Healthy Evening Snacks for Weight Loss
Zach Mathews
Serial Entrepreneur | CEO, Fast & Focus | Co-Founder, JOLT Story + Content Solutions | Helping Leaders Optimize Performance & Amplify Their Influence
... I think you know why I chose this picture as the cover photo for an article about snacks.
We've all been there. You're winding down from a long day at work; you're finally able to sit on your couch, kick your feet back, and watch a little TV!
That's all well and good; but let's be honest, that setting always comes with the temptation to reach for the snacks. Bust out the Doritos! Grab me a sleeve of Oreos! "Give me 3 scoops of ice cream in my bowl, honey!" We've all been there...
Obviously, if you want to lose weight, then you'll have to say bye-bye to the processed snacks that you grew up on. But that doesn't mean you have to quit snacking altogether; see below for some healthy evening snacks to try.
The True Definition of "Snacks"
Before I give you a few ideas for healthy evening snacks, let's get a better understanding for what the true definition of a "snack" is--not the one that modern food companies will provide you.
One quick search on Google and you'll find that Merriam-Webster defines a snack as "a small amount of food eaten between meals."
Side note: Google also informed me that a snack can also mean "a sexually attractive person", which I found funny. Just to clarify--that's not the kind of "evening snacks" I'm referring to in this article! *insert catcall here*
What Snacks Should I Avoid?
Disclaimer: the following sentence will tempt you to stop reading the rest of this article, please refrain from doing so!
If you truly wish to know which snacks you should avoid, then the clear answer is "anything that's processed." In other words, if it doesn't have a mother or it didn't grow out of the ground, don't eat it.
Yes, I'm even referring to protein bars--but those are certainly better than most modern snack options when you're in a pinch.
Remember, the primary goal of losing weight is to burn more calories than you consume. You need to burn 3,500 calories more than you consume before you shed a pound of fat. To do that, you'll need to stay in a caloric deficit.
Another common demise of weight loss is when people eat snacks that are too heavy in carbohydrates (carbs, for short). For that reason, the ideal healthy evening snacks are some variation of meat--I bet you didn't see that one coming!
I'll give you a few healthy snack options at the end of this article that have very few carbs (if any at all!).
When Should I Eat Healthy Evening Snacks?
Therein lies the real question: WHEN should you be eating snacks?
If you remember from our definition of "snacks" earlier, it pointed out that they should be consumed between meals.
As an intermittent fasting coach, I approve of this for 2 reasons:
领英推荐
That begs another question: should you be consuming evening snacks at all? My answer is that once or twice a week is totally fine. As long as it doesn't become an everyday routine, we're straight!
Healthy Evening Snack Ideas
Remember, the following recommendations are for EVENING snacks, if you must have them. These are not recommended for LATE NIGHT snacks, because I don't recommend those at all when trying to lose weight.
Both of these healthy snack options are based on two things: First, they'll help you avoid consuming needless carbs to end your night; Second, they're cost-friendly and can be found at ANY grocery store.
I will warn you ahead of time: these aren't your grandmother's evening snacks BUT they're the type of snacks I consume daily and--because of them--maintain my lean physique!
Snack Option #1
8 Deli Sliced Pepperonis & 1 oz sliced Manchego Cheese
Calorie and Macronutrient Breakdown
Snack Option #2
1 oz Sliced Prosciutto & 1 oz Sliced Aged Gouda Cheese
Calorie and Macronutrient Breakdown
Mix in These Healthy Evening Snacks While Watching TV
I'll be the first to admit that these healthy evening snacks are a bit unorthodox; but if you're dedicated to losing weight, then it's a sacrifice you'll need to make--albeit a very tasty sacrifice!
If you need more direction on how to lose weight with a demanding career, then grab a copy of my DIY Intermittent Fasting Digital Guidebook here.
For even more guidance on weight loss and intermittent fasting as a whole, you can also check out my podcast--the Fast & Focus Podcast. I release brand-new episodes each week!
Keep up the great work everyone!
-Zach Mathews
(Owner of Fast & Focus)