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Crack your snacking and stop your cravings

Don't give into your cravings and ruin your weight loss. We all have snack attacks and the key is to recognise those times and prepare by eating something healthy 30 minutes before so you can avoid your urges. Follow these three easy steps to control your snacking and remember the old proverbial saying "A moment on the lips a lifetime of the hips"

Be prepared. Make sure you have healthy snacks on hand, and keep biscuits and other high-fat, high-sugar treats in the back of the cupboard and fridge

Go for variety. If you had cereal and toast for breakfast, perhaps a mid-morning snack could consist of fruit or yoghurt-healthy foods that you haven't yet eaten today but know you should. If you use this tactic, you won't be as easily tempted to choose high-calorie snacks, and you'll improve your nutritional intake at the same time

Choose a snack that satisfies. Do you want something salty? Sweet? Cold? If you identify what type of flavour or texture you want, you're more likely to be satisfied when you eat your snack. Here are some ideas for healthy ones:

To satisfy your sweet tooth:
· Fresh or dried fruit
· A frozen fruit-based dessert or other frozen treat
· Low-fat yoghurts in exotic flavours: cappuccino, banana or chocolate mint

If you're looking for something crunchy:
· Rice cakes
· Plain, reduced-fat microwave popcorn.
· Pretzels and low-fat crackers made with whole grains
· Tortilla chips
· Baby carrots, celery and cucumber sticks. Keep them ready to eat in the refrigerator
· Seeds or sesame seed biscuits

If you're craving protein:
· Cubes of low-fat cheese
· A hard-boiled egg
· Rolled-up slices of low-fat turkey or ham
· A hearty lentil or black bean salad for fibre and protein: Simply mix rinsed and drained tinned legumes with your favourite fat-free salad dressing
· Oat cakes
· Seeds or sesame seed biscuits

If you'd rather sip your snack:
· Smoothies: Mix any combination of skimmed milk, yoghurt, fruit juice and fruit in a blender
· Fruit and herbal teas
· We often mistake thirst for hunger: Try calorie-free flavoured waters, or add a lemon or lime to your own sparkling water
· Sugar-free hot chocolate made with skimmed milk: It not only satisfies your sweet tooth, it adds essential calcium and vitamin D to your diet

Healthy snacks on the go:
· Pretzels or plain popcorn in individual bags
· Cereal or granola bars that contain added calcium
· Seeds or sesame seed biscuits
· Plain nuts and raisins

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