Favorite healthy snacks?
Hi ladies! I need low cal foods that give me energy and/or are filling. I don't like to cook and I am bad about eating fresh fruits and veggies b/c I'm the only one in my house that eats them.Here are some of my faves at the moment:Mexi salad: 1/2 canned beans (usu black beans), 1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes, 1/2 cup canned corn, some diced green onion, and a squirt of Sriracha. That's only about 230 calories. Sometimes I add 1/4 cup shredded cheese, if it's a light meal instead of a snack, or a serving of fat free sour cream :PGenisoy soy crisps! each little crisp is about the size of a mini Quaker rice cake, but they have more protein and fewer empty calories than the Quaker version. You can eat 17 of these yummy crisps, and it has only 110 calories and 5 grams of protein.Also, hungry-girl.com is a great site for quick and dirty recipes that copy a high calorie version...but I really don't even cook enough to do that. So, Megettes, what are your quick and easy snacks/meals that keep you healthy and satisfied?
I love popcorn. Just get the light or plain variety. It's ridiculously filling for low calories. Another thing that I like to do is freeze grapes. I know that probably sounds weird, but they're good. It actually gives them some texture other than mush, haha. I often eat those when I'm jonesing for ice cream. I know these aren't the most creative options, but they work :)Your mexi salad sounds really good, I'm definitely doing to make some.
I know you said that you don't eat alot of fruit/veggies because you are the only one that eats it. But, you can get single size portions of fruit salad at the grocery store. Also bananas, apples, oranges, carrot sticks etc usually keep well. I also eat alot of nuts and seeds-- they are higher calorie, but they are very satisfying and curb hunger. Also, I like to eat air-popped popcorn, string cheese, fruit smoothies and yogurt for snacks. As for healthy meals, we grill all year round. We usually marinated chicken breast or salmon, whole grain brown rice and steamed veggies or sushi takeout. Ok, I am getting hungry now talking about this food!
I love peanut butter. I don't eat meat, so I've got to get my protein somewhere. Peanut butter is my favorite source. Sometimes, I'll just eat a big spoonful. Other times, I'll smear some on crackers. It's great!
Brown rice vegatable sushi rolls. Fills you up and I leave out the mayo.Artcandy
♥Robyn♥
Sushi all the way...but if my sweet tooth pokes me, I usually have finely cut fresh strawberries with a little hint of syrup (Meijer's or any other brand), if you like add some blueberries. It's healthy and leaves you with the feeling you ate something "good":-).
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I love this post because as a diabetic...I'm a six small meals a day snacker. Here are some things I love.Baked Pita Chips with Tzatziki (greek cucumber dip...YUMMY at Trader Joe's)Garlic Hummus and pretzel sticksLowfat String Cheese and Baby BelsBlueberriesSteamed Dim SumSushiApple slices and a LITTLE peanut butterPickle Spears wrapped in low fat turkey sliceLowfat Cottage Cheese and peaches or pineappleBaked Tortilla chips and salsaShrimp Cocktail (I just buy the less expensive small salad shrimp and dip in yummy cocktail sauce...very low fat and calories!)Sliced cucumbers and Rice Vinegar with a little salt YUM!!!Sliced grape Tomatoes with a little Balsamic Vinegar, salt and fresh basil (add a touch of olive oil and lowfat mozzerella balls for a yummy fresh salad)Laughing Cow Lowfat garlic or swiss cheese spread on whole grain crackersScrambled Eggs topped with salsaLowfat pepper turkey jerky (not teriyaki...adds to much sugar)Here's a link for EASY homemade Tzatziki...LOTS of greek foods are very lowfat and healthy. Use the Tzatziki in a pita with some grilled chicken and veggies...YUMMY!!!http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2007/07/worlds-best-tzatziki-sauce-rec...
