11 Best Snacks for Rapid Weight Loss

This Greek yogurt is a proven weight-loss winner: Vitamin D and calcium unite to shut down the belly-flab-producing hormone cortisol, while the high protein content helps build fat-torching lean muscle mass. As long as you skip over the skim variety (2% will keep you feeling fuller, and it's good fat) and stick with plain (fruit or honey = dessert), you've got a rich-tasting snack with a reasonable amount of sugar. For more great options, check out these Best Brand-Name Yogurts for Weight Loss.

Along with other legumes, chickpeas are a new weight-loss superfood. Their high fiber and protein content increases satiety, and a number of studies have shown that people who add them to a reduced-calorie diet lose more weight and have lower cholesterol. Reach for these the next time you have a chips craving, and you'll feel better about yourself the next morning (particularly if you use these to help power through a workout).

Almonds are weight-loss magic bullets, thanks to the amino acid L-arginine, which helps build lean muscle and, according to Mayo Clinic researchers, reduces belly fat. In breaking news, you don't have to eat them plain: This Starbucksian flavor makes them a treat, and they even contain caffeine (25mg, about the amount in ¼ cup of coffee), which has been shown to trigger lipolysis, a.k.a. the breakdown of fat cells.

Chickpeas are a weight-loss superstar: Along with other members of the legume family, they make you feel fuller longer and lower body mass by releasing cholecystokinin, an appetite-suppressing hormone. This snack's good balance of proteins and fats make hummus a comfort food in more ways than one.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Almond butter: So good for you, previously somewhat impractical as a snack (unless you were willing to go full-on "eccentric" and haul out a full jar on the subway or at a red light). No more. These single-serving packets deliver almond butter's holy trifecta of protein, good fats and the belly-burning amino acid L-arginine, an ideal pre- or post-gym pick-me-up.

If you absolutely must satisfy a craving for chips, make it these: They're made with avocado oil, which is an unsung weight-loss superfood. Researchers at Penn State University found that people who consumed avocado oil lost more belly fat than those who didn't. The reason is oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that boosts energy and suppresses hunger.

You've probably heard that almond butter is a weight-loss winner (see above), but you may not have considered its coconut cousin. You should. The medium-chain triglycerides in coconut burn as clean energy instead of hanging around the body as flab: A study published in the journal Pharmacology found that men who ate two tablespoons of coconut oil a day for one month reduced their waist size by an inch.

This snack bar has three fat-burning superfoods in one: Pomegranate is dense in cell-repairing antioxidants; the fat-burning phytochemicals in blueberries make them one of the most powerful fruits for fat loss; and researchers at the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition found that pistachios have the power to reduce BMI.

These only look like french fries. Lentils are part of the legume family, which researchers have found can accelerate fat burning. A recent Spanish study found that people who followed a reduced-calorie diet and ate four servings of legumes a week lost more weight than those who didn't—a good reason to reach for beans and lentils at snacktime.

This snack brings together a crazy number of fat-burning foods: Pistachios have been shown to reduce belly flab, almonds contain a compound that reduces the amount of fat absorbed by the body, and according to a study at the University of Michigan, tart cherries have the ability to turn off fat genes. Plus, black pepper is one of the best spices for fat loss. Check out more of the 7 Best Foods for Rapid Weight Loss.