The 10 snack foods you should try!

If you’re like many women and men in their 60s, you would have probably noticed that it can become a lot easier to gain a few extra kilos than to lose them. The foods you may have eaten in your teens, 20s or even 50s don’t go down as easy as they use to.

You might hear all the tips and tricks and try them all but why not get down to basics? Here are some basic foods that will help you boost your metabolism and make you feel cleaner and healthier!

If you are a real snacker why not incorporate these foods into your diet? Use these nibblies as replacements of other unhealthy snack foods. By doing so, you will know the food you are eating is the right food and your body feels healthier too.

1. Green Tea

Source: Health.com

If there is one beverage you should always consume with your healthy snacks, it is green tea! Green tea has an abundance of antioxidants and fat burning EGCG. EGCG actually works hard to speed up your metabolism and takes your calorie burning into overdrive. Green tea is also a good way to feel full and to help clean your insides. Three cups of green tea a day can increase metabolism by up to 10 per cent.

2. Almonds

Source: Health.com

Almonds are a great overall snack because they are high in fibre and healthy fats. The combination of green tea and almonds will help to keep you full for long periods of time. They may also have a positive effect on insulin levels. Most people admit that a handful of almonds will keep them more full than an entire bag of potato chips. This will help you to eat less overall, as well as boost your metabolism by increasing your intake of healthy fats and fibre.

3. Edamame Beans

Source: Women’s Health Magazine

A cup of edamame meets one-third of both your daily fibre and protein needs. If you want them to last longer, suck them straight from the shells. Research published in the journal Appetite revealed that you feel like you have eaten more if you can see the remnants (in this case the pods) of your food.

4. Cottage cheese-filled avocado

Source: Health.com

A half-cup serving of cottage cheese contains one-quarter of your recommended daily intake of protein. Rather than a non-fat variety, go for 2% or even full-fat. The fat combined with the protein will keep your stomach full until mealtime. This fruit and diary combo, helps when you’re craving something rich, creamy, and a bit savoury. Remove the pit from one half of an avocado and fill the space with 2 ounces of 1% cottage cheese. For 200 calories, you’ll get 9 grams of protein and 7 grams of fibre—and no dirty dishes!

5. Mediterranean snacks: Cucumber, olives and hummus

Source: Health.com

Get your mediterranean diet on: cucumbers, olives, and hummus are all high in fibre, low in fat, and pair perfectly for a snack that feels more like a meal. Your spread should include a cup of cucumber slices, about four kalamata olives, and about four tablespoons of hummus.

6. Oatmeal and blueberries

Source: Health.com

Oats may seem like a perfect meal for breakfast however they are good any time if need a hearty treat. Oats are full of fibre and they also help regulate blood sugar levels to keep you from crashing. To top it off why not add blueberries that provide a kick of sweetness (and vitamin C) without any table sugar. The perfect combination is a microwaveable oatmeal packet topped with a half cup of blueberries.

7. Banana with peanut butter

Source: Health.com

Banana and peanut butter are both high in fat however it is healthy fat! Spread a tablespoon of peanut butter onto a banana. The carbs will give you a quick mood and energy spike, while the protein will keep the energy going for hours. Eating peanut butter in the morning can help curb your appetite throughout the rest of the day!

8. Apple slices with cheese

Source: Health.com

Apple and cheese? Yes, it is a great combination, that you might not necessarily think would work, but it does! This combination can help prevent weight gain as well as provide a great source of protein. Try pairing a gala apple with a half-inch slice of sharp cheddar cheese: It’s the perfect sweet and salty mix with a crunch!

9. Citrus Fruits

Source: Livestrong.com.au

Foods like oranges, grapefruit, lemons and limes contain vitamin C that helps metabolise fat faster, which make them helpful for weight loss. You only need 60 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C a day to meet your body’s basic needs, but increasing your daily intake to 500 mg can boost your fat-burning potential during exercise by 39%.

10. Canned tuna with whole-wheat crackers

Source: Health.com

If you don’t want to incorporate dairy into every snack, a can of tuna (packaged in water) is another great source of lean protein plus healthy Omega 3s. For about 200 calories,you can enjoy 1 can of tuna and 4 whole-wheat crackers – complete with 3 grams of fibre and 20 grams of protein.

Try these snack foods and see if you start to feel cleaner and healthier. It can be the smallest amount of change in diet that can really help you.

What are you favourite snack foods that you like to eat? Tell us below!