Love, hugs and shoes...Angie
Angie - great recipe for Tzatziki. I'm going to make it tonight!I depend on snack foods to keep me on the right path. Hungry Girl rocks! Besides the recipes, she also shares great ideas for low-calorie snack foods. The suggestions you've already received are all great. Rather than repeat them, let me suggest adding the following:* plain almonds (get them in a box of individually packaged 100 calorie bags. This is great emergency food to keep in your purse.* Fiber One bars. YUM.* Quakes in their myriad incarnations. I haven't tried GenSoy yet but will.* Freeze dried fruit - not to be confused with regular ol' dried fruit.* Lesser Evil snacks (popcorn and Krunchy Sticks that taste like fries)* PopChips - only place I've found them is at Target, and it's worth the trip. They are better tasting than baked chips. Try the BBQ flavor.* For treats - Edy's frozen fruit bars and anything by Skinny Cow. * And if no one else will eat the fruit and veggies, so what? More for you! I always have them in the house. I am devoted to Farmers Markets and you can get things in small quantities there.Best wishes to you!
Carole
Those are great, thanks brittanyk! I love regular old potato chips, so popcorn would be a good alternative :)
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@bhupatel472, I also love peanut butter! I don't eat meat either, so peanut butter is great, although a little fatty. I actually just found about this powdered peanut butter that only has 2 grams of fat, and 54 calories per 2 tablespoon serving! Apparently they expelled the extra oil and made the peanut butter into powder. I'm probably going to buy some eventually, so I'll let you know how it is! :)
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Almonds are great for your heart and very filling! They will keep you full and have a ton of protein and good for you oils!Also, wheat based cereals like frosted mini wheats will keep you full for a longer time.
wow, sweetassgal, those are awesome suggestions. And so many of them! I love caprese salad (tomato, mozzarella, EVOO, balsamic and basil), so I'll definitely have to pick some up next time I'm at the store. I haven't tried Baby bels yet, but I have tried the Laughing Cow light swiss and it's pretty good! I love garlic, so I'm going to check that out too... And omg, tzatziki is one of my alltime favorite sauces. That recipe actually seems easy enough for me to do, and it's nice that it'll keep for a few days.
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rere and cac, almonds are one of my favorite snacks. They're so portable (I throw some in a little snack bag and always have some in my purse) and have a long shelf life!cac, those are great suggestions! I also love Fiber one bars--seriously, they taste like those Quaker Chewy bars, but they have tons more fiber! The freeze dried fruit is a really great idea (and non perishable!). Do you have any favorite brands or fruits? Is that something they carry at Trader Joe's? It seems like the sort of thing they would have.
♥ Lipgloss and Spandex: a blog for gals who look good and run fast
Oops I forgot to post the link for that powdered peanut butter:http://www.bellplantation.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=...You mix 2 Tb of the powder w/1 Tb of water to reconstitute it, or you can just put the powder straight into your oatmeal, smoothie, etc. They even have a powdered Chocolate PB! Mostly it's online, but you can search to see if any retailers near you have it.
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This is a great topic! I love snacking and eating little meals throughout the day, so the ideas that you ladies have posted are great.As for me, I like eating baby carrots with hummus or low-fat cottage cheese as a dip. Also, low-fat plain yogurt + frozen or fresh blueberries and strawberries is delicious, and can cut down on some sugar that prepackaged fruit yogurts have. If you have a hard time eating fruits and veggies,do you like fruit juice? I like buying juice boxes called Fruitables from Apple and Eve. They use fruit and vegetables, so each box is 1 serving of fruits and veggies, and it has less sugar than you'd typically find in a juice box. AND you get to relive kindergarten. :DIn terms of more meal-y things, if you don't like to cook often, you can make big batches of soup and freeze. One of my faves is lentil soup, which is full of fiber and delicious.
I like pretzels, wheat crackers dipped in hummus (roasted pepper usually), pb on celery (with raisins, of course!) or apple slices, granola, chocolate soy pudding, Tofutti cuties, nuts (cashews especially!), chopped melon.. and a lot of other things that were already mentioned. :)
Oh, good topic! During the summer when tomatoes and fresh herbs are abundant, I love to make tabooli - super healthy, flavorful & filling. Makes a great lunch, snack, etc. All amounts listed are approximate and can be adjusted to taste. INGREDIENTS:1 cup bulgur wheat (a grain) - can be bought packaged or in bulk2 green onions, chopped1 cucumber, diced2 tomatoes, diced1 bunch parsley, chopped1 cup mint, choppedjuice from 2 lemons2 tablespoons olive oilDIRECTIONS:Cook bulgur wheat according to package instructions. Cool until chilled in refrigerator. Add remaining ingredients. Keeps well in refrigerator for up to a week.
