Snacks to Fill You Up Fast

Most diet plans portray snacking as a failure. Think of snacking as exactly the opposite -- as a key to success! But the secret to effective snacking is doing so at the optimum time -- about 2 hours before you're scheduled to eat your next meal. That'll be enough time to head off hunger pangs and keep you full enough to avoid a meltdown at mealtime. You have a lot of flexibility in what you use to snack. You could have a portion of a leftover from dinner, a sandwich, a smoothie, or a combination of some of the Abs Diet Powerfoods. To make it easier, pick one food from column A and one from column B. That will ensure your satiety.


A
Protein

2 teaspoons reduced-fat peanut butter

1 ounce almonds

3 slices low-sodium deli turkey breast

3 slices deli roast beef



Dairy

8 ounces low-fat yogurt

1 cup 1% milk or chocolate milk

3/4 cup low-fat ice cream

1 1/2 slices fat-free cheese

1 stick string cheese




B
Fruit or Vegetable

1 ounce raisins

Raw vegetables (celery, baby carrots, broccoli), unlimited

1 1/2 cup berries

4 ounces cantaloupe

1 large orange

1 can (11.5 ounces) low-sodium V8 juice



Complex Carbohydrate

1 or 2 slices whole-grain bread

1 bowl oatmeal or high-fiber cereal