The Lemon Kitchen's top healthy filling snacks to keep you going throughout the day!
I don't know about you, but as a parent of two active young kids, I am always inventing new ideas for health snacks and quick meals to have throughout the day to ensure we are getting adequate nutrition? So in this article, I wanted to provide you with The Lemon Kitchen's top 5 healthy snack ideas to support your lifestyle or help you start making healthier choices. Many of these snacks have been used during my 60 lb weight loss journey and are still used today, 11.5 years later.
In general, when I evaluate healthy snacks, I look at a few things, such as; do they contain protein or how much protein do they have, does it contain fiber, and how well is it going to fill me up. Because as much as I love a good blueberry muffin, I will likely be hungry in a hour or a few minutes looking for more.
For those who are following a more balanced diet approach, below are The Lemon Kitchen's recommendations for healthy and filling snacks:
Quest Protein Bar - At 200 calories, 20g of protein, 14g of fiber, these protein bars are delicious and can make for a quick meal while you have a busy day. And you can even make them better by putting them in a microwave for 10 seconds or leaving them on your dash on a hot summer's day. Doing these tricks will help make it nice and gooey.
Greek Yogurt (Two Good or Light n' Fit Brands) - At 80 calories with 12 g of protein, this is an easy way to get great nutrition. In fact, I eat these healthy things 1 or 2 times a day.
Berries (Raspberries, Blackberries, Blueberries, Strawberries) - The best thing about these snack is you can eat a lot of them for almost no calories. A cup of blueberries is only about 50 calories, similarly with all the other berries. Since they are high in fiber and low in calories, it makes for a great snack.
Popcorn - While there are tons of buttery popcorn on the market, there are several that are only 160-200 per balance. Top it off with some Kernel Toppings salts and you can add a lot of flavor and food volume with very little calories.
Sugar Free Jello - This might shock a lot of people, but a entire small box (about 4 servings) is only 40 calories. This makes it a perfect low calorie choice for a healthy snack.
For those following a low carb or ketogenic diet, don't fear, there are still plenty of healthy snacks that can help you keep on track and help you achieve that healthy lifestyle you wanted. Below are The Lemon Kitchen healthy Ketogenic and low carb snacks:
Hard boiled eggs - At only 70 calories an egg, 6g of protein and 5g of fat, it makes for a filling quick snack. Eat 2 or 3 of things things and you can easily get 12-18g of high quality protein to keep you fueled for a long period. And if you want to spice it up, you can top the eggs with everything bagel seasoning, tajin seasoning or just salt/pepper.
Olives - Comprised of healthy fats, low in calories and almost no carbs, these make for a great snack. Not only are they a staple of the renown Mediterranean Diet for it's health benefit, but it also makes for a quick healthy snack that can add a bit of sodium into your diet to help keep electrolytes balanced!
Beef Jerky - If you get the right brand, such as Epic, you can easily get 7-12g of protein at 160-200 calories per serving with almost no calories. What is best, you can easily store these health snacks in a bag, drawer at work or easily in your pocket.
Nuts (peanuts/almonds/macadamia nuts) - While you don't get a huge volume with this foods, they are loaded with healthy fats, protein and very little carbs. Not only do they make for a good salad or waffle topper, you can easily have these in a baggy read to go. Just be careful to weigh these foods out. It's very easy to get a lot of calories if you just grab handfuls.
Chicarones - If you know, you know! Pork rinds are a big staple in a ketogenic diet. What is nice about them, they are mostly fat and protein. Two simple servings (about ~28g) is 16g of protein, 1og of a fat and only 160 calories making this a protein packed healthy snack I eat regularly.
I hope you enjoy this quick list of healthy snacks form The Lemon Kitchen! These all can easily be incorporated into your daily routine. And don't feel that you can't mix and match these snacks. Just because you aren't following a low carb or Ketogenic diet, doesn't mean you can't eat those snacks.
Comments