Smart Snacks to Boost Your Metabolism

If you are like me, I often find myself reaching for a snack in between meals. Snacking however, can either be very detrimental to your health or extremely beneficial. It all depends on your approach and what you snack on. Studies have shown that eating five times a day can boost your metabolism and weight loss. Therefore, you can use snacking to your advantage. Snacking 2-3 hours after breakfast and 2-3 hours after lunch can jump start your metabolism. However, if you find yourself reaching for that tempting bag of Doritos or the bowl of candy on your co-workers desk, than you can kiss your healthy and beneficial snacking good-bye. Snacking on foods with empty calories only causes you to gain extra weight and makes you hungrier for your next meal.

Smart snacking helps to curb your cravings and give you a quick surge of energy. Healthy snacking also helps to increase concentration and helps you to focus better; resulting in better performance at work and school. The snacks listed below range between 100-200 calories each and are all heart healthy, nutritious, and delicious. Please read the list below for smart, nutrient-dense, snacking ideas. These snacks are great for children and adults!

• 10 baby carrots and a medium apple with 1 Tablespoon almond butter
• 1 hardboiled egg with a Clementine
• Vanilla Greek yogurt with 1/8 cup of Kashi granola
• 3 cups air-popped popcorn (no oil)
• 4 ounces deli turkey, 1 soft cheese wedge, and ½ apple
• 1 cup of grapes and 1 string cheese
• 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese with 1 slice of Cantaloupe
• 1 cup sugar-snap peas and 2-3 Tablespoons of hummus
• 1 apple with 1 Tablespoon peanut butter
• Tomato and cucumber salad tossed with 5 teaspoons of olive oil with a few shakes of Italian seasonings combined with 15 wheat thins
• 1 cup edamame with 1 Tablespoon hummus
• 1/2 cup whole wheat pretzels with 1 Tablespoon spicy mustard
• 1 cup of baked tortilla chips with 2 Tablespoons salsa
• 1 banana with 1 Tablespoon peanut butter on the side

The snacks listed above are not only good for your health but will satisfy your cravings and make you want to go home and cook a healthy and nutrient-dense dinner. The key to a healthy lifestyle is to eat foods that will curb bad cravings and keep you feeling full and satisfied. Some people avoid snacks because they are afraid they will gain weight, but you can stop those worries and fill up on these healthy snacks without feeling guilty. A healthy snack that contains complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and proteins will keep you full of energy and help you resist those empty calorie foods. Kiss feeling guilty good-bye and start smart snacking. Treat yourself right and snack away with these healthy suggestions!

A quick, easy, and healthy homemade snack is guacamole. I have a serious obsession with guacamole. Avocados, the primary ingredient in guacamole, are full of healthy fats and have been found to help with weight management and to prevent cardiovascular disease. For the past few years I have been making this quick guacamole that tastes delicious.

1 ripe avocado

½ cup fresh salsa

Squeeze of lime juice

Dash of salt

Mash the avocado in with the remaining ingredients. Everything combined totals a little less than 200 calories. If you eat about half of this recipe for a snack paired with 15 wheat thins, you have yourself an amazing snack for fewer than 200 calories. Paired with fresh veggies you have an even healthier, nutritious snack!

I hope that you have become inspired to make good choices when it comes to snacking. You are worth it and the benefits of healthy snacks will lead to a better life. Make those intense cravings and sleepy afternoons a distant memory and look forward to energy bursts and feelings of satisfaction!