A Food Journal. I track everything I eat by writing it down in a day planner. It helps me immensely when it comes to staying mindful of my eating, and helps me prioritize what I should be eating and even when I can splurge.
Protein Bars. These have been great to get me by for breakfasts (allowing me more calories later in the day) or as filling snacks and treats. I started with Atkins Bars, but switched out to Pure Protein Bars and eventually discovered Quest Bars. By far, the Quest ones seem the healthiest because they don't use artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohols, and to me they're chewy and satisfying. If you ever decide to try protein bars, read the labels and watch for added sugar, they're not all alike!
Protein Powder. I don't have them as often now, but whenever I make breakfast smoothies with frozen berries, spinach, and yogurt, I like to add a scoop of protein powder as a supplement. It makes for a yummy dessert-like treat that's completely reasonable in calories. I like to use the Pure Protein brand in the vanilla flavor, since it provides a neutral flavor for the berries and doesn't have artificial sweeteners.
Large Plastic Bowl with Lid. I have a specific bowl I fell in love with from Walmart, but of course any seal-able bowl will do. I chop up a
big batch of salad to keep in the bowl for several days. Being tightly sealed can keep it fresh for over a week! And since it's so easy to pull it out, grab a serving, and stick it back in the fridge, I have no excuse not to get some fresh veggies in with each and every meal.
VitaCakes. With no preservatives and only 50 calories each, I can get my chocolate fix and not be tempted to go overboard and binge on them. I've found them at Walmart (in the freezer near the breakfast items), but they can also be ordered online.
