What, did you think I didn’t snack?  Oh no, I snack.  I snack a lot!  There’s nothing wrong with snacking as long as you do it in a healthy way.  In fact, healthy snacking can be good because it keeps you from being too hungry and overeating at meal times.  The problem is in finding healthy snacks.

For example, most people think healthy snacks are those little baby carrots, and yes, if all you ate was that, it would be healthy.  Unfortunately, most people eat those little baby carrots with a large heap of ranch sauce, which makes them less than healthy.  So what is a healthy snack that is both satisfying and not bad for you?  Well, here are some ideas to keep satiated during the day:

Cheese – Yes, you heard me, cheese.  As long as you don’t eat too much of it, cheese can be an excellent snack.  It has a lot of good fat and protein, which means it will make you feel full, which is the best part of a snack.  Just be careful in how much of it you eat.  Often times I’ll grab a small piece of cheese, around 1 or 2 bites worth and use that as a snack.

Fruit – Stay away from dry fruit, it’s got too much calorie and sugar in it without enough water content.  However, fresh fruit is an excellent snack.  It’s sweet, which will satisfy a lot of your cravings, but has enough water volume to be relatively calorie poor for the amount you eat.  My favorites are apples and oranges.

Potato - No no, not all those potato products like french fries and chips.  I’m talking about a whole potato, peel included.  Simply take one and either bake it or microwave it until it’s soft through and through.  Make sure not to use one of those giant potatoes you find at the supermarket.  Find a small one, no more than a couple of inches across.  And no, don’t smother it in sour cream and butter if you want it to stay healthy.

Nuts – Not just for squirrels anymore!  Nuts are small packages of high quality fat and protein.  Don’t eat too many of them since they are high in calories, but a handful of walnuts, cashews or almonds goes a long way towards satisfying my cravings.

Jerky – For you non vegetarians out there, jerky is a great option for a snack.  It’s chewey, which means you won’t be eating it too quickly.  It’s relatively lean and it’s full of protein to make you feel full.  Make sure you pick one of the higher quality varieties and not the junk you find at most 7-11′s.

One thing to note with all of these snacks is that you should have a small serving of them and then stop.  I know that sounds obvious but you’d be surprised by how many people don’t do this.  You need to give your body at least 20 to 30 minutes to realize you’ve eaten something before you consider eating more.  So take a small portion and then walk away for a while.  30 minutes later, if you’re still feeling hungry, you may want to snack again, but don’t just stand there at cashew box and eat handful after handful.  By the time your body lets you know it’s full, you’ll have eaten way too much.