Your stomach is growling, but it’s nowhere near mealtime. If you’re looking for snacks that will fill you up without bulking you up, the key is to pick foods that are high in protein, fiber and water content. Here are 30 great ideas for healthy snacks that will fill you up.
Pump up the protein
A recent study published in the May 2011 edition of the online journal Obesity showed that higher protein intake led to greater satiety, or feeling of fullness, throughout the day. Increased protein consumption also led to decreased appetite both late at night and in the morning, compared with a normal protein diet.
Here are some high-protein snack ideas to fill you up between meals:
- Cottage cheese with fruit
- Almond butter on apple slices, drizzled with honey
- Oatmeal with banana slices
- Protein bars
- Hard-boiled egg whites
- Edamame
- String cheese rolled up in deli turkey meat
- Plain Greek yogurt sprinkled with almonds
- Hummus with celery sticks
- A handful of raw unsalted almonds
Learn why you should go for the protein at breakfast, too >>
Fill up with fiber
Fiber-rich foods are digested slowly, so they keep you full longer. According to the Mayo Clinic, in addition to keeping you full, fiber promotes good health by keeping you regular and lowering your risk of diabetes and heart disease. Be sure to drink plenty of water to aid in fiber digestion.
Great high-fiber snack choices include:
- Dry high-fiber cereal
- Whole-wheat tortilla spread with peanut butter and banana
- Whole-grain crackers and soft wedge cheese
- Whole-wheat toast with ricotta cheese, cinnamon and raisins
- Instant oatmeal
- Fresh raspberries and strawberries
- Popcorn (buy plain kernels and pop in a brown lunch sack in the microwave)
- Sunflower seeds
- Sliced apples with peanut butter
- Homemade fiber bar
Read more about the health benefits of dietary fiber >>
Eat your water
Foods with low energy densities also make excellent snacks. Low-energy-density foods contain fewer calories spread over a greater volume of food – and typically contain a much higher water content. High-energy-density foods pack a lot of calories into a smaller amount of food and typically are lower in water content. So basically, with low-energy-density foods, you get to eat more food while consuming fewer calories. Fruits, vegetables and broth-based soups are all great snack choices with low energy density.
Go ahead and fill up on these water-packed snacks:
- Watermelon cubes
- Cantaloupe wedges
- Garden salad with tomato slices
- Orange slices
- Apricots
- Blueberries
- Pineapples
- Celery sticks
- Fruit smoothies
- Broth-based vegetable soup
Learn more reasons why high-water-content foods are so good for you >>
DIY granola bars
How to make homemade healthy granola bars
These low-cal, low-fat, high-fiber granola bars are the perfect snack with no preservatives and lots of good stuff all in one bar. Make them your own and add in whatever you want.
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