I LOVE extra old cheddar melted on sour dough wasa dipped in salsa
apple and peanut butter
kashi mixed with yogurt
peanut butter and banana

Thanks for the Great Ideas :)

hmm.. getting some great ideas from this thread... :)


One 'trick' that I do when I'm badly craving something horrible from fast food is I go online and look up the calories for what I'm craving.. Seeing those HIGH calories in one single food makes me realize that its not worth it. ;)
(example- my biggest weakness; Taco Bell grilled stuffed beef burrito -680cals!)

mudskippersgrl What a great Idea!

Yogurt and fruit has beat out ice cream as my favorite treat!!!! A little 60-70 cal vanilla yogurt and ANY fruit!

Great ideas and tips everyone (the daily plate....com ) thank you! FB

My best low cal treats are:
Homemade chicken broth (simmered for almost 24 hours) ..fat removed
I drink it guiltlessly all day
Iced fruity herbal teas with lemon and ginger slices
Nature path puffed corn cereal 1/2 cup (for a carby treat)
Tomato juice (with moderation its really salty)
75% to 85% dark chocolat chips (for choco fix no more then 3 -4)
Boilled baby carrots (i dont like them raw)

Lalylun

Originally Posted by dmc2009:
Do you have any tips for putting on the popcorn?

We have an oil sprayer we keep filled with extra virgin olive oil. My DH sprays this on his popcorn instead of butter. Most healthy eating plans call for good fats, especially olive oil and this is a good way to get a portion of a serving. I like the flavor of EVOO and I've gotten used to the flavor on popcorn. Of course you have to be judicious in how much oil you use. ;)

We've also found we prefer the flavor of yellow popcorn that comes less expensively in the poly bags to the brand name white popcorn in the gourmet jars. And we pop it in an air popper.

As for non-food related tricks/tips...

One for me is to find places I can walk to for a reason. For example I can walk to the store or walk to school or walk to my friends house. I find that while I don't like exercising for exercise sake, I really enjoy saving gas money and walking some place I was going to go anyways.

Schumeany,

I am a protein bar freak as well! I use to do on LA weight loss and got addicted to the protein snacks to fill the hole thoughout the day. Since my center closed a few months ago I was using off the shelf bars but sometimes ended up getting ones that it would have been better (and tastier!) if I just had a Snickers bar...

A few weeks ago on iVillage, some gals were chatting about the Changing Sizes.com bars - I decided to try them and just got my first order a few days ago and LOVE them. Their Soy Snack packs are great too - the chocolate soy puffs are just like the whoppers candy - which I could die happy eating since I'm a choco-holic :devil:

Here are the stats on their bars:
Protein: 15 g
Carb: 15 g
Calories: 160

Chocolate Soy Puffs - a bit higher carbs than the others, but worth it!
Calories 160
Protein 15g
Carbohydrates 13
Fat 6g
Protein 15.0g

Sour cream and onion:
Calories 120
Fat 3.5g
Usable / Total Carbs 8.0g / 8.0g
Protein 15.0g

Thought I would pass this on!

Jenn

Originally Posted by Schumeany:
Protein bars are my weakness, but I justify them for the high protein content. I have one for a snack at least three times a week. Usually the Balance Bar Caramel Blast Flavor (210 Cals, 15 grams of protein) or the Zone Perfect Chocolate Peanut Butter (190 Cals, 14 grams of protein). I also love to eat the 50 calorie cheese sticks with an apple (150 cals). Sometimes I will have Natures Path Optimum Power Cereal (Soy, Flax, Blueberry) mixed with vanilla yogurt -- around 200 cals, depending on how much I mix up...

Of course, for just filling the "hole", I will cut up a PILE of veggies...all kinds...and eat them. I like to cut them up at the time because it takes time, and the "prep" time is less time thinking about other food -- and then I really appreciate them when I sit down to eat. I will also make a salad and throw a handful of chicken on there and a splash of basalmic vinegar. Oh, and I also like to eat air popped popcorn for the nighttime munchies -- I like it plain.

Drinking something warm is very helpful -- I like vanilla chai tea because there is a little extra flavor in there. I add a splash of milk.

One trick I have found is to SIT down to appreciate my snacks -- so I really KNOW I've eaten them. I have three little kids and a busy life so it is easy to eat on the run, but I try to appreciate what I am eating.

I know this is lame, but one of my favorite snacks is a piece of wheat bread with about a table spoon of penut butter... I had a peanut butter phobia a couple of weeks ago, but after some strong repremanding from some :nono: I've been trying to incorporate more pb into my diet. I'm trying to change viewing pb as a waste of cal and instead see it as good fat... ;)

Originally Posted by Extasee58865:
I know this is lame, but one of my favorite snacks is a piece of wheat bread with about a table spoon of penut butter... I had a peanut butter phobia a couple of weeks ago, but after some strong repremanding from some :nono: I've been trying to incorporate more pb into my diet. I'm trying to change viewing pb as a waste of cal and instead see it as good fat... ;)

Also try some of the other nut butters out there.

I went shopping today at my local grocery store and found hazelnut butter, sunflower seed butter and almond butter.

(The store was bought by new owners and was renovated in the last month so they have all sorts of wonderful new products now.:) )

Originally Posted by WebRover:
And we pop it in an air popper.

My son is after me to get one of those. Are they worth the purchase?

Originally Posted by canadianwoman:
My son is after me to get one of those. Are they worth the purchase?

I love it. I happen to like plain popcorn (not always, but often). And even when I do add butter, I really like it best air-popped with my own butter added. Microwave popcorn is a different species, and honestly, I just never cared much for oil popped popcorn, even when I wasn't dieting. But it's an individual thing. Some people (I think most people) have the opposite taste than me in this regard.

Roasted veggies! I love roasting fresh green beans and then sprinkle with garlic salt. Great for munching in front of the TV. My hubby even grabs a bowl full.

Sugar free puddings.
Skinny cow cheese on crackers, cucumbers, or even veggies.
And for a special treat Weight Watcher ice cream (because they are prepackaged it is easier to stay in control with the portions.
Fat Free hot chocolate (I make mine with skim milk instead of water - well worth the calories and more dairy in my diet!)

There are some great ideas in this thread!

My son is after me to get one of those. Are they worth the purchase?

Air poppers are dirt cheap nowadays, since the packaged microwave kind is so much more prevalent. Hit up Goodwill or another thrift store and you can get one for $10 or less most of the time. TOTALLY worth it, because you can control exactly how much you make and how much butter/salt/etc. you choose to add.

Oh, and a new favorite treat: Tazo Sweet Orange herbal tea with a splash of sugar-free raspberry flavor syrup. Omg, it's so tasty and I can drink it all day guiltlessly. Brill.

Originally Posted by PhotoChick:
Oohh ... instant oatmeal. Yeah, I keep packets of that at my desk. 100 cals for a cup ... and it's filling and warm (especially important when the building owner decides to conserve money on the heat!).

I personally don't like butter on my popcorn, so it's not something I have thought much about. Maybe someone else has some suggestions? :)

.

I love vinegar, I usually put vinegar in a dish and dip some of the popcorn in it. I don't know if it's healthy but it tastes yum. Also, if you have the time to pre make the popcorn, make a bunch of it, put it on a baking pan, spray it lightly with water from a spray bottle, like windex, but a new container type thing.... anyways, spray the popcorn lightly and then sprinkle any kind of seasoning you like (i like cajun spice so I put that) then throw it in the oven for a little bit to the popcorn dries.... works for me and it's yummy.