I love snacking on natural nuts and seeds. I love veggies and hummus. And I love snaking on any fruits, especially berries. I also love snacking on Goji berries (great super food). And sushi and sashimi anytime, three meals a day sometimes ;-) Another one is Fiber One cereal with rice milk or almond milk, goji berries and blueberries, that usualy satified any craving I might have.
Im a big fan of... Not cooking for ever... and Im on this really strick diet. So for dinner every night I would eat basically the same thing and it filled me up.Minute RiceKidney Beans(a protein Chicken or 7 percent fat hamburger or ground turkey)If I had the chicken I could have a little 2 percent cheese in it too.And once it was done cooking I just put it all in a big bowl and stirred it up and ate it!!LolBut I loved it!I love those little 100 calorie snacksand I eat an apple every day at work
Tan is Love
I'm glad other people are enjoying this forum post too :)@kimmielocks--I do love fruit juice! (I love fresh fruits and veggies too, but they always seem to go bad before I get around to eating them...) Those juiceboxes sound fab :) Lentil soup is one of my faves too... I should look up some recipes!@hrhtracey, I'm not usually a pretzel fan, but a friend of mine has gotten me hooked on Honey Wheat pretzel twists! I need my carbs :D but they taste delicious and a nice snack. I've been eyeing those Tofutti cuties at the store too... I love soy yogurt more than real yogurt, so I might have to try those cuties too :)@lbrhodes, thanks for the recipe! I really appreciate you including something that'll last awhile in the fridge. Esp with the summer heat, a nice cool batch of taboulleh (?) sounds delicious!@lulu, I love Fiber One bars, they're awesome! I haven't tried the cereal yet, but it sounds delicious. They even have muffin mix and I'm dying to try it!
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Oh, the pretzel twists are yummy! I also like the honey mustard pretzel crisps.. it's supposed to be like a cross between a pretzel and a chip, which is strange but tasty. I definitely recommend the cuties! I think they taste better than the Tofutti brand ice cream. For that my favorite is Trader Joe's brand, Soy Creamy. The Cherry Chocolate Chip is to die for! :)
hrhtracey--I just tried Tofutti Cuties for the first time! OMG they are amazing. My grandma is lactose intolerant (I am as well, to a lesser degree), so we decided to give these a try and were thrilled! Delicious, but just the right size, and not too bad in the calorie department!Another one of my fave healthy snacks is veggie jerky! I'm vegetarian but I miss my beef jerky :( Some of my favorite alternatives: Tofurky Jerky in peppered is good (original is a little bland). Primal strips makes really good fake jerky--probably one of my favorites! They come in several flavors, including thai, mesquite lime, and teriyaki, among others. These are all good options in terms of low-cal, high protein snackies that taste pretty darn good! I actually gave some to my running buddies today and they were surprised by how good the peppered tofurky jerky was! :DStonewall jerky is not good, in my opinion, although my grandpa didn't mind the odd taste too much.
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Personally when I snack I crave sugars - so for me, anything fruit-based or fruit-flavored is a healthier than the alternative (really, really unhealthy food). Even if you're bad with FRESH fruits/veggies, here are some good alternatives -dried fruits. costco has good ones!-YOGURT! if you haven't tried the new whipped kind, you're missing out :)-like someone said before, the individual packed fruit salads-fruit snacksHope that helps :)
xoxo
Bluedevilkitty - The best (IMO) freeze dried fruit brand is Crispy Green. I'm crazy for all their fruits, but the banana is to die for! They are kind of pricey - but if they keep me out of the bakery section, they're worth it! I get them at Fresh Market; don't know about Trader Joe's since we don't have them in Memphis. Another very good alternative is Brothers All Natural Crisps, which you can get at Costco. They come in individual serving packs - packaged in a big box. The fruits are apple and asian pear.
