We’ve all got the same idea in mind when it comes to the worst part about being on a diet. It’s those nasty hunger pangs and cravings that you can’t avoid. So, you either end up cheating on your diet or quitting it all together! Dieticians have suggested some interesting, healthy and tasty snacks for those looking to shed those pounds. The key is to go back to nature instead of opting for sweet, salty chips, caramel popcorn and the like. You can do that by choosing any of these items.

1. Almonds

Often considered to be natures wonder pill, the almond is full of protein, fibres and fats as well – but the healthy kind! It’s also a good source of vitamin E too and a good addition to your diet if you want blemish free, pretty skin too.
Top Tip: A bag of almonds may be too boring. You can spice things up by mixing almonds with dried apricots, dates and a very small portion of dark chocolate chips. Yes, you heard that right; dark chocolate, its actually healthy but we’ll come back to that later.

2. Citrus Fruits

Dieticians suggest grapefruits, but since you won’t easily find this fruit anywhere, you can substitute it with lemon and other citrus fruits – the tangier, the better. Oranges, amla, pomelo, limes, sweet limes, kiwis and pineapples are a few of those substitutes. Eat them as is or squeeze them into a glass of fresh juice.
Try This: Balance out that extra tanginess by adding honey to the glass. Reduce bloating by adding three tablespoons of honey to the glass to hot water with the juice of 2 limes.

3. Dark Chocolate

Remember how we said that chocolate can be good for diets? Apparently unsweetened, dark chocolate is ideal for your heart, blood sugar levels and your waistlines. It’s all about moderation. Look for a bar that says 70% cocoa. Dark chocolate contains flavonoids that trigger ghrelin and insulin, the two things responsible for controlling diet. So, you’re actually suppressing your diet.
What To Do: Enjoy it by adding dark chocolate chips to the almond mix we suggested earlier, or make yourself a sweet treat that you can enjoy once a week after dinner!

4. Popcorn

You may be thinking: how popcorn? It’s low in fat and very high in fibre, just make sure you stick with the unsalted, unflavoured variety – so skip out on butter, caramel and any other flavouring agent that’s added later.
Try It Out: Simply go to the store and pick up a bag or microwave popcorn, keeping in mind what we just told you.

5. Yoghurt or Curd

When you diet and exercise to lose weight, your body goes through a lot of changes that might not be good for your stomach. Yoghurt is packed with healthy probiotics, a bacteria strain that’s good for your intestine. You also get calcium and fibre when you mix granola, apples, bananas in it.
Easy Snack Fix: You can get this at your local dairy supply, fill a bowl with granola or sliced fruits, mix in some yoghurt and sweeten with honey.

6. Dried fruits

It’s the only source of sugar that’s suited to your body. They’re filled with loads of fibre that make you feel full and suppress cravings later on. They also contain a healthy dose of potassium, magnesium, iron and other essential minerals and vitamin mixes that you won’t get with your regular diet.
What To Do: How do you enjoy this? You can get dried fruits in the market. Simply mix with almonds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds and enjoy.

7. Chickpeas

Speaking of a regular diet, those chickpeas that you probably already have can be roasted and eaten as it is. They have higher fibre content and just like dried fruits make you feel fuller for longer.
Smart Tip: You can even boil and add them to your favourite chaats, salads or use the powdered variety with your smoothies and shakes.

8. Chaats

Since they’re spicy, they are often viewed as being bad for any diet. Spicy foods are known to increase internal body heat, helping you to literally burn fat faster. Chaats consist of healthy stuff like also, salt, chaat masala, lime, dhania, tomato, onion, chillies and imli juice. So you really are getting a mega serving of healthy veggies in one go. So, think about it, is it really all that bad for you?
Double Burner: Chaats can be boosted by adding yoghurt to make papdi chaat, just skip out on the papdis are they’re fried. Or steam, boil American sweet corn, and all of the above veggies, if you’d like to steer clear of aloo. While corn and aloo chaats will always be a favourite, you can try these other recipes too.

9. Fresh fruits

If you think natural and simple is best: well, you couldn’t be further from the truth. People who need to lose a lot of weight may be put on a very strict diet, therefore limiting their options. This snack may even be good for gym nuts, who want more energy for exercises. This is where your favourite fruits come to the rescue. With the right amount of spice, you could boost your metabolism and burn calories. Cut slices of ripe yellow mango: the one you get in summers and sprinkle chilli powder on it. Enjoyed best as a salad or juice. Try the sweet version by chopping up sweet mangoes, chill and sprinkle cinnamon instead if you have sensitive skin and have to stay away from spicy foods.

10. Seed Mixes

These normally consist of a range of flax, chia, sesame, sunflower, buckwheat seeds with additional flavouring herbs like mint, spearmint, ajwain, jeera seeds. It’s the ultimate weight watch snack because it combines all the benefits of the foods described above. Protein, fibre, vitamin complexes and even omega 3 and 6 fatty acids.
Seed Power: The best part is that you can make your own combination based on what you need. For weight loss, you need chia, quinoa, pumpkin, sunflower, sesame and flax seeds mixed with spearmint. It’s easier to eat when you roast everything. Sprinkle on chaats, salads, smoothies or eat it as is.

11. Sprouts

Common in Indian diets, this is a mix of partially germinated chickpeas, brown channa, rajma, bean and moong seeds. They have very high fibre and some minerals too, that only appear inside these pulses when they have begun germinating.
Plant Power: Have them as a salad, mixed up with other chopped veggies like onion, tomatoes, sandwiches, burgers. Add some chaat masala, imli juice for good measure!

Who says snacks are just for the kids? It’s for the adults too when you’re hungry but need to keep those pounds off. These snacks right here are the good ones, and help you to get that extra nutrition that you might be missing out on. Choose anyone you like, or make an equation of two or more snacks ideas and start lowering that calorie count today.