Just because you’re trying to lose weight doesn’t mean you have to stick to a strict, uninspired food list. On the contrary: there’s a way you can lose weight and improve your overall health without cutting out any of your favorite meals and snacks.
In fact, with WW’s new PersonalPoints™ Program, no foods are off-limits—and the ones you simply can’t live without are purposefully factored in! After you join, you’ll answer a few questions about the foods you love the most in the new, powerful PersonalPoints™ Engine, which pairs your answers with the weight loss wisdom of WW nutrition experts to craft a program that’s 100% personalized to you and your goals.
When you join WW, you’ll be given a unique PersonalPoints™ Budget, which is an incentivizing new way to follow healthier habits every day. If you eat veggies, get active, or even drink water, you can add Points to your Budget.
Plus, you’ll get a completely personalized list of ZeroPoint™ foods—aka nutritional powerhouses that are full of lean protein, fiber, and healthy fats (making them critical to your overall health and weight loss goals). Since they form the base of a healthy eating pattern, ZeroPoint™ foods don’t add any PersonalPoints™ to your Budget, so you don’t have to weigh, track, or measure them—no matter how many you eat in a day!
For this reason, ZeroPoint™ foods are actually some of the best weight loss snacks. Some studies suggest that having a nutrient-dense, whole food snack that is higher in protein and fiber can help you stay on track with your weight loss goals by boosting satiety. Plus, snacks also contribute valuable nutrients to your daily diet.
Below is a list of some popular WW ZeroPoint™ foods that you can enjoy in your usual portion sizes (yes, no measuring or tracking here!). Of course, your WW PersonalPoints™ plan will be created just for you—so some or all of these will be considered ZeroPoint™ foods! And even if they don’t make it in your plan as ZeroPoint™ foods, they’re all still healthy choices.
With nearly 4 grams of fiber per 3-cup serving, it’s no wonder that popcorn is a great snack for weight loss. One Nutrition Journal study found that when participants ate popcorn as a snack, they reported feeling less hungry, more satisfied, and ate fewer calories later in the day compared to eating potato chips.
They might be fatty, but avocados are (brand-new!) ZeroPoint™ foods because they’re rich in health-promoting unsaturated fats and have been linked to weight loss. When women in a Journal of Nutrition study ate an avocado during one meal a day for 12 weeks, they experienced a reduction in visceral abdominal fat: the hard-to-target fat associated with a higher risk of health issues.
The creamy avocado compliments lean chicken (another ZeroPoint™ food) so well in this snack, which is great with a side of vegetables. For extra texture, add corn, and for some more protein, add hard-boiled eggs (also ZeroPoint™ foods!). For a ZeroPoint™ dressing, combine non-fat yogurt with lemon juice, salt, pepper, and an herb of your choice—dill, cilantro, or parsley.
Turn on the oven, because roasting a batch of chickpeas will help you reach your weight loss goals in 2022! In one study, people who ate beans and legumes four times a week lost 2.5 more pounds over eight weeks than their non-legume-eating peers. And did we mention chickpeas (and other beans) are ZeroPoint™ foods?
An apple a day may keep the doctor away and weight gain at bay. These fruits are low in calories; high in water (which makes them quite filling); and are a major source of micronutrients, satiating dietary fiber, and antioxidant polyphenols that may have anti-obesity effects. Studies show that by eating an apple a day for 4 to 12 weeks, you have a higher likelihood of weight loss compared to avoiding the fruit.
Don’t limit eggs to breakfast if you’re looking to lose weight and feel satisfied throughout the day. Hard-boiled eggs are ZeroPoint™ foods that are a high-protein addition to your weight loss plan. Each egg packs 6 grams of filling protein—a macronutrient that studies show can treat obesity and metabolic syndrome.
For a weight loss boost, consider eating cottage cheese as a bedtime snack. Florida State University researchers found that consuming 30 grams of protein from cottage cheese about 30 minutes before bed appeared to have a positive effect on muscle quality, metabolism, and overall health.
Pre-portioned and packaged, non-fat yogurt is one of the most convenient weight loss snacks you can have. A review of 22 studies concluded that yogurt consumption is associated with lower body fat, less weight gain, and smaller waist circumference. Because you’ll need to avoid yogurt with added sugars to reap the benefits of this ZeroPoint™ food, top this creamy snack with any of your favorite fruits like strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries.
As mentioned, your list of ZeroPoint™ foods will differ from the next person’s based on your personalized plan, but non-starchy vegetables are ZeroPoint™ foods for all plans, so feel free to snack on them as much as you’d like!
Vegetables like carrots, red bell peppers, and celery are water-rich and low in calories. Plus, they all contain satiety-boosting fiber—making them triple threats for weight loss. For example, when participants in a European Journal of Clinical Nutrition study were challenged to double their intake of vegetables, they lost up to 14 pounds over the course of a year! And this weight loss was significantly correlated with higher proportions of energy consumed as vegetables.
And there you have it! These are some of the best weight loss snacks that you can enjoy all year long and still reach your weight loss goals. For more info on WW’s new PersonalPoints™ Program, click here.
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