What to snack on with a low-carbohydrate diet.

That is a question I get asked a lot because, well, people are hungry.

There are a few things that are important to note before I give you a list. 

(1) Chronic severe calorie restriction 1200-1500 calories that leaves you constantly hungry simply does not work over the long term, and actually works against you if you are trying to lose weight. Your body will respond to this 'mini-starvation' state not by giving up fat, but greedily keeping it and  instead, give up lean body tissue, ie muscle and organ tissue. You can't trick your body, so it's actually good to snack when you are hungry, especially initially, and especially on foods that are not sweet. But keep in mind, like all things in life, it's a balancing act, and you have to still use some common sense (ie have a reasonable snack portion, not a meal, that acts a bridge to your next meal). You don't have to be a monk, but don't engorge on snacks either. 

(2) Always to keep yourself hydrated when you have a snack. That is have a big glass of water or tea before you eat. That is a trick that seems to mitigate the hunger pangs for many people so they don't end up eating a pound of peanuts. At work, we have a coffee/tea machine in the doctor's lounge that makes really nice jasmine green tea, which I think tastes great without sugar. You should experiment and try to find your particular drink. You will find you will eat less, and be less predisposed to engorge yourself as a result in most cases.

 (3) Although fruit can be a good choice for a snack, try to avoid it initially and focus on low-carb/low sugar snacks. I want to be clear, though.  Fruit is healthy. I like fruit. It is okay to eat fruit. Fruit is not evil. But the fact is fruit really isn't as necessary as you think. I think it's always a mistake to lump fruits and vegetables together, even though I do it all the time, but they are different.  There are fruits, especially things like bananas and dried fruit, which are basically like having a potato and table sugar because that is how your body processes them, basically. This is not to say you can never have things like bananas, dates, and figs, but once again, it is not an either-or proposition. Most diets fail because they are static things that tell you that this food is bad, and you can never eat this food again. This is no way to succeed over the long term, and this is why, I think, most diets fail. 

Most foods are just fine, but the are not all equivalent. Some can be a staple  in your diet, and some can't. You can have figs, but you probably won't have a lot of success if you base your diet in them as you probably have only just shifted your sugar cravings to something else. An example of this is when a person stops drinking coffee, but ends up drinking a ton of ice tea. 

So here is the list (It's not exhaustive, and if you have one to add, share it with us!):

• Plain yogurts, and plain yogurt drinks like kefir
• Raw nuts (one of the best places to go for these is Trader Joes's. Try nuts you have never had like filberts. You might like them!)
• Seeds (pumpkin and sunflower seeds--mix them with the nuts)
• Jerky (once again, Trader Joe's rocks, but you can make your own pretty easily)
• Nut butters (peanut and almond are great on things like celery sticks and lower-carb fruit like apples)
• Sardines (I love King Oscar sardines in olive oil with some hot sauce and a few low-carb crackers like Mary's Gone Crackers)
• A can of tuna, mackeral, or other fish, like kippered herring
• A few slices of ham and cheese rolled up together, or whatever you like, eg salami, mortadella, etc.
• Olives, pickles, pickled vegetables (asparagus is a pretty good one I like!)
• Cottage cheese (If you have chives in your backyard, use them! Mix them in the cottage cheese and you will have a great snack)
• Boiled eggs (make a bunch in the morning and put a little butter/cream cheese and salt on for snack)
• Make your own whip cream (no sugar) and put it on some berries, or mix it with some peanut butter for a smooth apple dip.

A few tips so you don't get bored:

• You can be creative and mix and match a lot. Say you don't like plain yogurt, then put a few berries and nuts in the mix to ramp up the taste.
• Get good at using spices! Cinnamon and vanilla can make plain yogurt taste better than anything you can buy at a store.
• Try not to indulge you sweet tooth when you are hungry or stressed. Have something that has a tinge of sweetness, if you must, but not that intense sugar rush--things like plain coconut milk, a few cashews, and some herbal tea. Or heavy cream on some berries, or perhaps you can get a flavored coffee, like hazelnut, and place a little heavy cream in it. Sugar is very addictive, and it is doubly addictive it seems when you eat it in extreme hunger or stress.
• Try to portion out your snack. Once again, you can grab a few generous handfuls, and another if you are still hungry after 15 minutes. That's totally okay, but don't eat out of the bag or the jar.

These are a few tips for snacking. I hope it helps, and if you have any suggestions for awesome low-carb snacks, then let me know. I'd be glad to hear from you!