8 Best Snacks for Weight Loss To Keep You on Track

It can be difficult to navigate the world of healthy snacks on your journey to losing weight. And "difficult" might even be an understatement!

Most magazines may lead you to believe that snacking is strictly off limits. But what if we told you that you could enjoy your snacks all while keeping your sanity and curbing the cravings?

You’ve already won half the battle by making the commitment to losing weight, so let’s help you the rest of the way towards success.

In this article, the team at Youtopia breaks down what it means to snack during your weight loss journey, whether you should give up snacking, and why the feelings you have towards your diet are okay.

Best of all, we also break down the 8 best snacks for weight loss that we have found on our own weight loss journeys.

The short answer: nope :)

There's a lot of misinformation out there that has led some people believe that they have to give up all snacks to lose weight. The fear is that snacks become this "forbidden fruit" that, eventually, will cause you to abandon your diet in favor of the cravings.

Food is one of the great joys in life, and removing all snacks is the number one reason why traditional, restrictive diets don’t work.

You don’t have to give up snacks to lose weight, but it is important to make healthier choices about the snacks you do eat.

There are four rules to live by when you are trying to lose weight:

1. Eat in proper portion sizes

2. Eat when you are hungry, not because you're bored

3. Make healthier snack choices.

4. Choose regular exercise and better sleep

Eating proper portions is a key part of losing weight. Not many people know how to appropriately portion their meals (or snacks), but getting single-portion sized snack packs can help take the guesswork out of the equation.

Single-portion snack packs also give you the option to take a snack easily on the go as well, making it just as easy as other snacks to bring with you to work or out on errands.

Eating "intuitively" (i.e. when your body is telling you it needs nourishment and you're actually hungry, not just bored) is another important step in losing weight as well, and healthy snacks are an excellent way to help tide your hunger over until your next meal. If you skip meals or wait too long to eat, your body will store more fat, as it recognizes it is not getting food when it needs it.

This fat-storing is a genetic mechanism meant to improve survival back when humans had to forage for food. This meant that, even if you didn’t find enough berries for the whole tribe, the extra fat stores would help to keep you going, giving you a chance to find more food.

Of course, today, we don’t need to forage, and junk food is in abundance, which makes us pursue fat loss diets in the first place.

In addition to portion control and eating intuitively, by skipping the potato chips and choosing a healthier alternative (such as kale chips) you're giving yourself a better chance at sticking to your diet. Curb the cravings and allow yourself some crunchy flavor. You’ll be glad you did, and you’ll be less likely to cave when you come face to face with that junk food temptation.

And the last two pieces of the puzzle, regular exercise and better sleep, are vital in losing weight. To lose fat, you need to create a calorie deficit - i.e. burn more calories than you take in. By eating high protein, high fiber snacks with complex carbs to fuel your workouts, you'll be able to create that deficit!

At the end of the day, a good night’s rest can help you process the calories you ate throughout the day and help you burn fat – that’s right, if you take the right steps, you can burn fat while you sleep!

At Youtopia Snacks, we are happy to provide a wholesome, nutritional snack that curbs cravings with perfect portion control and macronutrient composition, making our snack packs one of the best snacks for weight loss.

Don’t believe it works? We believe in you!

Try including snacking in your weight loss journey for a week. You will be amazed to see how your body feels after a week of satisfying your sweet tooth without the guilt, curbing cravings and making healthier choices for your body.

Short answer: yep!

Food can be a tiring subject on your weight loss journey. There’s so much talk about what you can't eat, what isn't good for you, and what you should avoid eating. Of course, it's difficult to give up a "forbidden" food forever, but the repetitiveness of what you "shouldn't" have makes you feel that much more guilty about eating it. . . causing you to resent your diet and continue eating – albeit guiltily – the very foods you were told to avoid!

It’s a dangerous cycle, and with so much negativity surrounding the foods you shouldn’t eat, no one spends the time to discuss foods that will help you on your weight loss journey. Of course, just because one thing is as healthy as another thing doesn’t mean it will help you lose weight. (1) There are certain types of healthy snacks that will help you along the way.

“Not all calories are created equal. Different foods go through different metabolic pathways in your body. They can have vastly different effects on your hunger, hormones, and the number of calories you burn.”

-Kris Gunnars, BSc

The best snacks for weight loss are foods that will help provide your body with healthy nutrients and keep you running at peak performance. These foods help you lose weight by stimulating the metabolism and providing nutrition for when you need to expend it.

Of course, all foods will stimulate the metabolism to some degree, but certain foods are known to have a larger impact. Chili peppers, for example, stimulate digestion and increase how much food your body converts into energy for up to a half hour after eating it. For those thirty minutes, your body will be trying to increase how many nutrients it gets out of the food, rather than storing excess calories that you don’t need. Chili peppers also raise your body temperature. The difference is slight and temporary, but eating a meal or snack with hot peppers will help you burn more calories during your workout.

It is important to note that weight loss does not naturally happen without burning calories. If you want to lose weight, the right foods are critical, but you still need to add regular exercise and sleep into the mix.

If you are looking to encourage weight loss with the help of snacks, you might be surprised to learn that nuts, Omega-3 fish oil, yogurt, eggs, coconut oil, and split peas are all excellent choices to reach for. Chili peppers or other spicy foods are an excellent choice if you prefer something with a kick.

