Making an effort to quit smoking? The first thing to consider is replacing your traditional cigarettes with some electronic cigarettes instead. This is a highly effective way to reduce the cravings for nicotine and help ease the process of saying good-bye to cigarettes forever.
This said, you may still have the ‘munchies’ from time to time where you want something in your mouth to fill the void of having a cigarette.
During these times, it’s helpful to have a few smart snacks lined up to turn to, which will help prevent you from turning to less than wise options.
Here are some smart snacks to consider.
Carrot Sticks And Dip
First, if it’s the stick-like feeling you want to be putting into your mouth, opt for some carrot sticks with home-made dip. Carrots are very low in calories and will boast a high amount of vitamin A, so ideal for those who are hoping to improve their nutritional standing as well.
Prepare a dip using cream cheese and a bit of Greek yogurt, fat free sour cream, or low fat mayonnaise along with whatever spices you prefer.
Keep this in the fridge handy at all times so you can grab it whenever you need it.
Pretzels And Nuts
Next, the second snack to consider is pretzels along with some nuts of your choice. Pretzels again will be a good option as they will give you that ‘stick-like’ feeling as you put them in your mouth and they’re a lot lower in calories than potato chips, which would be the alternative option for most people.
Nuts will add some healthy fats and a bit of protein to the snack, therefore rounding out your nutritional intake and making sure you maintain stable blood glucose levels.
You don’t want to overdo it with this snack as nuts are very high in calories, but an ounce or so of nuts and another ounce of pretzels is a great snack to fuel you through your day.
Beef Jerky With An Orange
Beef jerky is the next quick snack to consider as you go about your diet plan. This one is great since it’s going to be a source of protein, which will help to enhance your metabolism and keep weight gain at bay. Furthermore, it’s also highly satisfying, so the chances you go in for another snack shortly afterwards will be a lot lower as well.
Pair the beef jerky with an orange, which will help satisfy your craving for something sweet and also enhance the absorption of the iron in the jerky due to the vitamin C content being added.
This snack again will provide around 200 calories depending on how much beef jerky you eat, so is a good option for those seeking weight control.
Pistachios
If it’s nuts and a salty taste you want, pistachios are what you should be turning to. This nut is preferable over all the others because they take a longer time to eat since you have to de-shell them.
The slower you consume your food, the more chances your brain has to register that it’s full and stop prompting you to consume more. Pistachios work perfectly for this.
Popcorn
Finally, the last good snack option to consider as you quit smoking is popcorn. If you’re simply in need of something to be putting in your mouth and distract you so you don’t go for a cigarette, popcorn is a good option because it is so low in calories at 20 per cup and offers the salty taste that most people really enjoy.
Just be sure you obviously aren’t drenching it in butter when you eat it or that will take away from the health benefits its offering.
So there you have some smart snacks to consider as you quit smoking and try and maintain your body weight. While some people do have a strong tendency to gain weight when they quit smoking, if you are mindful of what you’re eating and have a good game plan in place, it definitely does not have to go this way and you can quickly keep your body weight in check.
