Here Are 8 Healthy Snacks To Fill You Without Gaining Weight

Dr. Ingrid van Heerden has put together a list of eight easy-to-make snacks that are both healthy and filling for people on the go.

The basic principles of keeping your blood sugar levels steady and preventing hunger pangs are:

1. Use high-fibre or low-GI bread;
2. Combine your carbs with a serving of protein;
3. Use legumes and nuts to stabilize your blood sugar levels;
4. Low-fat milk and dairy products are high in protein;
5. Deciduous and citrus fruit and berries are low-GI

Here are eight healthy and yummy snack ideas:

1 Wholewheat or Low-GI bread & crunchy peanut butter, jam/honey, & sliced banana

• High-fibre and low-GI carbohydrates combined with the protein and monounsaturated fats in peanut butter keep blood sugar levels steady for longer.
• Add 1 teaspoon of jam or honey and sliced banana to make a tasty snack.

2 Tuna, sweetcorn & apple roll

• Combine drained, flaked tuna with creamed sweetcorn, a chopped apple and a dash of mayonnaise and chutney.
• Eat with one or two wholewheat or low-GI rolls.
• The tuna protein, maize kernels, chopped apple and the low-GI carbohydrate will keep you feeling full for longer.
• Research indicates that individuals who eat fish at least twice a week have a lower incidence of heart disease.

3 Boiled egg, ham, tomato, gherkin & Feta salad

• Cut hard-boiled egg into slices, mix with chopped ham, tomato wedges, gherkin slices, Feta cubes and fresh lettuce.
• Add lite salad dressing or balsamic vinegar.
• Egg, ham and Feta protein are all low-GI foods and the salad dressing or balsamic vinegar also lowers the GI of the meal.
• Tomatoes are rich in lycopene which may protect against prostate and other cancers.

4 Grilled chicken wraps & pineapple

• Fill wholewheat wraps with grilled, cubed skinless chicken breasts, lettuce, tomato, onion, and fresh pineapple chunks.
• Add a 50:50 lite mayo-low-fat yogurt dressing and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• The chicken protein and the dressing are low GI foods that will stave off hunger pangs.
• Use low- or fat-free yogurt to make tasty dressings with a low kJ content.

5 Pita filled & canned or cooked curried beans, salsa, & grated cheese

• Pack wholewheat pitas with canned curried beans, a salsa made with chopped tomato, onions and sweet peppers and top with 1 tablespoon of grated cheese.
• Add chutney if desired.
• Beans are high in protein and fiber and when combined with cheese they make a wholesome meal.
• Combining plant protein and protein derived from animals (such as cheese or fish or lean meat) provides us with the complete protein we need to build new tissue.

6 Vegetarian treat Bulgarian yogurt & chopped dried fruit, nuts and honey

• Mix 2 tablespoons of chopped dried fruit (apricots, dates, figs, etc) and 2 tablespoons of chopped nuts into a tub of Bulgarian yogurt and drizzle with honey.
• Plain yogurt (use low-fat if you are slimming) is credited as being one of the foods that promote longevity.
• The high-fiber fruit and the protein in the yogurt and the nuts make a satisfying meal for lacto-vegetarians.
• Plain Bulgarian yogurt (use low-fat if you are slimming) is credited as being one of the foods that promote longevity in populations in the Balkans and the Caucasus region.

7 Date & cottage cheese sandwiches & a pear & berry salad

• Chop 2-3 tablespoons of fresh dates and mix into a tub of plain low-fat cottage cheese.
• Eat together with a large pear and a small container of fresh, mixed berries.
• Dates have been used by nomadic people for their hunger-preventing properties for centuries.
• When combined with the protein of cottage cheese and a deciduous fruit and berries which are also low GI, this meal will keep you going till supper time.
• Berries are a good source of vitamin C and phytonutrients that protect us against degenerative diseases.

8 Meat & crunchy veg salad

• Chop cooked, lean, left-over meat into bite-sized cubes and mix with strips of sweet pepper, celery and carrot sticks, olives or gherkins and add a 50:50 avo-yogurt dressing (mix equal quantities of ripe avocado, low-fat yogurt, and add salt and pepper to season).
• The meat, vegetables, olives and the dressing are all low-GI foods which help to prevent sugar-lows.
• Avocado is rich in monounsaturated fat which increases 'good' HDL-cholesterol and lowers 'bad' LDL-cholesterol.

Source: health24.com