20 Low calorie snacks to send that extra weight packing!

If you’re trying to cut down on calories you may find yourself having some trouble between meals. Here are some of our favourite quick and easy snack options.

Lowering your calorie intake and pumping up your exercise routine is guaranteed to leave you pretty darn hungry, with a few hours to go until dinner. What do you do? Well, starve or snack? And believe it or not, you and your metabolism will be happier with the latter. Depriving your body when it is hungry is more likely to make your body cling to those extra pounds rather than shed them. This does not authorize you to grab a bag of potato chips and go to town, rather, it should inspire you to seek out healthy, fulfilling, low cal snacks like these!

Less Than 50 Calories

4 Stalks of Celery and 2 Tablespoons Salsa
A stalk of celery contains about 5 calories. If the mild taste of celery doesn’t do much to fill you up or excite you, pair it with 2 tablespoons of an all-natural salsa to give it a more substantial flavor.

1 Cup of Naked Popcorn
If fruits and veggies just don’t cut it, you can enjoy 1 cup of popcorn with no butter or oil added guilt free! If the plain popcorn flavor is a little bland for you, add sea salt and fresh ground pepper for a snack with a fuller flavor.

Bell Peppers
For a spicy sweet snack that is crunchy, juicy and altogether extremely satisfying, eat bell peppers. A medium sized red pepper, two medium sized green peppers and one extra large yellow pepper equal 50 calories.

Broccoli and Cauliflower
For a low calorie snack that packs a crunch, without punching a hole in your diet, try bringing up to 2 cups raw cauliflower, broccoli or a mix of the two along with you for either just before or after your workout.

Dill Pickles
If you’re someone who needs salty snacks to feel satisfied, tried munching on some dill pickles when you’re hungry! Juicy, flavor packed, and easy to grab and go, dill pickles contain about 5 calories per spear.

50 – 100 Calories

2 Tablespoons of Hummus and 6 Salks of Celery
Hummus is a super healthy, protein packed snack that will give you staying power. The real problem with hummus is that most people eat it with chips – that will certainly undo your efforts. You can have a serving of hummus with celery instead, all for under 100 calories.

Fruit Cup
Try to find an all-natural fruit cup that doesn’t rely on high fructose corn syrup as a sweetener. One way to ensure that you are getting all of want and none of what you don’t need, make your own: slice an apple, orange, banana, pear, whatever you like.

Pudding
A single serving cup of low fat and low sugar varieties, as well as the richer, mousse style puddings are a great way to battle a sweet tooth while staying true to your weight loss plan.

Yogurt
Check your favorite flavors and brands; low fat yogurt ranges from 60 calories to about 120. A quick and easy way to get the yogurt you love with fewer calories is to start with plain yogurt and add your own fruit or a few nuts.

¼ cup of Dried Mixed Fruit
Dried fruits are a fun and healthy finger food packed with iron.

100 -150 Calories

10 Chocolate Covered Pretzels 
Chocolate covered pretzels are a great way to quell that chocolate craving while filling up on the carbs in the pretzels. See? You can stay healthy, lose weight and continue to enjoy chocolate.

1 Trail Mix Style Granola Bar
A trail mix style granola bar is chock full of nuts and fruit! Sweet, salty, crunchy; they’re simply delicious!

10 Whole Wheat Pita Chips
Pita chips are filling and crunchy, which helps you feel satisfied when snacking on them. And given that they’re whole wheat, you’re getting whole grains, rather than those made from white processed flour, which has little nutritional value.

1 Hardboiled Egg and 5 Rice Crackers
A hardboiled egg is a great source of protein and is easy to eat on the go. Boil half a dozen at the beginning of the week so you have them ready to go. Add hot sauce for some kick (add 15 calories).

1 Whole Grapefruit with 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
You can eat a whole grapefruit and get an incredibly yummy snack, as well as an awesome boost of vitamin C.

150 – 200 Calories

6 oz. Cottage Cheese
This tasty snack is low in calories and rich in calcium. But be mindful of serving size. It is easy to scoop more than you need and easily tip the 200 calories into more.

½ Whole Wheat Bagel with 1 Tablespoon Reduced Fat Cream Cheese 
Hearty, carbo-loaded, and filling, this may be your most satisfying options for under 200 calories.

4 Squares Dove Dark Chocolate
These are not only packed with heart-healthy antioxidants, but also one of the tastiest and most indulgent snacks for under 200 calories. Excuse me a moment, while I go eat some. Yum!

4 oz. Canned Tuna
Tuna is a great grab and go snack.  It is available in re-sealable snack pouches. Jam packed with protein and omega 3s, you really can’t go wrong with tuna.

1 Apple and 2 Tablespoons of Almond Butter
This is a great compromise if you’re one of those people who loves peanut butter, because just 2 tablespoons alone can run you up to 190 Calories.  Eat a whole apple with 2 tablespoons of almond butter for a comparable flavor and a whole lot more snack.

There you go. Numerous snacks to keep the hunger at bay and give you the added energy needed now that you are working out.

*Republished with permission from Health-Local.com