sugar levels and keeping people off eating much worse things too.

[robblok]

Raw almonds are good.. but really calorie dense too. I believe 350 cals for just 100 grams. That is near the level of oatmeal. And i add milk with oatmeal to give me a healthy breakfast and it fills. I don't see almonds doing the same thing.

We are talking about snacks that keep cravings at bay and are also healthy. A handful of raw nuts and seeds provide a lot of vital vitamins and minerals as well as regulating blood sugar levels and keeping people off eating much worse things too.

True.. but nuts are real caloric dense. If you can stop at a handful please do because they are healthy. But its easy to overeat on them.

[Tolley]

Raw almonds are good.. but really calorie dense too. I believe 350 cals for just 100 grams. That is near the level of oatmeal. And i add milk with oatmeal to give me a healthy breakfast and it fills. I don't see almonds doing the same thing.

We are talking about snacks that keep cravings at bay and are also healthy. A handful of raw nuts and seeds provide a lot of vital vitamins and minerals as well as regulating blood sugar levels and keeping people off eating much worse things too.

True.. but nuts are real caloric dense. If you can stop at a handful please do because they are healthy. But its easy to overeat on them.

If you eat the raw nuts then they not so moorish but if they have salt or oil then it is hard to stop so best to stick to raw nuts.

[Ulysses G.]

I mix 3 cans of saltless roasted almonds with one can of the regular salted kind and shake them up. It still tastes good, but it is easy to only eat a small amount and much less salt.

[BookMan]

I'm quite a snacker myself when I'm at home. I was eating too many potato chip type snacks, so I switched to nuts. I don't eat as many nuts per Kilo wise as I did chips. Raw is healthier but not as tasty, so i mix some together.

Also ate a lot of sugary treats, sweets/chocolate and ice creams, while reading or watching TV etc. I started substituting fresh fruit. Sweet things like Watermelon and Pineapple cut in strips seem enough for me. So I reach for those and after eating a bit, the desire for sweets/chocolate/ice cream has gone.

I lost a few kilos by just making some small changes like this in my snacking habits.

[tropo]

Raw almonds are good.. but really calorie dense too. I believe 350 cals for just 100 grams. That is near the level of oatmeal. And i add milk with oatmeal to give me a healthy breakfast and it fills. I don't see almonds doing the same thing.

Almonds are nearly 50% fat by weight, so 100 grams will provide about 575 cals.

It's the same with all seeds and nuts. Not a good idea on a fat loss diet as you'd provide too high a percentage of your daily calorie allowance in what appears to be a small snack.

[tropo]

True.. but nuts are real caloric dense. If you can stop at a handful please do because they are healthy. But its easy to overeat on them.

No kidding! I have problems opening up a bag of raw cashews for a snack treat. I find it very difficult to stop and before I know it I've eaten more than the calories I've just burned at the gym.

[pumpum]

Smoked salmon and cucumber...carrot sticks dipped in tahini...apple slices...most fruit...brown rice chips (available at Gourmet Market).

[tropo]

Smoked salmon and cucumber...carrot sticks dipped in tahini...apple slices...most fruit...brown rice chips (available at Gourmet Market).

Tahini (sesame seeds) is 50% fat by weight. Same as almonds and all seeds and nuts.

[pumpum]

Raw almonds are good.. but really calorie dense too. I believe 350 cals for just 100 grams. That is near the level of oatmeal. And i add milk with oatmeal to give me a healthy breakfast and it fills. I don't see almonds doing the same thing.

Almonds are nearly 50% fat by weight, so 100 grams will provide about 575 cals.

It's the same with all seeds and nuts. Not a good idea on a fat loss diet as you'd provide too high a percentage of your daily calorie allowance in what appears to be a small snack.

But you also have to consider foods by their nutritional value, as opposed to just calorie and fat count. A lot of overweight or obese people are actually malnourished and it serves as the root of the problem, causing cravings for the wrong things, imbalances and...well, malnutrition. I know raw vegans, for example, who eat TONS of raw nuts and seeds...and they are not overweight at all...they are among the healthiest people I know. If you are eating other things that you should be eating - for example, lots of raw fruit and veggies - nuts and seeds will serve as a complement and do you well.

[pumpum]

Smoked salmon and cucumber...carrot sticks dipped in tahini...apple slices...most fruit...brown rice chips (available at Gourmet Market).

Tahini (sesame seeds) is 50% fat by weight. Same as almonds and all seeds and nuts.

Again, nuts and seeds are NOT an enemy if the entire diet is clean and healthy.

[pumpum]

They are nutritional powerhouses and I would argue a much smarter choice than any fake "light", low-fat, sugar-free, etc. foods that are basically empty calories.

[pumpum]

I would also suggest starting your day with a protein and vitamin-dense green smoothie. This is hands down what helped me most when I wanted to turn my life around and lose a lot of weight. Get a good protein powder - whey if you eat dairy - or brown rice or hemp or something similar if you want to avoid the dairy (which is pretty fattening, I might add, b/c it is designed to quickly fatten up baby cows).

To that protein powder, add milk (or non-dairy milk) and a handful of fruit (berries or mango), a couple of handfuls of greens and whatever else you fancy - I used to add flax meal, a banana, a spoon of coconut oil and a greens powder. You can also add a teaspoon of nut butter or some oatmeal too.

I lost major weight drinking this every morning...my performance at the gym improved...more energy...and it staved off pretty much every craving I struggled with and I actually began to crave this green smoothie. I guess the cessation of "bad" cravings is an actual thing that happens when you start to put the right things in your body, and a smoothie is a good way to make it happen.

I used to make mine in the blender, but you can also used a "stick" or immersion blender and a cup.

[pumpum]

You can use any kind of greens, too...from spinach to kale to bok choy.

[pumpum]

Also, I forgot to mention it, but seaweed is a great snack if you are trying to lose weight...it has been shown to stoke the metabolism.

[tropo]

Smoked salmon and cucumber...carrot sticks dipped in tahini...apple slices...most fruit...brown rice chips (available at Gourmet Market).

Tahini (sesame seeds) is 50% fat by weight. Same as almonds and all seeds and nuts.

Again, nuts and seeds are NOT an enemy if the entire diet is clean and healthy.

They are an enemy if a person has fat loss goals. It's a matter of calories - better to choose nutritious foods that have more bulk. A bag of nuts could easily provide half a person's daily calorie allowance.

[tropo]

dairy (which is pretty fattening, I might add, b/c it is designed to quickly fatten up baby cows).

We hear this myth all the time. I've never seen any scientific evidence that cow's milk has magical properties which increase weight gain more than other foods with the same fat, protein and carb content. Sure, it's a calorie dense food with a big hit of fat, carbs and protein. Perhaps the only reason people think it's has magical weight gaining properties is that you drink it so it doesn't feel like a meal so it is consumed in addition to meals, not in place of.

Perhaps it worked for you as you were able to limit your calories for the rest of the day, but generally drinking liquid meals is the wrong way to go when a person is trying to lose bodyfat. It digests too quickly compared to a solid meal, leaving the person hungry again sooner. There's no point consuming a very large percentage of your daily calorie allowance in one hit with a liquid meal first thing in the morning... just as consuming calorie dense nuts and seeds will get you to your calorie limit too quickly.

Regular vigorous exercise is extremely important for anyone wanting to lose bodyfat because it allows more calories to be consumed which in turn makes it easier to obtain daily nutrient requirements.

Edited March 21, 2012 by tropo