Any diet can be more successful with satisfying snacks

Hear that chorus of howls coming from kitchens across America? Those wails of despair are coming from the legions of dieters peering into their loaded refrigerators?modern appliances bulging with foodstuffs off limits because of too much fat, too much sugar and too much salt.

 

The kitchen holds a bounty of diet snacks that can help one stay strong in the resolution to do a little something for the body. The desire to lose five pounds?or 50?is a yearning shared by millions of Americans. But Americans are busy people. They eat on the go.

They fly through the portals of fast-food joints. They stave off their hunger pangs with handfuls of chips and cookies. They inspect their teeth for the remains of chocolate, instead of spinach. But there is hope. The kitchen, the office and the car, too, can become reservoirs of satisfaction when delicious diet snacks are a part of the scene.

Diet snacks to enjoy at home

Open that refrigerator again. And don’t scream. Take a calm, quiet look at the shelves and the fruit drawer and the meat compartment. Peek into the freezer. If all you see is space, go shopping. But this time, shop smart. Refrain from purchasing junk food. Consider sampling a variety of wonderful fruits by treating yourself to a gourmet fruit basket or a box of golden Florida citrus.

Stock that refrigerator with healthy products that will bring you closer to success with each bite. Buy carrots and celery but don’t chance ignoring them if it’s their preparation that will keep them in the bin. Go ahead and slice up an ample amount, all at one time. Stand them up in a glass of water. They will make a satisfying diet snack if they’re handy and ready to eat.

Everyone knows that fruit is better than lunchmeat. But if you think fruit is boring, try changing the way you eat it. Slice oranges horizontally and watch how easy the segments separate from the rind. Pluck grapes or ripe, juicy strawberries from their stems and wash the whole batch at the same time. Have some fun. You can grow tomatoes year round via an intriguing hanging basket gizmo.

Cut those apples into thin slices, sprinkle with cinnamon and give them a quick flip in a skillet sprayed with butter-flavored, low-cal cooking spray. The aroma and the flavor are worth the extra effort?and you have passed a pleasant 10 minutes anticipating the result, rather than demolishing 17 cookies.

 

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Consider water to be a valuable diet snack

Drink a glass of water about 20 minutes before eating. Experts agree that people often mistake hunger for thirst. A refreshing glass of water oftentimes will satisfy the urge to put something to the lips and swallow. Some say the ritual of raising a loaded spoon and enveloping its cargo with the lips is a primitive pleasure harkening back to the days of breast feeding or bottle feeding. An attempt to reconstruct that subconscious ritual?using calorie-free, crystal clear water instead of something fattening?will go far toward ensuring a successful diet.

Encourage increased water use by making it handy in various places throughout the house. Leave a glass out on the counter. Take a bottle up to your desk. Place an insulated container near your favorite armchair. Sometimes, a trip to the refrigerator is what prevents spontaneous indulgence of water. A sudden impulse to enjoy a cool drink can be too easily squelched if you have to interrupt what you’re doing at the moment. Make it easy. Keep it handy.

Use nutritious fillers to add volume to foods

There’s nothing like a cheese omelet, according to lots of discouraged dieters. An egg or two scrambled in butter and topped with a few slices of cheese?at 100 calories each?puts some folks in heaven. But an omelet can be demolished with just a few bites. Then what? The taste is remembered but the experience is an empty one. You’ve squandered lots of calories on something that took just a couple minutes to consume. You’re not full. You’re disappointed.

Eggs are something that can be added to with numerous fillers that increase bulk and satisfaction. Try adding onions, bean sprouts, red bell peppers, green bell peppers or rounds of cooked carrots. Slice the veggies in chunks that are not too small. Chewing satisfaction is a part of the pleasure of eating.

 

A rough-cut dollop of onions or peppers will more than double the volume of a batch of scrambled eggs. A cup of cooked carrots will stretch the experience and add valuable nutrients. Consider topping the whole affair with just one piece of cheese. It won’t be long before you will hear, “Something is different about you. Did you get a haircut?”