Pumpkin seeds may be small, but they are full of valuable nutrients and filling healthy fats and fiber.

One of the challenges with choosing the right snack. Snacks can be full of processed fats and carbohydrates that will hinder satiety and have you looking for more soon after you consume them. Pumpkin seeds or pepitas (toasted and shelled pumpkin seeds) are a near-perfect snack. Eating only a small amount of them can provide you with a substantial quantity of healthy fats, fiber, magnesium, and zinc.

Despite the lack of research, I suspect pumpkin seeds are one of the best snacks to assist with weight loss. They are very dense and heavy foods that help you keep satiated for a longer period of time after meals. Pumpkin seeds are high in fiber and this makes perfect sense that they would lead to a lengthening of the time for your body to digest and absorb food. This should keep you feeling full and avoid the comfort foods you craving. 

Pumpkin seeds also help improve insulin regulation and thus reduce insulin resistance. This effect would keep your blood sugar lower and your hunger suppressed. These seeds are a rich source of digestible protein that helps stabilize blood sugar levels. This effect is another reason pumpkin seeds are one of the best snacks to lose weight.

The bottom line: Pumpkin seeds or pepitas will keep you feeling full longer and stabilize your blood sugar and insulin levels. I recommend you have a handful of unsalted pumpkin seeds as a part of your healthy mid-day snack.