Low Calorie Treats to Keep You on Track During Weight Loss

Staying on track during a weight loss diet

When it comes time to wind down after a long day, many of us take to streaming a film/TV show. And for lots of us, we're used to eating something sweet at this point. Anecdotally, it's not unusual for many to consume the bulk of their calories from dinner onwards.

Now, this is perfectly fine if you're tracking your calorie/macronutrient intake; but not if you come home to "eat the house down" and slowly accumulate body fat incrementally for years!

So, when it comes to winding down snacks, we'd ideally like something calorie-dense like chocolate or popcorn.

But there's another alternative here -- pork crackling crisps.

Pork Crackling crisps -- low-calorie treats

You'd be forgiven for thinking these are super high in calories. But in reality, you're looking at (per packet):

36g of protein, and just 15 grams of fat, and next to no carbohydrates.

Now, it depends on what brand you buy, but you'll find macronutrients like the above within offerings at large supermarkets.

36 grams of protein is terrific; as we know protein is superior to carbohydrates of fat when it comes to satiety. 15 grams of fat is rather high, but not when we know we're going to have it and can prepare for it.

The point is, a large bag of chips would come with at least 50 grams of carbohydrates and more than 15 grams of fat, so this alternative is a great one.

Couple it with a diet soft drink, and you should be able to knock your cravings down particularly well!

Sugar-free jelly for dietary adherence

Imagine a whole tray of jelly that you can eat -- totally guilt-free!

Well, it's only a supermarket trip away. Getting hold of a sugar-free jelly sachet means you get a huge sweet meal with next to zero calories.

You can even eat two packets if you desire. The large supermarkets tend to stock the famous "Aeroplane jelly" whilst some have their own brands too.

The lack of calories come from the fact they use artificial sweeteners instead of sugar. Some are critical of the safety of these, but currently, the scientific literature suggests artificial sugars, notable aspartame, is safe.

Another study into the safety of aspartame concluded:

"Finally, the results of the extensive scientific research done to evaluate these allegations did not show a causal relationship between aspartame and adverse effects. Thus, the weight of scientific evidence confirms that, even in amounts many times what people typically consume, aspartame is safe for its intended uses as a sweetener and flavour enhancer".

And using common sense here, we wouldn't recommend necessarily having this every night in high doses, but knowing you have a great alternative to your favourite sweet foods is great.

Health and weight loss are about an all-around consistent approach; a consistent calorie deficit over a period of time trumps 3 weeks of a deficit followed by a week of blowing out into a calorie surplus.

Ready to eat pikelets for weight loss simplicity

Wait, what?

A high GI carbohydrate is going to fill us up?

Yep! The idea that high GI is more prone to putting on weight is bogus.

And in one of the most comprehensive studies ever done into carbohydrates, the humble white potato (high GI!) was found to be the BEST for satiety.

This was largely to do with the water found within it, which makes us feel fuller upon eating.

Further research confirms this, foods high in water improve satiety.

And guess what pikelets are largely made up of? 

Water!

Just one pikelet contains 10 grams of carbohydrates and about 1 gram of fat and protein.

So, no matter what your job you can take pikelets with you, factor them into your daily carbohydrate intake, and enjoy satiety on demand when you're feeling hungry!

You'll find pikelets at all the major supermarkets, and most have near-identical macronutrient profiles (but be sure to check anyway).

The bottom line is that you can consume low-calorie sweet foods to satisfy your cravings and ensure you stay on track with your weight loss diet. Pork crackling chips, sugar-free jelly, and pikelets are great foods that allow for this.