Carole
I'm glad you liked them, bluedevilkitty! Which flavor were they? I'm lactose intolerant as well, I can handle a little bit of dairy here and there, but anything with a lot of cream or cheese means I need to take pills first (like for spinach dip.. I loooove spinach dip). With ice cream, it's just SO much dairy that I don't bother. I've tried a lot of different brands, and the ones I keep going back to are Tofutti (for the cuties, lol), and Trader Joe's. I do still want to try the Tofutti Totally Fudge and Dessert Bars. I also use the Tofutti Bette than Cream Cheese and Sour Cream, although the sour cream is a little... off. I want to say it's kind of wheaty tasting? Very thick, too.I haven't found a jerkey that I like, although I don't like spicy things so I haven't tried many. I'll have to see if I can find the Primal strips!
carole--you had me at "costco"!! I will definitely check those out next time I'm there. costco also has these great Trio bars by Mrs. May's that I like. They're basically nuts and fruit held together with a little sugar so they're pretty good for you :) LOTS of protein.hrhtracey--we got the vanilla sandwich kind. Is the chocolate kind better? That's good info to know! I'm not supersensitive to dairy (no pills needed) but it does make me pretty gassy :(
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I haven't tried the vanilla, but then again I'm a gal about chocolate. ;) I really like the chocolate ones, as well as the mint chocolate chip. I want to try the Cookies and Cream, and Strawberry and Chocolate Wave.
Gigi, keep drinking the water. No, this is not like the "drink the kool-aid children" from that cult!! But I've read many times that sometimes we think we're hungry, but really we're thirsty. Well, what do you think about that? Water has 0 calories - and whatever we want to eat has lots more than 0, right? Blue - thanks for the tip about the Trio bars. I don't know about them but will surely be checking them out the next time I'm at Costco.Also - ladies - have you heard of holey donuts? Check them out!! You can only get them on line, and you have to buy more than you'd think just to get them sent to you. So it's great to share with a friend or two. They come frozen and you can keep them frozen til you want to eat one. Then you can let it naturally defrost or microwave it. They are GOOOOOD! And low-fat, and low calorie (considering they are donuts, after all). Check out their website. I got my order a few days ago - and my hub ate a whole box in one sitting! Six coconut donuts. Not a crumb left for me - and I am the Princess of Coconut. How rude!
Carole
Starbucks has a smoothie type drink called a Vivanno, it has fiber and protein, I can't remember the exact grams of each, but it's a good amount, and they are only 250 calories, they really fill you up and keep you full for quite some time. My favorite is the chocolate bananna, but they also have mango banana, and a new one, I think strawberry banana, I haven't tried that one yet.
Gigi--I totally agree about the water, especially since it's hot, and especially for those of us ladies working out in the sun!Carole--I hope you like the Trio bars as much as I do! They're really great. I haven't heard of holey donuts, but I'm a donut lover so I might just have to give them a try.erica--I had no idea that the vivanno has fiber and protein, I thought they were just trying to catch onto the summer smoothie trend! I will def have to check those out, especially since I'll be roadtripping with my family, and will need some healthy fastfood options :)
♥ Lipgloss and Spandex: a blog for gals who look good and run fast
I love to snack on garlic hummus and baby carrots. The hummus is a great source of protein. It also goes great with pretzel sticks and pita chips!yum
NanoGreens! I have a shake for a meal at least once a day. I mix nanogreens and NanoPro (whey protein) shake mixes together with water for a super human meal! The taste is pretty good. At 190 cal, 4g fat, 11g carbs, 26g protein it's perfect for me because if I even smell bread I get fat. Here's a link:http://www.nano-greens.com/ You can order a sample!I also like edamame. You can find it in the frozen veggies at you grocery store. I microwave a bag 3 minutes and toss them with with sea salt. Very tasty and my kids like them too!I also REALLY like the Oh Yeah bar from my local health food store, especially when I'm craving sweets.Trail mix is another favorite.Baked sweet potatoe is another.
You can't go wrong with bananas. Whenever you feel hungry snack on those. Nuts are good too, they say that you should eat them raw, never toasted. For almonds, you must soak them in water overnight before eating them. :)
saran--I do love hummus! yum! and there are so many varieties :)michelle--I love edamame, it's delicious and easy! Baked sweet potatoes are also good but I like to put butter on them :( Trail mix is great, but I usually make my own because I don't like peanuts (my mix is usually just some raw almonds and Craisins, but it's my fave!) I've never tried those green type drinks... well I did try the Odwalla green smoothie thing, but not the ones you make yourself... what does the Nanogreen stuff taste like? I'll have to look for the Oh Year bars!nina--I do love bananas, but I'm kind of picky and only eat them when they're perfectly yellow :P I know I know... but they taste too strong once they start turning brown/getting spots! I love raw almonds, but I've never soaked them in water. Everyone I know eats them raw, straight from the bag... why do you need to soak them?
