Snacking can be your enemy or your friend. There is no hard and fast rule saying that you cannot snack during your diet - in fact, snacking can help you in your efforts to lose weight. However, for many the temptation is too great and overindulging in snacks can defeat the whole purpose of dieting in the first place. To help combat this downside, it helps to learn how to snack smartly and how this eating pattern can fit into your dieting needs.

Even if you aren’t on a diet, it’s good to know how to snack the right way. Snacking effectively can aid in natural weight loss or help you maintain the weight you’re currently at.

One of the more popular eating habits being adopted is the concept of eating mini meals and regularly incorporating snacks in between your main meal portions throughout the day. But that doesn’t mean just any type of snack food will do. You’ll want to consume snacks that not only taste good and fulfill your hunger pangs, but will give your body the nutrients it needs and tie you over in a good way before your next meal. Never ignore your hunger pangs and force yourself to wait until lunch or dinner. Although this may seem to make more sense if you’re trying to lose weight, the mini starvation you’re putting your body through can backfire on your efforts. Going into a main meal starving will more than likely cause you to eat faster and consume more in one sitting than is necessary. The snacks act as the perfect middleman to keep your consumption in check and prevent overeating.

You’ll want to look into the following food items as part of your snacking team: nuts, seeds, yogurt, cheese, fruits, and vegetables. If you’re going to snack on dairy products, go for the versions that are low in fat. Other examples of ideal snacks include: medium baby carrots, raw vegetables, celery sticks, one chocolate pudding cup (fat-free), crackers, cup of sliced apples with peanut butter, granola, cottage cheese, light popcorn, vegetable juice, grapes, cantaloupe, blueberries and yogurt, and dry roasted soy nuts. For more complex snacks, you can try these fun recipes: spread ricotta cheese over a brow rice cake, followed by strawberries or fruit chunks; take a baked potato and add plain yogurt and sprinkle with Cajun seasoning; top a flour tortilla with shredded low-fat cheese and microwave and add salsa; take a cinnamon-raisin bagel and top it with skim ricotta cheese and thin apple slices.

The key to snacking the right way is to practice moderation. Eating too many healthy snacks can work against you and cause you to consume too many calories than is necessary. Be aware of your serving sizes and how many calories each of your snacks contain.

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