Losing weight is relatively simple….

Till you have to start facing your cravings!

While I stick to having a few big meals throughout the day, there are days when a snack is just needed.

Whether you love snacking regularly, or you just need something to eat while binge-watching your favorite Netflix show, here are a few snacks that you could benefit from if incorporated in your diet.

Just to clear any misconceptions, and if you are new here, there are no magical ‘fat-burning’ foods.

The only way to burn fat is by being in a calorie deficit, i.e. eating lesser calories than you burn.

Now that we are all on the same page, let’s move forward.

If there are no magical foods, what makes this list so special?

Food volume!

Foods with a higher food volume to calorie ratio can help you stay on track as they provide you with a lot of quantity for a relatively lower amount of calories.

For example, if you only had 200 calories remaining for a meal, a croissant wouldn’t be your best bet.

Instead, 200 calories from potatoes would give you more food volume.

To make this even more clear, 200 calories of broccoli and mushrooms would give you even more food volume than the potatoes.

But I understand that eating 200 calories of mushrooms and broccoli isn’t the most enjoyable thing, which is why this list is so dear to me.

This list consists of snacks that have relatively high food volume and actually taste good!

Let’s begin with the first food on the list.

1. Popcorn

If you haven’t tried popcorn while dieting, you’re missing out!

Popcorn is very high in fiber and this makes it even better, as this can help us feel more satiated.

But don’t mistake this for the popcorn you get at the cinema!

Those are soaked in butter and oil, which ends up driving their calories.

Instead, pop some popcorn at home.

2 tablespoons of unpopped popcorn kernels come in at 130-150 calories depending on the brand.

While 2 tablespoons might seem less, it actually ends up creating 4-5 cups of popcorn when popped.

I don’t know about you, but I would end up picking 5 cups of popcorn over a small packet of Doritos most of the time.

It’s healthier and has more quantity and can help you feel more satiated, basically everything you would want in a ‘diet snack’.

Something to remember is that the nutritional information I mentioned above is just for the popcorn!

If you plan on popping them in oil or adding butter, make sure to account for their calories.

I pop them without any oiler butter, and if you’re interested in trying that out, just type in oil-free popcorn on google!

2. Strawberries

You can’t have a list talking about high food volume without including strawberries!

They taste great and are very low in calories.

100 grams of strawberries come in at approximately 33 calories.

If you don’t know how much that comes out to, it’s around 4 calories in a single strawberry.

This is exactly why you shouldn’t be skipping on these.

They are great for times when you want a lot more quantity on your plate.

Moreover, feel free to throw them into your oatmeal porridge, smoothies or salads to increase the food volume of the entire meal.

3. Greek Yogurt

I’m sure you’ve heard of this before!

Not only is greek yogurt great for its calorie profile, but it also packs in protein which is a plus while you’re on a fat loss phase.

It can assist you to hit your protein macros and can keep you satiated, as protein has been shown to provide satiety.

To be a little more specific, I prefer 0-Fat Greek yogurt.

This usually is even lower in calories and packs a little higher amount of protein.

While the nutritional information will depend on the brand you buy, generally, a 100g serving of 0-fat greek yogurt comes in at around 59 calories with 10g of protein!

To make this even more enjoyable, throw in some strawberries.

This will increase it’s food volume even more while making it taste even better.

A true win-win situation!

4. Rice Cakes

You really should give these a try if you haven’t.

A single rice cake is usually 30-40 calories depending on the brand, and while this isn’t the best food in terms of volume to calories on this list, it has been a diet-saver for me on multiple occasions.

You can use rice cakes as a replacement to bread in your diet and this simple swap is all it takes to save calories.

You can top it with nut butter and fruit, or with hummus and vegetables.

I’ve even tried creating mini rice cake pizzas with pizza sauce and low-fat mozzarella cheese, and let me tell you that they taste absolutely amazing with a relatively decent macro profile.

No matter how you plan on using rice cakes, I definitely feel that they can be a great snack in a well-structured meal plan.

5. Edamame

Edamame is a legume that is high in both protein and fiber.

By now you should know that these are both very desirable to us while dieting.

100g of edamame comes in at 122 calories with 11 grams of protein!

You can throw it into your salads or just eat it by itself.

I usually just boil and season mine.

If you find it difficult to stay full while dieting, fit in a serving of edamame regularly.

It’s a great way to get in a small meal while staying in line with your calorie and protein targets.

Conclusion

Food volume can do wonders while dieting and this is why food selection matters over the long run.

Just because something is healthy doesn’t make it a good snack.

While hitting your calories and protein goal is still the deciding factor in whether or not you reach your goals, making good dietary choices plays an important role in increasing your adherence to the plan by keeping you satiated throughout the day.

Give these a shot and let me know if you have some snacks that you find helpful while dieting!

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