Do 100-Calorie Snack Packs Really Help with Weight Loss?

You may have tried every fad diet to hit the market, with little success.  Even the subscription services don’t seem to do much good in the long run.  And you can just forget about the online prescriptions meant to help you shed pounds.  The problem with most of these methods of weight loss is that they don’t address the underlying problems that cause people to gain weight in the first place.  Because of that, most people will lose initially, and then gain the weight back immediately after leaving the program or regimen.

There are two major issues with these diets: they don’t teach you how to form lifelong habits, for one thing, and for another, they don’t adequately address the issue of hunger.  So when it comes to snacking, you may be at somewhat of a loss as to how to proceed.  And the 100-calorie packs on the shelves can look like salvation.

But do they really help with weight loss?  The answer could be yes or no, depending on how you use them and which ones you choose.  The main goal of dieting is to lose weight and keep it off.  In order to do this, you can’t just tackle a temporary diet.  You need to form sustainable eating habits for life.  This includes cutting out a lot of unnecessary sugars, salts, additives, and preservatives that are commonly found in snack foods (which even 100-calorie snack packs contain).  This doesn’t mean that you can’t have any, but the more natural foods you incorporate into your diet, the fuller and healthier you’re going to feel in the long run.

The reason you want to avoid these foods it twofold.  First and foremost, they have little nutritional value.  They don’t provide you with vitamins, minerals, or other nutrients required to help your body function, so they are pretty much just empty calories (albeit only 100).  Secondly, they are often loaded with sugar.  What happens when you eat sugar is this: it burns off rapidly, providing only temporary satisfaction so that you are soon hungry again.

Does that sound good to anyone on a diet?  Probably not.  You’re going to be a lot better off adding natural, nutrient rich foods to your diet that will keep you fuller longer.  Need a sugar fix?  Try fruit instead.  Craving salt?  Reach for a handful of nuts.  While this can be difficult at first, you’ll find that sticking with it for just a few weeks will lead to fewer cravings for the stuff you gave up.

On the other hand, you don’t want to go overboard and push yourself too hard.  Anyone who has tried dieting knows what happens when you give up everything you love – eventually you end up falling off the wagon and bingeing.  In this regard, 100-calorie snack packs could be the savior of your diet.

If you can limit yourself to just one pack, once in a while, when the craving for sugar or salt is gnawing at you, then it could be just enough to keep you on track.  But if you can’t eat just one (and many of us can’t), then you’re better off filling your kitchen with fruits, veggies, and other healthy substitutes.  Keep in mind that you’ll be less likely to reach for snacks if there are none in your house (and an easy alternative is on hand).