Low Calorie Snacks to Fuel Your Day
What you eat matters when trying to lose weight. You might have heard how important it is to eat small meals throughout the day. Eating frequently (aout every 3 hours) helps keep your metabolism running efficiently. You’ll feel more satisfied, eat less, and hopefully lose more weight. But coming up with low calorie snack ideas for mid-morning and afternoon snacks can sometimes be difficult.
Need some low 150-200 calorie snacks to fuel your day? We have put together some ideas for you. Take a look at our low calorie snacks and 100 calorie snack ideas because what you eat matters.
Low Calorie Snacks
Microwave popcorn is a great low calorie snack if you need to take off the edge after dinner. It only packs a whopping 40 calories per cup without butter.
A couple of my other favorite low calorie snacks are oranges and strawberries. One medium orange has about 60 calories while a cup of sliced strawberries only has about 50 calories.
100 Calorie Snack Ideas
Read labels when you are buying bread products. I like to bring home bread, english muffins, and bagel thins that have about 50 calories per slice. When I need a snack, I can toast a piece and top is with a thin layer of sugar free jam or just a taste of peanut butter and have a filling low calorie snack.
Low calorie fruits that are around 100 calories include apples, bananas and grapes. One medium apple has about 90 calories, a medium banana has about 110 and a cup of grapes has around 120 calories.
When you are looking for low calorie snacks, it still matters what you eat. Stay away from the sugary and salty 100 calorie snack packs that are popular these days. Instead, try one of adding protein like string cheese (70-110 calories), tuna in water (50 calories in 2oz, about 1/2 can) plus six wheat thins (about 50 calories), or salmon (60 calories in 2 oz, about 1/2 can) plus six wheat thins (about 50 calories).
150-200 Calorie Snack Ideas
Peanut butter is at the top of my list for a low calorie snack that’s less than 200 calories. It’s important to measure out peanut better, however, because it’s easy to way overestimate the serving size. 2 tablespoons of peanut butter has between 170-200 calories depending on the brand. For a lower calorie snack, try just a spoon of peanut butter.
I also like to combine a couple of lower calorie snacks when I want a snack that has between 150-200 calories. For example, I might slice up and apple and eat it mid-morning with a piece of string cheese.
In the afternoon, I like to eat nuts. Like peanut butter, it’s imperative that you measure out nuts because it’s easy to eat hundreds of calories mindlessly. One ounce of almonds has 170 while one ounce of walnuts has 190. So, how much is one ounce? It’s 2 tablespoons or maybe a more visual depiction is it’s a one half of a shot glass.
For a mid-morning low calorie snack in this caloric range, I like to mix cottage cheese and Dannon Light & Fit Fat Free Vanilla Yogurt. One cup of fat free cottage cheese has 160 calories while the yogurt will have about 90 calories in 6 oz. I mix about 1/2 cup of each which makes my snack about 140 calories.
Shakeology can be used a meal replacement, but it also makes a great low calorie snack. I love the chocolate Shakeology blended with ice. It tastes like a Wendy’s Frosty but only has 150 calories. And since I know what I eat matters, I don’t feel guilty when I add this one as a snack!
Protein bars and meal replacement bars also make good snacks but make sure you use bars that have at least 10 grams of protein. I like the P90X Protein Bars, but they have 240 calories. Sometimes, I use them for a meal replacement when I’m having a hectic day on the run. Other times, I break one in half and have it as a snack with only 120 calories or add a spoon of peanut butter with it for about another hundred.
What You Eat Matters
What you eat matters. Although the purpose of the post was to provide you with some low calorie snack ideas, calories alone should not guide your decisions. It is easy to find 100 calorie packs of processed chips, cookies, and other empty calorie snacks that do not fuel your body.
Choose foods that provide good nutrition and stabilize your blood sugars to reduce cravings. Adding protein helps your body stay satisfied until your next meal. Eating only raw vegetables may become boring, and you may get hungry before it’s time to eat again. Fruit makes a good snack because of the natural sugars (instant energy) and fiber. Mix it up. Keep it interesting, but always remember what you eat matters, how much matters, and how often you eat matters.
Get Free Shakeology Samples
Beachbody Workouts
Shakeology
Beachbody Coach
You Are What You Eat
Related Posts
