Snack and No Weight Gain? Here’s How:

Here are 5 snacks from our guest editor Nik Toth that you can grab without putting on weight.

Yes, it is possible to snack without gaining weight. Photo: Numéro China November 2014

Ever find yourself feeling guilty about snacks you can’t say no to during the day? It’s the mid-afternoon 3pm energy slump and sugar cravings that derail many people from their clean eating regime.

With summer right around the corner, no one can afford snacks that don’t support their healthy routine. You’ll be surprised to know that snacking on the right foods can actually help you lose weight, as well as keep your hands out of the office cookie jar.

If you want to slim down and keep your energy levels stable throughout the day, it’s a good idea to incorporate small protein snacks mid-morning and mid-afternoon to keep your blood sugar levels stable and prevent you from overeating later.

Ideal snack options are those lower in carbs and higher in protein, as protein helps to keep you full and satisfied, which means you won’t feel the need for anything later. Eating this way can reduce the afternoon cravings, so you won’t be reaching for that piece of cake or coffee at 3pm.

Avoid consuming foods high in processed carbs, refined sugar and sodium, as these poor quality nutrients will only make you crave them more. Good quality snack options are quicker and easier than you’d imagine. Below are my favourite lean and easy protein-packed snack ideas that are healthy, guilt-free and will also satisfy your taste buds:

Supercharged Greek Yoghurt with Raspberries

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Greek yoghurt with raspberries

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup greek yogurt (use coconut yogurt for a vegan option)
  • 1 tbsp. vanilla protein
  • ⅓ cup raspberries

Method:

  1. Stir yogurt and protein together.
  2. Top with raspberries.

Tuna Filled Celery Sticks


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Tuna filled celery sticks

Ingredients:

  • 2 celery sticks
  • 95g tuna
  • 30g avocado (cubed)
  • ¼ onions (diced)
  • Cherry tomatoes for optional topping

Method:

  1. Combine tuna, avocado and onions in a bowl.
  2. Fill celery sticks with tuna mix.
  3. Top with lemon juice and pepper to taste.

Beetroot Hummus with Snow Peas

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Beetroot hummus with snow peas

Ingredients:

  • 8 shelled snow peas

For beetroot hummus:

  • 1 tin chickpeas
  • 1 small beetroot
  • 4 tbsp. tahini
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • ½ lemon juice
  • Salt, pepper, turmeric and a pinch of cumin to taste

Method:

  1. Place all beetroot hummus ingredients in a food processor and blend for one minute.
  2. Serve 2 tbsp. of hummus with snow peas. Refrigerate remaining hummus for later use.

Ricotta and Blueberry Protein Crepes

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Ricotta and blueberry protein crepes

Ingredients:

  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp. vanilla protein powder
  • 1 tbsp. coconut milk
  • 50g ricotta cheese or coconut yoghurt (vegan option)
  • Pinch of vanilla extract
  • Pinch of stevia

Method:

  1. Fry in a non-stick pan and fill with 50g of ricotta cheese or coconut yoghurt.
  2. Top with blueberries and cinnamon for improved blood sugar balance.

Green Protein Smoothie

smoothie
Green protein smoothie

Ingredients:

  • ½ avocado
  • 1 frozen banana
  • 1 cup spinach (fresh)
  • 20g vanilla protein powder
  • ½ cup almond milk (unsweetened)
  • 1 cup ice (and filtered water if needed)

Method:

  1. Blend all ingredients in a food processor.
  2. All done – it’s as simple as that!

 

You can find Nik at theleanbodycoach.com and @theleanbodycoach on Facebook and Instagram

Nik Toth

Nik Toth is the Lean Body Coach, a nutritionist, personal trainer and wellness coach based in Bondi. Originally from Hungary, Nik’s journey to wellness certainly wasn’t easy. After years of leading an unhealthy lifestyle in Budapest and then as a VIP host in Las Vegas, Nik turned her life around when she fell in love with an Aussie during her travels and had a miracle visit to a naturopath, who cured their ailments with food alone. She ended up moving countries for the third time and found herself studying nutritional medicine in Sydney – and the rest is history. When she’s not helping women transform their bodies, Nik loves travelling and spending time in “health-conscious” Bondi. Above all, she dreams of “inspiring and touching as many lives as possible and changing people’s thoughts about food and their relationships with their bodies.”

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