NACHO AVERAGE SNACKS

The 5 best healthy snacks that will actually help you lose weight this winter – from cheesy muffins to caramel shakes

Plus, we reveal exactly how much protein you should be eating every day

IT'S December, and the supermarket shelves are packed full of chocolates, biscuits and mince pies.

While delicious, and an important part of the festive season, the calories, fat and sugar in these treats can quickly add up.

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The Sun Health team reveal their top healthy snacks to help you stay fuller for longer

A single mince pie can contain more than 300 calories, 10g of fat and more than 24g of sugar, while three triangles of Toblerone can set you back 528 calories, 28g of fat and a staggering 60g of sugar.

If you're trying to lose weight or stick to the NHS' recommended daily intake of 2,000 calories a day for women or 2,500 for men, this is the last thing you need.

Thankfully, Christmas snacks don't have to be unhealthy.

The key? Sticking to high-protein options that will help keep you full between meals.

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Nutritional Therapist Phoebe Liebling tells Sun Health: "Protein is the primary building material in our body.

"If you think about all the proteins we eat as long chains of pearls, each of those pearls is called an amino acid.

"When we digest protein, we break it up into those amino acids, which our body will then reconfigure to create muscles, bones, teeth, hair, skin, immune cells and hormones.

"Protein also has an impact on digestion, keeping us fuller for longer - therefore great if you're on a diet."

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Georgia Chilton, nutritionist at Fresh Fitness Food, adds: "Ensuring you’re consuming enough protein is important for general health, but also an important consideration when your goal is fat loss.

"Protein is thought to help compliance to calorie-restricted diets by increasing satiety and reducing hunger.

High-protein snack ideas that are quick and easy

"Also, when losing weight, it's important to maintain muscle mass, as muscle burns more calories at rest than fat.

"Therefore, consuming enough protein, alongside strength training, can help preserve lean muscle mass even as you drop body fat.

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"If you find it hard to get enough protein from food alone or sometimes need something quick and easy, on the go, adding in a protein-packed snacks can be a really helpful way to increase your protein intake."

From blueberry muffins to peanut butter slices, the Sun Health team reveal their favourites.

1. Protein-packed muffins

It might sound unappealing, but adding cottage cheese to your muffins is a great way to up your protein intakeCredit: Isabel Shaw

Whether it's in wraps or desserts, cottage cheese seems to be the food of the moment.

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And health reporter Isabel Shaw and her boyfriend are fully on board with the trend.

"Packed with protein and low in calories, this 1970s dinner party classic is making a bit of a comeback, at least on my TikTok algorithm," she says.

"My boyfriend eats it plain, straight from the pot, which I can’t quite wrap my head (or stomach) around.

"But in a bid to make use of the ever-growing tubs of curdled dairy crowding my fridge, I found a cottage cheese muffin recipe."

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