We are halfway through the dreaded month of January.

The month of going back to work, back to the gym and back to healthy eating, or attempting to anyway.

I can guarantee that some people’s diets and new fitness regime have already gone out the window! I know that’s not you as you’re reading this.

So that’s why in today’s quick article I wanted to share 10 Healthy Snacks you can eat which won’t ruin your weight loss/maintenance.

Having some healthy snacks to go to when you need it will make everything so much easier. It will help you stick to a healthy diet and stop you grabbing the closest chocolate bar or packet of crisps when hunger cravings kick in.

So here they are:

1. Nuts – Nice and easy and delicious. You can pick up some good packs for relatively cheap of mixed nuts. Make sure you get unsalted. Great ones to eat for loads of healthy fats and packed with goodness are Brazil nuts, cashews, almonds and walnuts. Seeds (pumpkin, poppy, sunflower) are also great.

2. Fruit – What could be easier? If you are trying to lose weight then you don’t want to be eating much more than about 2 pieces of fruit a day. Aim for low GI fruits, basically means less sugar. So go for fruits such as berries, plums and apples as opposed to grapes and pineapple.

3. Dark Chocolate – I’ve found this so useful at cutting out those sweet cravings. Try and get high quality 80% + cocoa dark chocolate it’s delicious and just one piece can really stop you craving foods and suppresses your appetite.

4. Yogurt – There are loads and loads of unhealthy yogurts out there. Ignore the low fat versions as they have just added sugar (THE ENEMY) to replace the flavour. For a more substantial snack try Organic Greek Yogurt, nuts and a bit of cinnamon/honey on top. Rachel’s Organic yogurt are also good, just keep an eye on the sugar content.

5. Salad – Lettuce, cucumber, celery, tomatoes and sliced peppers drizzled with some balsamic vinegar and a bit of black pepper. Easy! That’ll keep you going until your next meal and has hardly any calories in.

6. Veggie Crudites – Chop up some carrot, celery or cucumber sticks and snack on these. Great to dip into hummus for a delicious snack.

7. Boiled Eggs – Maybe a little boring if you eat too often but a couple of boiled eggs are packed with good fats and protein and very filling.

8. Peanut/Almond Butter – Avoid overeating this but if you have got a bit of a sweet tooth this helps. Chop up some apple and have with a bit of peanut butter for a lovely tasting snack. Almond butter is healthier but normally double the price. Go for natural peanut butter, Meridian do very nice peanut butter and it’s quite a bit healthier than your normal supermarket version.

9. Popcorn – Now we’re talking. Buy some popcorn seeds. Have a small handful and add to some oil for a great and low calorie snack. That is as long as you avoid adding loads of salt or sugar. Try cinnamon and a little bit of honey.

10. Healthy Bars – There are a few decent bars out there which are great for deserts or snacks. You will find the best ones are higher in calories but that’s as they have some goodness in, you aren’t just eating empty calories. Good ones to try are Eat natural bars (The dark chocolate ones are amazing), Nakd bars or 9 bars.

So there you have 10 healthy snack ideas which are easy to make and healthy to eat.

Hope this helps you stick on the straight and narrow this month and forever!

Jamie Stedman

PS In case you missed it click here to check out last week’s article ‘Are We Addicted To Sugar?‘