Remember my post about how eating away from home packs on major pounds? Well, luckily that extra weight isn’t inevitable–if you choose the right food. Check out some of the delicious, hunger-busting snacks that you can eat almost anywhere (even on a plane!) from a recent Forbes.com story I wrote.
- Nuts. They get a bad rap for being high in calories, “but research shows that nuts may actually increase hormones that lead to satiety,” says Julie Miller Jones, Ph.D., C.N.S., L.N., professor emeritus of Food and Nutrition at St. Catherine University in Minnesota. “Some research even suggests that they’re passed to the gut partially unabsorbed—meaning they may technically be lower in calories than stated.” One clever way to limit your portions: “If your airline offers a bag of nuts, take them. They’re the perfect serving size,” says Jones.
- Low-fat string cheese. Thanks to clever packaging and low moisture content, string cheese can last hours outside of the fridge without going bad, and its compact size make it perfect for stashing in a purse or briefcase. Even better, “Its high protein content helps satisfy and stave off hunger,” points out Villanova University professor Marcia Costello, Ph.D., R.D., L.D.N.
- Packets of instant oatmeal. Oatmeal has the highest satiety rating of any food—and contrary to popular belief, even instant is pretty darn good for you, says dietitian Wendy Bazilian, Dr.PH,, R.D., nutrition specialist for the Golden Door Spa. “It may not be as stellar as steel-cut, but a single packet contains around just 100 calories and will fill you up,” she says. “And you can add it to a cup of hot water, which you can get almost anywhere, including in flight.”
For three more ideas (including energy bars that aren’t super-high in calories!), click here.
–Camille
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Camille