One of the toughest things about dieting is choosing snacks that both satisfy you and keep your calories under control. This is especially true if you’re used to snacking on potato chips and candy bars. But you don’t have to go it on your own. Here are some ideas for snacks that can help you curb those cravings.

• Air-popped or 94% fat free popcorn
• A handful of pistachio nuts or almonds
• Carrot sticks with a small amount of your favorite dip or dressing
• A small amount of dark chocolate – it will satisfy your chocolate craving and it’s healthy too!
• Yogurt
• A piece of fruit
• A spoonful of peanut butter
• A small bowl of whole-grain cereal
• A protein shake
• A tablespoon of raisins or other dried fruit

While this is by no means an exhaustive list, there are some guidelines you can follow when selecting snacks. Try to stay away from foods that are high in sugar or salt. These foods can cause you to crave more foods and retain water.

For example, it’s better to have a handful of nuts than a granola bar. Most granola bars are low in fat, but they have a lot of added sugar that you don’t need.

Also make sure that you keep your body hydrated. Hunger and thirst often feel the same. If you feel a little hungry, try drinking a glass of water and then wait a few minutes. You may find that you don’t really need a snack after all.

Making the switch to start eating healthier foods isn’t an easy transition to make. Most people want to eat healthier, but dread the prospect of letting go of their favorite dishes. It’s almost like losing a good friend for some people.

It is possible to have both and be happy. You can still enjoy some of those favorite melt-in-your-mouth dishes. All you need to do is to replace some of the more fattening ingredients with healthier alternatives and you have yourself a healthy dish! The dishes will still taste good. Here are some examples of ways you can make your favorite dishes healthier by substituting certain ingredients:

Bacon – A lot of our favorite recipes have bacon in them. You can still use bacon, but try a healthier version of it. Turkey bacon is healthier for you and most people like the taste of it. Another option is to use fake bacon since it has fewer fat grams and calories.

Eggs – Eggs are in numerous recipes – from pancakes to quiches and desserts! Too many eggs isn’t considered healthy for you. An alternative would be to try using egg substitute products or even egg whites instead of the egg in its entirety.

Flour – Try using whole wheat flour instead of the usual bleached white flour. Whole wheat flour is very healthy for you and it can add a little extra something to your favorite dishes. Whole wheat noodles are better for you too if you’re a pasta junkie.

Olive Oil – Olive oil is a healthier option you can use to cook your food than the normal oil and lard we use or that our food is cooked in at a restaurant. Use it as a substitute in your dishes in place of the corn oils. A few less calories add up to increased weight loss!

Chicken – Use chicken in your dishes, but makes sure to take the skin off. This is the unhealthiest part of the chicken. Chicken can be a great protein for you, but only when it’s without the skin.

Cocoa – Using cocoa instead of real chocolate for some dishes will be a healthier choice to make. It also gives you more control of what amount of sugar you want to place within the dish.

Honey – Sometimes honey can be used in place of sugar in your favorite recipes. It still gives you that sweet taste, but it’s better for your body. Of course you can also use artificial sweeteners if you like, but they don’t help you like honey does and some people don’t like the taste of them.

Eat healthier, but don’t give up all of your favorite dishes before you find out if there are healthier alternative ingredients you can use instead of some of the unhealthier ones that you normally put in your recipes.

Eating out with children can be a frustrating experience for any parent. Most will take the easy way out and choose the kid friendly fast food places that offer the processed foods kids like.

Unfortunately, most of those foods are fattening choices that hold little nutritional value for their growing bodies. Children can be a handful at restaurants and they can be finicky eaters as well, but you can make their meals healthier and more nutritious.

If you must go to a fast food restaurant, try to avoid the kid’s meals unless they offer healthy substitutes like fruit instead of fries. They usually contain fattening foods like chicken nuggets and fries.

If they want the double cheeseburger, downsize it to a junior burger and don’t let them add all of the mayonnaise and fried bacon so that you can eliminate some unnecessary fat while keeping their diet more in the nutritious range.

Take the meal to a park (or to your home) to avoid having them be tempted by seeing what other kids are eating. Sometimes parents give in to their children’s demands and buy fattening fries just to avoid the embarrassing tantrums they can throw in the restaurant.

Many restaurants where you sit down to eat have healthier menu options. If your child is rambunctious, go to one where the kids can color on their menu. Or play games with them until the food comes, like, “ I see something that starts with the letter A” – and let them have fun trying to guess what it is.

This helps encourage them to eat healthier choices for their meals because they don’t develop a reliance on drive-through fare. Try to make compromises on their food choices.

See if they’ll go for toast with jam instead of the fattening pastry treats they usually like to have. A little extra sugar-free jam on whole grain toast is still better than a sugar-laden donut.

Children can eat healthy if you try some unique ways to sway their choices from the non-nutritional items they’ve grown accustomed to ordering. Be persistent but flexible as your child navigates a new way of eating healthy.

Eating out at a restaurant is a pleasurable experience as far as getting waited on and enjoying the relaxing atmosphere. But the other side to it is that it can wind up being more fattening than just enjoying a meal at home.

There’s nothing wrong with letting a restaurant cook for you – as long as you do some thinking ahead and special requesting when you order. Here are some tips to keep in mind for a healthier meal out.

Choose a healthier restaurant – Try going to the places that advertise healthier menu choices. Some restaurants have special sections on their menus specifically for low calorie or low fat food choices. Don’t be afraid to speak up and request something off the menu.

Dressing on the side – Salads are healthy choices, but some places put too much dressing on their salads, which can cost you unnecessary calories and fat. Simply order the dressing to come on the side and you can control the amount that goes on to your salad.

Choose places that cook with olive oil – Most restaurants will cook with fattening butter, because it’s less expensive for them than healthier olive oil. Don’t be afraid to ask whether a restaurant uses butter or olive oil to cook with – and request that your meal be prepared without lard or butter.

Omit items – If you just have to have that juicy burger, consider ordering it without the cheese, bacon or mayonnaise (or even the bun)! Sometimes, omitting the cheese alone can save you as much as 25g of fat.

Avoid Buffets – The foods that you see in the buffets are ones the restaurants can easily make in bulk. These usually turn out to be fattening fried foods or pasta dishes. If you think you can easily steer clear of the fattening items and stick with healthier salads and foods, then go ahead and enjoy the buffet!

There’s nothing wrong with eating out once in awhile as long as you don’t overdo it. Don’t just watch what you order, but consider the size of the portions, too. Ask for a to go box right when your food comes and put half of the food in it for you to eat as leftovers the next day.