Healthy Snacks: Tips & Recipes

Good Afternoon Readers!!! 

Sometimes the hardest part of being on a diet isn't mealtime, but the time between meals when  you are tempted to eat too much of the wrong foods. Even if you only choose to bring healthy snacks into your home, there may be high calorie, high fat food at work or social events. 

Some tips that I live by that I am passing onto my readers:

* Put your snacks on a plate. Even healthy snacks can contribute to weight gain if you eat too much of them. Try to avoid eating directly out of a bowl or serving dish, which can lead to over-eating. Choose small portions of a few healthy foods and put them on a small individual plate so you can easily monitor the amount of food you are eating. 

* Avoid mindless eating. Try not to eat in front of the television or computer. It's easy to lose track of how much you're eating not paying attention to the food. 

* Fill up on fruits and veggies. Fresh fruits and vegetables make the best healthy snacks. They are low in calories and generally high in fiber. Fill up on these foods first before even looking at higher-calorie snacks. If you are invited to an event, offer to bring fruits or a veggie tray so you know for a fact there is something healthy for you to snack on.

* Limit Alcohol. Not only are alcoholic drinks loaded with calories, but the more you drink, the harder it is to exercise discipline when you are around snack foods that you crave. If you are at an event (happy hour, party, bar, etc...) where friends will be drinking, choose one lower-calorie drink, such as a glass of wine. Then refill your glass with sparkling water or club soda with a lime. 

~Wendy