While everyone
needs some healthy fat in
their body on a daily basis for proper body functioning, it’s
not the kind of fat found in most snacks.
Low fat snacks
are a great
way to cut down on the unhealthy stuff in your diet.
Do you love chips and dip? Great! You can
have some:
Cut pita bread into wedges, and separate the
two layers. Bake on a cookie sheet for a few minutes until they are
crisp. Make a great dip with nonfat sour cream, a Tablespoon of nonfat
mayonnaise, and a packet of dry salad dressing mix (your choice of
flavor!).
For an even easier low fat dip, grab a jar
of salsa at the
grocery store! The salad dressing mix is also a fabulous dip for cut up
veggies. If you’re not a big fan of raw veggies, make a goal
to try a new one each week.
Don’t just try them once. Give
yourself three to five tastings (on different days), and eat the whole
serving. You may be surprised as to what grows on you!
What about low fat snacks with more variety?
Well, be wary of snack foods at the store that are specifically
marketed as low fat.
Usually, these snacks have added sugars or
sweeteners to make up for the missing flavor. The thing is, taking out
fat doesn’t always have to mean reduced flavor! There are
tons of things you can eat that are low in fat and high in flavor!
If you need a bit of protein during the day,
get some of the frozen soy burgers in the healthy food freezer at the
grocery store. Cook them in the microwave and melt fat-free or low fat
cheese on top with a little shake of spices. This is a healthy protein
that provides a longer-lasting pick-me-up than sugar or caffeine.
Of course, you really can’t go
wrong with fresh fruit as a low fat snacks option. Stay away from fruit
juices, though – although they’re low fat, they are
very high in natural (and usually added) sugars and are really empty
calories. You’ll be hungry in just a few minutes!