Today’s guest article is by Jorge Montero Bello
Subject: Snacks: How they fit into your weight-loss plan
Well-planned, healthy snacks can complement your weight-loss plan. Here are creative and healthy ways to satisfy your hunger.
Your stomach is growling, but lunch is hours away. You could indulge yourself with a snack, but you think it’s best to avoid treats altogether and wait for lunch. Not so, if weight loss is your goal.
Though you may feel guilty about snacking, snacks aren’t necessarily bad. In fact, mini meals several times a day can help manage hunger and reduce binging. Eating a healthy snack of low-fat crackers or fruit may stop you from taking second or third helpings at your next meal, dramatically cutting the calories you consume. Also, healthy meals often lose out to busy schedules. A grab-and-go snack could be the difference between some nourishment and none at all.
The key to incorporating snacks into your weight-loss plan is to plan them with variety, moderation and balance in mind.
Choose healthy snacks. Select foods that satisfy your hunger, supply your body with energy and provide important nutrients.
Here are some of your best snack picks:
- Whole grains. Whole-grain snacks are rich in fiber and complex carbohydrates, which give you energy with staying power. Look for items such as low-fat whole-grain crackers, whole-grain pretzels and whole-grain crispbreads.
- Fruits and vegetables.Eating fruits and vegetables provides a feeling of fullness with no fat and only a small number of calories. They also provide vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients.
- Nuts and Seeds. Nuts and seeds provide protein, so you will feel fuller longer. They can be high in fat, but it’s mostly monounsaturated, a healthy kind of fat. Nuts and seeds are high in calories, however, so don’t eat them in large quantities.
- Low-fat dairy products. Cheese, yogurt and other dairy products are good sources of calcium and protein, plus many other vitamins and minerals. Dairy products can be high in fat, so choose the low-fat versions. Some yogurts have extra added sugar, so look for low-calorie or “light” varieties.
Though snacks can contribute to a healthy diet, they can also be a source of excess calories if not eaten in moderation. For example, a single serving of almonds (about 23 kernels, or a handful) contains 163 calories. But if you eat a cup of almonds, the calorie count jumps to 800-plus calories.
So what are your best choices? Here are several snacks suggestions for weight loss and healthy eating:
Approximate number of calories…………Food
10 calories…………………………….1 large stalk of celery
25 calories…………….1 cup raw veggies or 6 medium baby carrots
Try this raw food diet for more info 
60 calories……………………………..2 cups air-popped or light popcorn
1 cup of cantaloupe or grapes or 1 small can of vegetable juice
100 calories……………………….1 cup sliced bananas and fresh raspberries
2 domino-sized slices low-fat Colby or cheddar cheese
1 fat-free chocolate pudding cup
150 calories……………………….1/2 cup frozen, low-fat yogurt topped with 1/2 cup blueberries
1 cup sliced apples with 1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter
4 rye crispbread crackers
200 calories……………………….1/4 cup dry roasted soy nuts (calories vary by brand)
1/3 cup granola
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese topped with 1/2 cup sliced fresh peaches
When you need a little more help with will power and how to handle the stress that may lead to over eating, try hypnosis with 
MP3 from Richard MacKenzie
ADDITIONAL HELP AND IDEAS ABOUT WEIGHT AND STRESS AT:
