A full breakfast is the key to the normal functioning of the body for the whole day. But many do not have time to have a tight breakfast due to employment, which negatively affects the work process: the stomach begins to rumble, and a feeling of hunger makes you consume junk food. A snack, wholesome and tasty, is what can save you from malnutrition at work. The following are products enriched with vitamins and nutrients that can be used as a snack without worrying about the appearance of excess weight.
What kind of food should not be used as a snack
Chips, buns, hot dogs, shawarma and hamburgers are all considered junk foods that cause obesity and health problems. They contain a large amount of fats and carbohydrates, which, when ingested, cause the formation of fat cells, which subsequently causes weight gain, heart disease and blood vessels.
Useful snacks at work should:
- Promote normal digestion.
- Charge a person with energy for the whole day.
- Satisfy hunger.
- Be low in calories.
It is not necessary that fats and carbohydrates be completely absent in snacks, the only condition is that they must be correct.
Cottage cheese
This fermented milk product is a healthy, tasty snack. It contains casein protein, which is quickly absorbed by the body. Calcium contained in cottage cheese has a beneficial effect on bone tissue, strengthening and nourishing them.
Due to the fact that cottage cheese contains animal fats, it is considered a nutritious product. No need to buy curd mass, curd cheese - they are often useful, regular milk fats are replaced by low-quality vegetable (palm, rapeseed oil), causing digestive upset.
A snack, healthy and nutritious, can include cottage cheese in combination with vegetables, fruits or herbs. Calorie content of 100 grams of fat cottage cheese is 230-240 kcal.
Bread rolls
Delicious crispbreads are an excellent alternative to bread and crackers. They have about the same calorie content as bread, but are still much healthier than it. Quickly satisfy your hunger, while not harming your health, help bread. It is difficult to imagine a healthy snack without this product, which includes dietary fiber, amino acids, fiber, vitamins and trace elements.
When choosing bread, you should carefully consider the packaging, as some manufacturers, under the guise of a healthy product, sell regular fried crackers, richly seasoned with spices and preservatives. The most useful breads are:
- Multigrain (calorie content - 300-350 kcal per 100 grams).
- Wheat and buckwheat (250-280 kcal per 100 g).
- Whole grains (280 kcal per 100 g).
If the bread contains flour, yeast, butter or margarine, then you should not buy such a product, since eating it will not bring any benefit.
Muesli
A healthy and nutritious snack is a mixture of nuts, cereals and dried fruits. Muesli can be poured with ordinary water, milk, kefir, yogurt, juice, this product will not get worse. Quality muesli contains whole grains, several types of nuts, as well as dried fruits.
It is worth noting that healthy snacks for weight loss should not consist of muesli with a high sugar content (products with honey, glazed peanuts). It is also not recommended to use reconstituted juices, heavy cream and sour cream as a dressing. The average calorie content of 100 g of the product is 360 kcal.
Kefir
Another sour-milk product, in no way inferior to cottage cheese. The use of kefir helps to eliminate toxins from the body, strengthens the walls of blood vessels. The drink cleanses the intestines, has a mild laxative effect, perfectly interrupts the appetite.
Calorie content of 100 g of kefir depends entirely on its fat content:
- 1 and 1.5% - from 40 to 45 kcal.
- Fat-free - 30 kcal.
- Homemade kefir - from 60 to 70 kcal.
- 2 and 2.5% - from 50 to 55 kcal.
- 3.2% - 56 kcal.
Depending on the manufacturer and raw materials, the calorie content of the product may vary.
Healthy snack foods: fruits and dried fruits
People who monitor their weight are advised to eat fruits and berries, as well as dried fruits. These include:
- Figs (56 kcal / 100 g). Helps to fight excess weight, strengthens the protective functions of the body.
- Apples (52 kcal / 100 g). Fruits are rich in fiber, which improves digestion, as well as vitamins and organic acids.
- Bananas (89 kcal / 100 g). Bananas are a source of nutrition for muscles, contain 20% of the daily intake of vitamins of group B, as well as vitamin C.
- Pineapples (50 kcal / 100 g). Contain the substance bromelain, which contributes to the rapid absorption of proteins.
- Dried apricots (241 kcal / 100 g). Despite the high calorie content, dried apricots are a useful dried fruit. It is recommended for use by people with diabetes. The substances that make up it remove excess cholesterol from the body, which improves the functioning of the heart and blood vessels.
- Sweet cherry (50 kcal / 100 g). Eating berries stabilizes the intestines.
- Currant (56 kcal / 100 g). Black fruits are rich in vitamin C, the use of currants as a snack helps increase immunity.
Options for healthy snacks can be varied, if desired, you can combine both fresh fruits and berries, and dried. Nuts added to fruit salad can quickly satisfy your hunger.
Vegetables
Fresh seasonal vegetables, both as an independent dish and in the form of salads, are ideal for snacks. They have a low calorie content, enriched with fiber and vitamins. A person’s daily menu must include vegetable healthy snacks.
For weight loss and healing the body, it is recommended to use the following vegetables:
- Sweet potato (86 kcal / 100 g).
- Broccoli (34 kcal / 100 g).
- White cabbage (25 kcal / 100 g).
- Tomatoes (18 kcal / 100 g).
- Eggplant (25 kcal / 100 g).
- Cucumbers (16 kcal / 100 g).
- Radish (19 kcal / 100 g).
- Radish (32 kcal / 100 g).
- Carrots (41 kcal / 100 g).
- Bell pepper (20 kcal / 100 g).
Together with vegetables, you can use any greens. Parsley, dill, cilantro - all of them are rich in antioxidants and vitamins, their use improves the condition of the skin, hair, nails, and has a general strengthening effect on the body.
Recipes
Mini-snacks, light salads, as well as hot dishes are easy to prepare, they are created literally in a matter of minutes. Useful snacks, the recipes of which are indicated below, can be prepared both at work at lunchtime and at home.
The only caveat - products should be used only fresh, fatty dressings can not be added.
Cottage Cheese Bread
To prepare the appetizer you will need low-fat cottage cheese, whole grain breads and greens (parsley, chives and garlic). Mix cottage cheese with greens, spread the finished mixture on bread.
In this recipe, you can change the components and make new ingredients. If you add finely chopped tomatoes and bell pepper to the curd, then the snack will turn out even tastier.
Sandwiches with Chicken Meat
A healthy and nutritious snack is a cereal bread sandwich with vegetables and boiled chicken breast. It is better to cook the meat in advance, before going to work. Put sliced fillet on 2 small slices of bread, put a couple of slices of cucumber on top, add a little salt and sprinkle with herbs. If desired, sandwiches can be heated in the microwave.
Quick porridge
Oat or buckwheat flakes are easy to prepare. It is enough to pour them into the bowl, pour boiling water, and after a couple of minutes, a full tasty snack, wholesome and nutritious, is ready. Fruits, nuts and dried fruits, as well as a slice of natural butter, can be added to porridge.
You should not buy packaged instant cereals, as emulsifiers, stabilizers, flavorings and colorings are often added to them to improve the taste and increase the shelf life.
Spring Salad
To prepare the dish you will need:
- 1 fresh cucumber.
- Pickled cabbage - 50 g.
- Half a whole carrot (preferably young).
- Chives.
- Olive oil for seasoning.
- Salt to taste.
Cut the cucumbers into strips, grate the carrots, mix everything with cabbage, add onions, a little oil and salt.
Sandwiches with fish
For sandwiches, it is better to use fish of fatty varieties: salmon, salmon or trout. Put the fish fillet on rye bread, and place lettuce leaves or slices of cucumber on top. A quick, tasty and satisfying snack is ready.
Kefir and banana cocktail
At home and at work, you can use a kefir-based cocktail as a light wholesome snack. The drink is made quite simply: slices of banana are placed in a glass and chopped with a blender, then a glass of low-fat kefir and a pinch of cinnamon are added to them. Everything is thoroughly mixed.
At work, during the lunch break, the banana can be mashed with a fork or spoon and mixed with kefir. The consistency will resemble yogurt. You do not need to add sugar to the cocktail - due to the sweetness of the banana pulp, the drink will be slightly sweet.
Fruit salad
Here you can combine any fruit, both fresh and dried.
Rinse dried apricots and chop finely. Peel the apples, cut into strips and mix with dried apricots, add carrots grated. The salad is seasoned with natural yogurt or low-fat sour cream.
Cut two large bananas into small cubes, combine with chopped figs and pour half a glass of kefir. Figs will give the dish the taste and aroma of the East.
Homemade granola
Home-made muesli is much healthier and tastier than bought in the store.
List of ingredients:
- Oatmeal - 1 cup.
- Buckwheat flakes - 1 cup.
- Banana - 1 pc.
- Apple - 1 pc.
- Chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts) - 100 g.
- Sliced dried fruits (dried apricots, figs, raisins or prunes) - 100 g.
- Dried pineapple (candied fruit) - 50 g.
Grate apple, mash banana with a fork. Mix the fruits in a bowl with dried fruits, candied fruits, nuts, buckwheat and oatmeal flakes. Carefully knead the resulting mixture with your hands. Then cover the baking sheet with baking paper and put the muesli on it with a layer of no more than 1.5 centimeters. Place in the oven and bake at a temperature of 180 ° C until golden brown appears on top. In this case, the dish should remain soft and slightly moist. Ready muesli, before they have cooled, cut into several parts.
As with many healthy snack recipes, you can also change the ingredients here. Add your favorite fruits, use more different cereals, improvise.
Vegetable Shawarma with Chicken Breast
This dish is ideal for those who love meat shawarma, but are now on a diet and can not afford such gastronomic pleasure.
Grocery list:
- Pita - 1 pc.
- Tomatoes - 2 pcs.
- Salad - 1 leaf.
- Chicken breast (boiled) - 100 g.
- Greens - a pair of sprigs of parsley and dill, 2 feathers of onions.
- Fat-free cottage cheese - 1 tablespoon.
- Pepper and salt to taste.
Cut tomatoes, pepper and salt. Cut the salad and meat into strips, chop the greens. Grease a sheet of pita bread with cottage cheese, then put vegetables, breast, salad and greens on top. Spread the filling evenly on the cake, then roll the pita bread into a roll and divide into portions.