♥ Lipgloss and Spandex: a blog for gals who look good and run fast
My favorite is the garlic lovers hummus, it's so good! I even put a scoop of it into fresh guacamole, it makes it so creamy!
Oooh, saran, I'd never thought of putting hummus in guacamole before.. that sounds tasty!I'll definitely have to try it sometime. I never used to be an avocado fan until I had vegan sushi at Koi in Vegas (for sushi I usually get veggie rolls with cream cheese). The avocado was such a perfect replacement for cream cheese that I started branching out and trying it on different things. Somewhat recently I had a veggie burger at Max and Erma's that had guacamole on it.. SO unbelievably delicious! I've had it twice so far, and even though it's ginmormous I couldn't stop eating it until it was all gone!
Smoothies!!! Amazing way to get fruits into your diet, add some yogurt and ice cubes, you get milk and about a cup of water!I also love yogurt parfaits. Vanilla yogurt (non fat, low fat, your choice), and cut of some berries and throw it in there! DELISH!
nuts, cottage cheese, no-sugar-added yoghurt, string cheese.
I'm a sucker for packaged stuff, so 100 calorie packs have been a lifesaver for me. They keep me in check but I still get a little fix of the good stuff.
BlueberriesWatermelonRaw almondsCashewsCottage cheeseCarrot sticks with HummusGoat cheeseLARA bars
I freeze GRAPES too and I am so happy to find someone who do the same pickles are veryyy lowww calories it's almost unlmitedpineapple is sweet yea but burn calories too =)
Chloe http://thehollywoodheels.blogspot.com
milamaas--I've heard awesome things about LARA bars... I need to try one :)I guess I just need to eat more fruit! It has lots of volume but few calories so I can afford to eat often, since I always am hungry! Like, an hour after I eat!
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I make a trail type mix with almonds, dried cranberries, walnuts & yogurt chocolate covered raisins. Although you can only eat about 2 tbsp. at a time due to the fat content in the nuts. It is super filling though and gets me through the morning until lunch.I also really love the Kashi cherry dark chocolate bars. They are super delicious and they're only like 90 calories.
I forgot my favorite snack of all! - dannon light & fit vanilla yogurt with a handful of blueberries. This is so delicious and fills me for hours. Sometimes I add granola, but I think it's a little better without it.
mmmm this is making me hungry!!
hrtracey..I love sushi! It's so good! I haven't been to Vegas in years, but when I do go I can't wait to go to Koi!I've also been a big fruit kick lately, maybe cause it's hot out.I go to Sam's club (like Costco) and buy a fruit platter-it's not too big not too small. It has a few different kinds-pineapple, cantaloupe, honeydew, grapes ect. The best part is that it's already cut up and cleaned for you! It lasts me like four days and it's so good! Right now pineapple is awesome, I guess it's in season. Chloe-I didn't know it also burns calories-how cool is that!
I love to snack on chex mix instead of potato chips!
Definitely check out Koi the next time you're there, saran! It's a really beautiful restaurant, and the food is amazingly delicious. I even took pictures of it, lol (because I'm a dork who likes to take pictures of EVERYTHING). I didn't get one of my sushi, but I got one of my veggie tempura!: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=41842&id=792157484#/photo.php?pid=... My mouth is watering just thinking about it, lol! I have some TJ's tempura in the freezer, maybe I'll have that tonight..We went to TJ's last night and I got a lot of snacky items since we had none.. I was really interested in the sweet potato chips, but they're a let down, sadly. I'm also on a fruit kick (usually am, it's yummy!), and got some really delicious looking raspberries, I want to make a smoothie with them. :)
As silly as this sounds I have been on a cucumber kick lately and they are good for you
One day...
I'm getting soooo hungry reading all of these!I like to snack on almonds or fruit.
My boyfriend and I are on diets so I plan on using all your recipes!