I use the 100 cal Ritz snack mix. When I crave crackers or salt, it works and I don't have to worry about portions. Skinny Cow ice cream sandwichs are great for a sweet tooth. Usually when I am looking for a snack I will have a serving of veggies (I prepare in advance and keep in the frig) and then see if I still want something. Most of the time thats enough.

My snack cabinet is full of the 100 calorie snacks. I love them. I'm able to keep track of the "snack" calories I'm taking in. I'm still losing weight eating them. I also do limit myself to one a day (strong will power i guess). I love snacking especially when depressed. I also love grapefruits.

I just realized something kind of funny. After all of this. I didn't have any snack packs at all yesterday. I obviously didn't miss it. Even after talking about them all day yesterday here, I didn't think about actually eating one! That seems a little odd to me. So maybe my brain is reprogramming itself already. They say it takes 21 days to create a new habit. I know this is true because I see my habits changing constantly lately and it's bee about 4 weeks now. Maybe I'm not as dependent on chocolate as I think I am. I even made chocolate chip cookies yesterday for my dc kids and didn't even have a desire to touch one. Oh, wait, I did have a smart ones cookie dough ice cream sundae, that's right I forgot about that. But it's not a snack pack so I guess it still counts as not eating a snack pack right?? And I still get credit for not even touching the cookies too.

I don't believe the hype that all these "Whole Foods" advocates say... yes, I understand that it's healthier to use all fresh natural healthy foods. But guess what? Sprinkling cocoa powder on a head of broccoli doesn't quite work, does it?

I belive that snacks in MODERATION are *essential* to successful dieting. If you say you can no longer have anything with chocolate in it, you WILL FAIL. Of course!

If it's 100 calories and you can limit it to 1 bag, then do it!! Whose to say those 100 calories are any worse than 100 calories in an english muffin or a hardboiled egg? A calorie is a calorie--- as long as you're getting nutrition in your day from other meals, who CARES if there's no "real" nutrition in your one little bag of treats? Get it other places and you're good. The problem happens when people subsist on a low calorie diet ENTIRELY from lean cuisines, snack packs, etc etc etc.... you need fruits and veggies and real proteins. BUT one snack bag isn't going to do you harm.

As for snacks... I find that when I go to parties (even pre-diet) that I would gravitate towards the veggie tray with the Hidden Valley Ranch Dip... and INHALE it. So I figure, hey, I like it and it's got super healthy veggies in it! So now I cut up my fav veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, celery, carrots) and use LIGHT sour cream and a pack of the ranch mix. 2 tbsp of dip and all the veggies you can eat until the dip is gone makes for a MIGHTY filling snack that's really good for you (I personally go by the weight watchers belief that a non-starchy veggie is so low in calories and so good for you that it basically doesn't count) It's like 50 calories in 2 tbsp of dip if you use light sour cream (I personally don't like the fat free... the light already tastes kinda "off" but the fat free is VERY off in my opinion)

I also LOVE the Jello Pudding Snacks Sugar Free (it's only 60 calories). I have a MAJOR sweet tooth and am a chocoholic and would rather have many spoonfulls of this than 2 tiny squares of dark chocolate.

I also like the Frigo Cheeseheads Light string cheese (only 60 calories each).

When I NEED a really bad for you snack, I portion out a serving or two of brownie mix and make it with WAY less oil and half cook it in a mini cupcake pan in my toaster oven--- eating it half-cooked means I don't notice how the oil affected the rising... and I can ONLY eat the one serving b/c there's no more to shove in my mouth. And it's like eating hot fudge AND a brownie...yummmmm...

Jen, Have you tried replacing the oil with canned pumpkin (just brownie mix and pumpkin)? To me, it tastes like a fudge-y brownie. After baking, they freeze pretty well too. I usually make a batch, give half to my friend, take the other half and freeze individual portions. Then, you can microwave them, and they're warm and tasty. Plus, I'm less likely to binge on something that has some sort of preparation step. Like, if there was a pan of warm brownies in front of me, I'd eat the whole thing. If they're frozen individually and I have to take the time to heat them up, I'll think before binging.