Unfortunately, yes.

Just like there are the best snacks for weight loss, the worst snacks for weight loss loom on the other side of the grocery aisle. These snacks will tempt you into breaking your diet to reach for the bag of potato chips, but you know better; you know that there are snacks that can help you feel great, rather than trading temporary satisfaction for subsequent sluggishness.

It's not widely known, but it's important to mention that there's a VERY big difference between healthy fats and bad fats. The distinction isn't obvious unless you know what you're looking at on the nutrition label.

Unsaturated, healthy fats provide your body with the fuel it needs to keep going, and your brain needs these healthy fats to keep you at peak mental performance. Some good sources of healthy fats include Omega-3 fish oil, nuts, and avocados. These will help keep you feeling light and healthy and help curb cravings without the guilt.

Of course, your life is busy, and you need something on the go. If you can’t eat snacks that require refrigeration, opt for snacks that are easy to bring with you. Kale chips, mixed nuts, Youtopia😉, and similar snacks are great alternative that will keep you eating healthy no matter where you are.

Bad fats, on the other hand, will make you feel sluggish and encourage your body to store fat for a rainy day. These bad fats include trans fats and saturated fats, often found in meat products and greasy junk foods.

Healthier snacking will absolutely help you on your journey towards weight loss, but choosing healthier snacks is only a part of it. You will also find that portion sizes, eating more mindfully, and making your choices flavorful will help move you towards success. (2)

There is something to be said about eating the right amount of food – not too much, and not too little. This is a delicate balance between satisfying your hunger and keeping yourself from feeling bogged down and sluggish before a meal.

Portion control isn’t about restricting what you’re eating to small bite-size pieces each meal. Portion control is about eating the right amount of food for your body, keeping your nutrition in check and keeping your cravings managed.

After portion control, mindful eating takes the stage. Most everyone tries to snack while they are distracted by something else, and this often leads to over-snacking.

Think about the last time you had a bowl of popcorn while you were watching a movie. The snack was great, but it was gone too quickly!

You didn’t have more popcorn than usual, but your brain was distracted, and your mouth is happy chewing away at whatever tasty snack you’re eating. Eating more mindfully is as simple as pacing how often you eat and savoring every bite a little bit more.

“Eating anything slowly gives your brain, hormones, and stomach time to coordinate a message of fullness.”

Melanie Haiken

• •  
  • Often overlooked, drinking water is an important part of snacking and will keep you hydrated and full longer. If you’re not keen on drinking plain water, however, herbal tea is a great way to add a bit of excitement to the drink. Grab a thermos and drop in a tea bag.
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• You can steep tea in hot or cold water, whatever temperature you prefer to drink, and keeping it in a easy-to-clean thermos will encourage you to take the tea on the go.

There are several foods that can help aid you on your weight loss journey, but a few convenient options will help keep you on track when cravings tempt you away. The absolute best snacks are going to be the snacks that you feel best eating without guilt, and that is individual to you. These are some snacks we have found help snack-fanatics curb cravings while also being super conventient.

Yogurt

Yogurt is high in protein and healthy fats, and will help keep your body satiated when you are running on empty. You can add additional snacks in with your yogurt, such as berries, granola, or oatmeal to add a little extra flavor and energy.

Protein Bars

Protein bars are a life-saver on the go, keeping your energy up on to the go and satisfying your sweet tooth. Be careful about what type of protein bars you get, as these snacks are not made equal. We recommend looking at the nutritional facts and finding a bar that is low in sugar.

Snack Packs

Snack packs are perfect for keeping your portion control in check, and there are so many options to choose from. At Youtopia Snacks, our snack packs provide mouth-watering flavor, a satisfying crunch, and keep you going in-between meals or on the go.

Popcorn

Popcorn is a safe snack to eat on your weight loss journey. Unfortunately, the butter that comes with most popcorn is not such a great snack. Look for plain popcorn bags or apply your own seasonings. Popped popcorn provides an easy snack where a microwave might not be available, but unpopped popcorn is easy to toss in your bag and go.  

You've made healthier meal choices, started drinking more water, began a workout routine and you are getting more sleep. Congratulations! You are well on your way to burning fat like a weight loss star.

If you find yourself stuck on the weight loss journey, the timing of your snacks may be the culprit that is keeping your fat burning at a stand-still. Eating healthy snacks at certain times of day can help your lose weight (3) and keep you on track to your fat burning goals.

“Timing meals and snacks to fit within 10-12 hours, such as between 6am and 6pm, may help promote weight loss as well as decrease cardiovascular risk.”

-Summit Medical Group

We recommend planning your meals ahead. Listen to your body when it is hungry but stay away from heavy meals in the evening and try not to snack two hours before you go to sleep.

There is some evidence that eating right before bed can cause an increased risk of certain health problems, but your body is also more likely to store the extra nutrients as fat, since your metabolism slows down during sleep.

Most people don’t have time to cook in the mornings, however. Your morning routine might be a quick sequence of waking up, getting ready, and going to work. You can save time during the day by packing lunch or making breakfast the night before, giving you the option to “grab-n-go” in the morning while keeping your snacking options free.