For those looking to lose weight, staying in control of your appetite starts with what I call “strategic snacking.” I often see busy people who are “on the go” for too long without eating. As a result, they often end up overly hungry and either overeat at their next meal or pick up something less healthy than they initially planned.
Having healthy and portable “strategic” snacks is one of the most important factors to staying on track. Here is a list of healthy snacks in each category.
Fruit is always a healthy snack and is portable to take on the go. A banana, apple, peach or pear provide their own portion control. Berries and melon are also excellent choices, as they are on the lower calorie end of fruit; berries are also particularly high in fiber.
Vegetables are a perfect snack for busy people. I focus on buying veggies that do not require any work (peeling, cutting etc.), like a bag of baby carrots or a pint of tomatoes that just need to be rinsed off. You can also buy small cucumbers and peppers that you can simply rinse and eat. And you can pick up individual cups of hummus or guacamole to dip the veggies in while you’re on the go. They are between 100 to 150 calories each. Buying the cups in the individual portion size saves time in the morning because you can just grab and go.
Dairy also offers a lot of great snack options. Non-fat or low-fat dairy is high in protein and calcium but low in saturated fat. Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, string cheese, and Baby Bell light cheese are all great on-the-go options.
Nuts. For busy people on the go, I recommend buying nuts in individual 100-calorie portion bags, which most of the big supermarkets sell. Having a few of those stashed in your office, car, and bag is helpful for busy people on the go to have a healthy snack accessible. The smaller bags also limit your caloric intake.
Fun snacks. We can buy things like popcorn, Pop Chips, roasted chickpeas, lentil chips, and so many other options in individually portioned packages.
As mentioned above, portion control is essential. Anytime we are snacking out of a bigger bag of something, it's easy to eat way more calories than you realize. I call this "the Maximum Potential Damage,” arrived at by adding up the calories in the whole package of something before you buy it or before you reach into it. The "maximum potential damage" of a bag of chips can be over 2,000 calories! Buying individually portioned snacks to take on the go can help busy people stay mindful of their calories.
With just a little bit of planning, you can continue to snack without breaking your weight management regimen. For more information on the GPS weight loss program, visit https://gps.mykajabi.com/gps.
Elizabeth DeRobertis is a Registered Dietitian with the Scarsdale Medical Group. To make an appointment, call 914-723-8100.