Hmmmmm.... very interesting! Thanks scgirl!

I'm glad to meet someone else on here who admits to still going to old favorites (but making a healthy switch, which is nice!)

Do you buy regular old canned pumpkin, or unsweetened? (I've never personally seen it unsweetened, but apparently a lot of people on here use it for other stuff)

That's a clever idea and good to know it freezes well, too. I would be MUCH more inclined to take out the single serving (like a hostess cupcake! lol) and nuke it and eat instead of a granola bar or something like that.

Thanks!

I just use regular canned pumpkin. I didn't know there was such as thing as sweetened vs. unsweetened. To be honest, the stuff I use doesn't taste sweetened to me (I like to eat it like pudding, but I always add Splenda and cinnamon). Anyways, I just use one box of fudge brownie mix and one can of pumpkin. Mix it together and bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees. I usually cut it up into about 20-24 pieces. They're really rich, so a little bit heated up with some SF Cool Whip and sliced strawberries is insanely good!!!

Applesauce is also a good fat substitute in baking. You sub it 1:1 for oil or butter. You lose a little in the texture, but save big time in the calories.

Btw, dark chocolate is a "whole food".

Myself I won't eat things like 100 calorie packs. I eat very little in the way of processed foods. I honestly do not trust the government to police the companies making this stuff. But my reasons for this are strictly health based and not weight loss based. Plus, they are mine reasons, not yours.

You need to find what is going to work for you. If you are eating healthy food the rest of the day I don't think having a 100 calorie pack is terrible. I really like the idea of 90% healthy food and 10% discretionary food. I'm in awe that you didn't want a home made cookie! That is usually what I end up having as my treat (when I make them.)

BTW, I'm going to agree with everyone that 100 calories of high quality dark chocolate is so much more satisfying to me then most treats! Not to mention that studies are starting to show just how healthy pure dark chocolate is.

100 calorie packs were kind of training wheels for me. I started off with one a day, sometimes more- especially for my sweet tooth after lunch. Now, I don't even enjoy most of them (too processed for my palate)

For sweet treats- I love apples, they're filling and just right, one or two small pieces of chocolate, one "real" cookie or brownie, or homemade chocolate mousse, lazy style. Mix sugar free pudding mix with coolwhip and just a touch of cocoa powder. Quite yummy. Or, I'll bake some frozen peaches with brown sugar, splenda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and just an eensy eensy bit (like 1/8 tbsp) butter. Or, cut a banana inhalf, brush it with a really light dusting of rum (I heart coconut) and a bit of cinnamon. Broil it just until the top carmelizes.

I say if having a 100 calorie pack keeps you from splurging on higher calorie desserts, go for it! The whole point to me of calorie counting is finding a way to eat healthier that you're going to be able to stick with. So, if that keeps you in check, than go for it! better to eat a few processed snacks but overall be eating the good stuff than to not be able to eat healthy at all. the snacks I tend to eat are the quaker oats rice cakes (in white cheddar which tastes like smart food popcorn, or the caramel one, which reminds me of cracker jacks) they're 45-50 calories or so. sugar free jello packs are 10 calories. I also like the kashi pumpkin spice granola bars, its 190 calories a serving but its so dense that I find it fills me up pretty well for just a snack. I also second the skinny cow products, thats a great low calorie snack for when you really just need an ice cream. sugar free popsicles are low calorie as well (offhand I can't remember what the calorie content is, but its less than 100 a popsicle).

i got sugar free fudgesicles that are 90 calories each...those are good

100 calorie cheezits have been a great thing to stop me from eating the whole box. The other non weight related nice thing about 100 cal packs is that they always stay fresh since they are individually wrapped

I guess I think about them the way SouthLake does--they are like training wheels. I see no harm in using them, unless you find yourself eating more than one... At which point you'll know they aren't helping!

Once you get used to eating things that aren't as sweet or as junky, you may find, as you mentioned in your earlier post, that you don't think of them! And that is a bonus right there.

I haven't used 100 cal packs, but I have been known to divide foods up into serving sizes and package them myself.

Jay