Tips and Low Cal Snacks
 

I've had a few folks asking me stuff like this lately so I thought I'd lean on you folks.
What do you think? Any little helpful secrets?

Here's one ... when in doubt ... don't eat the whole thing.
two ... step away from the added fat, skip the butter and step away from the bread basket.

Snack? ww crackers and ff cottage cheese.

I keep low calorie vegetable soup on hand and eat a cup whenever I get really hungry. If I'm in the mood for something crunchy, I put Low calorie Laughing Cow "Garlic & Herb" cheese on celery sticks or a couple of Wasa crisp breads.

Laughing Cow on a Weight Watchers English muffin ROCKS!
There are a lot of pre-packaged 100 calorie snacks, but there are times when something sweet will set me off on craving more. Sugar-free Jello is good but I only seem to want it when I haven't made it yet :) I like experimenting with s/f Jello....using diet soda or even green tea in the lemon kind, just for something a little different.
Sugar-free gum is a life saver for me too. It's that stupid oral fixation thing :)

I have 2 or more "snacks" or "mini-meals" every day, and I try to get a combo of fiber and protein at each snack or meal. For snacks, I usually have:

Fruit & light Cheese stick
Veggies & Hummus
Yogurt & Kashi or fruit
Roasted Chick peas (protein and fiber in one!)
Dried fruit & tea
Canned fish & ww crackers
no sugar hot cocoa & 1 pc dark chocolate

A tip I once read that I have remembered often is: "Every meal has a beginning, middle, and an end." It helps to think about this when I want to keep nibbling, because eventually the meal must end... better to end it when I've had the right amount than when I've had a couple bites too many.

Lindy

I've recently been enjoying Light n Fit yogurts, because my calcium target has been very hard to hit. They have splenda, and are only 60 calories - yes, its processed, but its a good way to get 20% dv of calcium for only 60 cals, so I'm ok with it.

I've also recently created a "snack box" for my cupboard filled with individually packaged snacks from Costco. This includes beef jerky (great for protein, 80-90 cals per single serving package), rice krispie treats (they're pure sugar, I know, but if you need a "treat" its only 90 cals), south beach snack bars which are high fiber/high protein, special k snack bites (90 cals, again, and for some reason super satisfying), and 100 calorie packs. I make a costco run once a month, stock up the box, and use it whenever I need a little treat (because there are very few days when I can't spare 100 calories if I really want a treat).

Fruit is a really big thing for snacks for me. I get a 5-10 lb box of fruit delivered every week from a local organic farm. It is super easy to grab and tastes amazing.

My current fav snack in the office is Nestle Low Carb cocoa with mini marshmallows- 35 calories a serving...dunno why the marshmallows make it so much better, but they do! :D
Another is Imagine soups- they come in a carton, not a can. Broccoli (and cream of chicken, I think) soup is 60 calories for a cup! Also handy for making sauces for veggies or shirataki noodles.

I found my favourite frozen fruit mixture right here in our little town today. I'm going to eat it with cottage cheese. And maybe I'll whiz it with ff soy milk to make a delicious ice cream-like dessert.

My everyday snacks are:

• Fruit, fruit, and more fruit. Generally whatever fruit is in season. I almost always have several varieties washed and ready to eat in the veggie drawer. We're heading into the winter months, so it will probably be apples, asian pears, pineapple or mangos for a while. For the apples I sometimes make a dip out of 2 tbsp NF cream cheese, 1 packet artifical sweetener (or 1 tbsp sugar free Torani syrup) and cinnamon.
• These Blueberry Fiber Cake things that I get from Trader Joe's. They are only 80 calories per cake and the ingredient list is really short--no artificial preservatives or sweeteners. But you have to keep them in the fridge because they go bad super quick without preservatives. Sometimes I spread a tbsp of NF cream cheese on them.
• Trader Joe's Non-Fat Greek-Style Yogurt. I usually eat it with berries (it will be frozen raspberries from now til spring) or mango. Sometimes I also throw in a tablespoon or two of wheat germ and/or a tbsp of guava jelly.
• Low calorie pudding cups (usually in the evening with a cup of tea)
• One potato chip per day

Other snacks include:

• An english muffin, usually with NF cream cheese on one half and peanut butter on the other half.
• Microwave popcorn
• Laughing cow cheese bites (the wedges are usually too much cheese for me by themselves)
• Celery and salsa
• Chile mango slices from Trader Joe's
• Cinnamon almonds from Trader Joe's
• Chex mix
• Mini rice crackers from Trader Joe's
• Dole Fruit and Yogurt parfaits
• Soy crisps or mini rice cakes
• 100 calorie balance bars

I used to eat one energy bar a day but I've pretty much replaced it with the fiber cakes, which I think are better for me.

I don't do the 100 calorie packs--it just never seems like enough food for 100 calories.

I do rely on both sugar-free gum and sugar-free candy when I just need to be eating something but I'm not really hungry.

Ever since I read that chocolate milk is great for after-workout replenishment, this has been my personal favorite drink/snack. I have 1 or 2 cups skim milk (depending on my intake that day),1 pkg Swiss Miss diet Hot Chocolate (25 cals & extra calcium), a shot of Torani sugarfree chocolate syrup & some ice - throw in in the blender until it's super-frothy & I use a spoon to drink it :)
My other new fave is calorie free....club soda w/a shot of Torani s.f vanilla syrup. It takes better to me than s/f creme soda.

My tip would be fill up on veggies.

Every day for dinner I have 2 chicken drumsticks in some sort of seasoning/sauce, 2/3-3/4 cups of cooked rice, and about 2 CUPS of broccoli stir-fry frozen veggies that I cook up. I can't even think about eating again after I eat this. I eat dinner around 5:45-6:15, and I can't even imagine eating again before bed (at around 11:30). I have no desire to eat again. It really fills me up.

I'm not much of a snacker but if I had to have something sweet, it would definitely be frozen Crystal Light squares. Fill an ice cube tray with the stuff, stick a thick toothpick as it begins to set, and pop them out when you want something sugary. No calories, easy to make, tough to travel with.

Jillybean: I like veggies on their own, too, but I usually eat my 2 cups of frozen stir-fry veggies smothered in a tomato-based curry sauce w/ the chicken or with a little stir-fry sauce on the side. Yum! I get the curry sauce from Trader Joe's. It's called Curry Simmer Sauce. Good luck with the veggie thing!