There are only so many extra calories the body can take before it adds them on as unwanted fat.Even if you’re eating perfectly healthy meals and putting in your time at the gym, if your snacking is out of control, results will be disappointing.How to avoid the ìsnack trap:îCalories count: Even when snacking on healthy food, keep track of how many calories you’re taking in. Almonds are healthy, but if you down 800 extra calories in almonds you’ll quickly gain weight.Fill up on protein and fat: A lot of well-meaning people are still afraid of fat. They think if their snack is high in fat then it will end up on their body as fat. This is simply not true. Healthy fat, such as avocado or almonds, is a wonderful thing to snack on as it fills you up and keeps you full longer. Just donít overindulge.)Avoid sugar calories: Sugar is an awful thing to snack on when weight loss is the goal. Refined sugar is a catalyst for fat storage, so avoid any snack that contains sugar. Remember that eating sugar will satiate your hunger for a short period of time, and then you’ll quickly be hungry again.Don’t be fooled by 100-calorie packs: A popular marketing technique is to package junk food into 100-calorie packs: crackers, cookies, chips ñ basically any guilty snack food. The premise is that since itís only 100 calories, the snack is healthy. Sorry, but eating 100 calories of junk food is not a healthy snack. You are better off avoiding the junk completely and eating something wholesome.Use the ‘Is it real’ test: As a rule of thumb, use the “Is it real?” test when deciding if a snack is worth eating. The test is simple: If your snack can go bad, then it’s good for you. If your snack can’t go bad, then it’s bad for you. The idea is to eat fresh, real foods that are unprocessed and wholesome. Real foods are naturally filled with fiber, vitamins and minerals and will assist in achieving your fitness goals.Avoid refined carbohydrates: Processed and refined carbohydrates make up the bulk of popular snack foods. Most foods in the snack aisle at the grocery store are made with grains. When your goal is to lose weight and increase lean muscle, eating refined grains works against you. If you only take one tip away from this article, let it be to remove grain-based snacks from your life. This single change could very well recharge your weight loss.Five fitness snacks:1. Hard-boiled egg and sliced veggies2. Sliced apple and almond butter3. Natural, low sodium jerky4. Seasonal berries with 1/4 cup of almonds5. A bag of homemade kale chips; see recipe belowRECIPE OF THE MONTHGuilt-Free Kale Chip SnackSalty, crunchy snack foods are a weakness for most people. Instead of eating chips or popcorn or crackers, which quickly add up in unwanted pounds, make a batch of these delicious, crunchy kale chips. Kale chips are low in carbs and make a delicious crunchy snack.Servings: 5Here’s what you need:1 bunch kale, washed and torn, stems discarded1 Tablespoon olive oilDash of salt and pepper1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.2. In a large bowl mix the kale pieces with all of the ingredients.3. Spread evenly on foil-lined baking sheets.4. Bake for 12 minutes, watching closely that they do not burn. Remove from oven when crispy.Nutritional Analysis: 51 calories, 3g fat, 68mg sodium, 5g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 2g protein
