Planning Healthy Snacks for Your Diet Plan for Quicker Weight Loss

Planning Snack Times: At least two healthy snacks per day. We recommend a snack at mid-morning, a mid-afternoon snack and a bedtime snack.

Because losing weight requires restricted calorie consumption, meals tend to be small for breakfast, lunch and dinner times. Blood sugar levels may start to sway - and require a pick-me-up, super food blast of energy about two hours after meal time.

Here is a very good menu schedule that you can use as a pattern:

7 A.M. Eating Schedule

Breakfast: 7 A.M.
Mid-Morning Snack: 9:30 A.M.
Lunch: 12 P.M.
Mid-Afternoon Snack: 2:30 P.M.
Dinner: 5 to 7 P.M.
Bedtime Snack: 7 to 8 P.M.

8 A.M. Eating Schedule

Breakfast: 8 A.M.
Mid-Morning Snack: 10:30 A.M.
Lunch: 1 P.M.
Mid-Afternoon Snack: 3: 30 P.M.
Dinner: 6 to 7 P.M.
Bedtime Snack: 8 P.M.

If at all possible, strive to have all foods and beverages which contain calories out of the way by 8 P.M. in the evening. Any later and they're apt to create digestive upset before bedtime and in turn keep you awake or make sleeping miserable. And of course, the caloric burn decreases at day's end.

Based on the 7 A.M. eating schedule let's build an example diet menu based on 1,500 calories:

7 A.M. Breakfast: Serving of cereal (100 calories), one cup of skim milk (100 calories), 1/2 banana (50 calories), two slices of diet-wise bread (35 calories per slice for 70 total), a serving of light margarine (40 calories) and sugar reduced orange juice (TROP 50 for 50 calories), a cup of plain tea or coffee.

For all the beverages going forward - including breakfast drinks, feel free to use sugar free beverages. If you enjoy creamer in your coffee, keep it to one serving per cup.

And of course, be sure to get adequate fluids throughout the day. TOTAL: 410 calories, servings from the Fruit, Dairy and Grain Groups with minimal dietary fat.

9: 30 A.M. Mid-Morning Snack:Keeping snack calories low for at least two of the reserved snack times allows more room for calories in the bedtime snack - which is the most difficult time of the day to avoid eating for most dieters. Having this reserve may better assist the dieter in keeping the focus. Therefore, for this snack we will enjoy the other half of our banana that we had for breakfast. TOTAL: about 50 calories and a serving from the Fruit Group.

12 P.M. Lunch Menu: One serving of chicken and vegetable soup (200 calories), 2 servings of whole grain crackers (100 calories), and a serving of apple chips (50 calories). TOTAL: 350 calories and servings from the Protein, Vegetable, Grain and Fruit Groups.

2:30 P.M. Mid-Afternoon Snack: One medium pear for 103 calories and a serving from the Fruit Group.

6 P.M. Dinner Menu: One Hormel Center Cut Pork Chop (187 calories), one sweet potato that is about 5 inches in length (112 calories), one serving of light margarine (40 calories), two slices of bread (70 calories), one serving of green beans (20 calories). TOTAL: about 450 calories and servings from the Protein, Vegetable and Grain Groups with minimal dietary fat.

8 P.M. Bedtime Snack: One serving of low fat cottage cheese and pineapple tidbits. TOTAL: About 130 calories and servings from the Fruit and Dairy Groups.

Go To Next Page