Weight Loss Foods to Have on Hand

If you’re trying to lose weight, it’s best to have your refrigerator and cupboards stocked up with foods that will help you in your battle. Since you don’t want to be tempted by anything that you might eat in excess, you want to begin by removing any tempting foods from your home and replacing them with better alternatives. However, you need to have tasty foods in your home so that you’re satisfied as well as nourished. Here are some weight loss foods to have on hand so that you don’t go hungry.

Arm yourself with this list of weight loss foods to have on hand and you will have a better chance at staying on track.

Crunchy Vegetables and Low-Fat Dip

If you’re a person who likes to eat chips and other crunchy snacks, you might want to look into keeping pre-cut vegetables around your home. Put these in a container in your refrigerator so they are easy to access. Cutting up the vegetables on Sunday for the week will help you save time as well. If you need to have something to make the vegetables more appealing, try dipping them in a low-fat dip. One good dip you can try is low-fat hummus. This is a dip made with garbanzo beans, lemon juice, Tahini, and sometimes garlic. Simple and low fat, this dip can be used as a good source of protein and fiber as well, helping to fill you up and not out.

One of my favorite low-fat dip tricks for fresh veggies is to combine some Uncle Dan’s Creamy Dill salad dressing mix (a powder) with fat-free sour cream or low-fat plain yogurt. Just mix it to taste. This dip is totally yummy, a source of some protein and won’t run up the scale the next day.

Fruits to Carry with You

Since sometimes dieting can be harder when you’re always on the go, you might want to find some easy-to-carry fruits to have on hand. This way, you can put a few in your bag or purse when you leave for the day, guaranteeing that you always have healthy foods when your stomach starts to grumble.

Try eating whole fruits as much as possible since dried fruits and processed fruits can have added sugars in them. Apples, pears, plums, nectarines and bananas are easy to carry and they don’t tend to get bruised along the way. Small boxes of raisins can also be a good option. If you do want to carry some dried fruit with you for snacks, make sure to read the nutritional label first. Dried fruit, like apple rings, dried apricots and dried figs make an excellent snack.

Lean Protein Options

When you want to make sure you stay feeling full, make sure to always have a lean protein of some sort on hand with you or in your home. Try having cans of white tuna, for example, or cooked boneless chicken breasts. This way, you can easily add these ingredients to healthy meals. You might also want to find some tofu and some meatless burgers or veggie hot dogs to help keep your menu varied, but also low in fat and calories.

Nuts are good to have on hand as well, but put them into smaller packages so that serving size is as small as possible. Also, having a few low-calorie frozen dinners in the freezer can help you stay on track when you don’t have time cook.

There are also a number of lean protein options that travel well for when you are on the go. Pre-packaged snack foods, such as cheese strings and beef jerky are really easy to take with you and can help curb hunger between meals.

Don’t Forget Your Water

This list of weight loss foods to have on hand wouldn’t be complete without water. Drinking lots of water during the day keeps your body hydrated and your metabolism running efficiently. Water is also an excellent zero-calorie substitute for other beverages, such as coffees and juices that contain empty calories and carbs.

If you find that you don’t drink very much water during the day then buy yourself a water bottle to bring with you. There are lots of different types of water bottles and some are very stylish and fun, which may encourage you to always have your water on hand. If you do buy a water bottle make sure it is BPA free.

With these weight loss foods to have on hand you can make sure you are able to stick to your diet plan without many troubles. The more convenient you can make it to eat right, the more likely you are to do it in the first place. I’m sure there is many other wonderful ideas like these that other dieters use in their daily lives. If you have some you use, please share with us.

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