Do you ever catch yourself snacking on unhealthy foods, or even snacking at unusual hours? Eating junk food frequently in between meals can lead to gaining unwanted weight, making it especially important to curb these bad habits.
Keep reading for some of my favorite healthy alternatives to three common fatty snacks.
- Potato Chips
Potato chips are an easy snack to binge-eat whether you are on the go or craving a late night salty snack. But, did you know that just 1 ounce of kettle-cooked potato chips (approximately 15 chips) has 150 calories and 9 grams of fat?! Binge-eating potato chips can lead to build up of calories and fat rapidly.
However, there are many healthy substitutes to curb your cravings for a salty snack! Try alternatives like seaweed snacks, nuts and seeds, air-popped popcorn kernels, etc. Seaweed snacks are a great alternative, containing just 30 calories in a 6-ounce package. This makes it easy to eat a salty and crunchy snack without feeling any guilt.
While alternatives like nuts and seeds may be calorie dense, they are also high in fiber, and good fats providing much-needed energy to your body making you feel full for much longer when compared to eating starchy chips. Lastly, air-popped popcorn kernels contain only 110 calories with 1.3 grams of fat and have 4 grams of fiber making it another light and tasty alternative to chips.
- Ice Cream
Although ice cream can be seen as a tasty dessert post dinner, or even to celebrate an accomplishment. There are plenty of legit ice-cream alternatives that not only hit the spot, but also contain serious nutritional benefits, natural ingredients, and sometimes fewer calories to boot,
Some tasty (and healthy) ice cream alternatives to try are frozen yogurt, protein shakes, or cinnamon apples. Frozen yogurt is a great substitute for ice cream if you have a stubborn craving for a sweet dairy dessert. It is healthier than ice cream with a lower amount of sugar and is a tasty dessert!
Protein shakes are another good alternative to sugary treats like ice cream or milkshakes because you can add the fruit you desire and customize the shake’s flavors to your liking. Lastly, cinnamon apples are a quick, tasty snack to help you satisfy your sweet tooth in between meals.
- Candy Bars
Candy bars are loaded in sugar, fat and carbs. One Snickers bar contains 280 calories, 14 grams of fat and 35 grams of carbs. Candy bars also contain high amounts of processed sugar, which might give your body an initial sugar rush, but won’t sustain your energy for the long-term.
If you have a sweet tooth like me, some of my favorite candy alternatives are dark chocolate and protein bars. Dark chocolate has less calories than a processed candy bar andis a good source of fiber. It’s also potent enough to satisfy cravings with just one serving. Protein bars, such as Quest bars, have a wide variety of different flavors that will satisfy your cravings and replenish your energy.
Replacing some of your favorite snacks with a healthy alternative is no easy task. But slowly introducing these substitutes as you have cravings will go a long way in helping you maintain your weight and feel your best.
