Low Calorie Snacks That Help You Stick To Your Diet

There is a great side effect to diet pills: they will often curb your appetite.  And having a suppressed appetite when trying to stick to a strict 1,200 calorie diet can e a life saver.  After all, you are only allowed 400 calories per meal.  But what do you do on Wednesday afternoon at 3:00 PM when you are sitting at your desk working on a project for the boss and your blood sugar is on a free fall?

The problem with many diets are the dietary restrictions and people’s ability to stay within the allotted number of daily calories.  When you are trying to stay between 300 and 500 calories per meal the quality of your food becomes more important than the quantity.  Foods high in protein will help satisfy for a longer period of time than those full of sugar and carbohydrates.  Become aware of the protein content of the food you are consuming.

Here is a quick Protein guide:

First, determine the MINIMUM amount of protein you need to consume on a daily basis.  To determine this amount take you total body weight and multiply it by .37.  Therefore if I weighed 140 pounds I would multiply that number by .37, so – 140 (lbs) X .37 = 51.8 grams of protein per day.  Remember that this number is ONLY the MINIMUM amount of protein that should be ingested each and every day.  If you feel tired or sluggish be sure your dietary protein levels are high enough.

If you are eating adequate amounts of protein and are still feeling hungry, tired or sluggish around the same time every day then have a healthy snack.  A snack will help to hold you over until your next scheduled meal.  Just make sure that it is a healthy snack.

Here are some healthy snacking ideas:

Low Calorie Snack Options

Food	Serving	Calories
Popcorn	1 mini bag	110
Almonds	1 oz. (28 pieces)	170
Peanuts	1 oz.	160
Nonfat Cottage Cheese	1/2 cup	90
Hummus	5 Talespoons	100
Sunsweet Dried Plums	5 Plums	100
V8	8 oz.	50
Quaker Chewy Bars	1 Bar	100
Campbells Soup at Hand	1 container	60
Raisins	1/4 cup	130
Nonfat Yogurt	6 oz.	160
Tuna Salad	1/2 cup	200
String Cheese	1 stick	80

Additional Snacking Ideas Under 100 Calories Include:

• 2 teaspoons of chocolate syrup in coffee
• 1/2 cup fat free ice cream
• 1/4 cup ranch dressing and 1 cup of veggies
• 6 saltine crackers with 2 teaspoons peanut butter
• 1/2 cup low fat vanilla pudding with 2 crumbled vanilla wafers and cool whip
• small potato with 1/2 cup salsa and 2 tablespoons nonfat sour cream
• 1 rice cake with fat free sour cream and 1 Tablespoon blue cheese

Perhaps you indulge on a snack that you think is low in calories, when in fact it is not.  Here is a list of 5 foods that are probably more fattening than you think:

Five foods that are commonly believed to be low in calories

Food	Calories	Fat
Large soft pretzel	483	4.4 g
Chef Salad with 2 oz. 1000 island dressing	860	61 g
Blueberry Muffin (medium)	444	21.7 g
Turkey, bacon, avacado club	660	38.5 g
Mixed, dry-roasted nuts	814	70.5 g

Remember that proteins are harder for the stomach to digest than carbohydrates and processed foods, therefore you are likely to feel tired do to all of the activity in your mid section.  When you consume a lot of protein you are actually giving your digestive system a bit of a workout.  This can cause sleepiness and tiredness as well.  If your blood sugar is low and you need a boost mixed nuts are always an option, but so is a scoop of peanut butter or a small glass of orange juice.  These are immediate solutions that you can employ without ruining your diet.

Being at a good weight is important, but so is your overall health.  Never put yourself in any danger if you have health issues or are not performing at your best just in order to stick to a dietregimen.  There are many diets on today’s diet market that work.  If your current diet program is too taxing perhaps it is time to look around for another with different guidelines that will suit your lifestyle much better.