I would appreciate your help and input on a program I plan to give this coming Tuesday for my TOPS group. I've decided to talk about what a rip-off and a possible determinate the 100-calorie snack packs are. I want to compare how over-priced and under-nutrient most of these snacks are and then give a list of 100-200 calorie snacks that will be much better choices.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject, both for and against. I would also appreciate a list of your favorite, low calorie (100 to 200), healthy snacks that I can give to my fellow TOPS members.

Thanks

I am on the fence about these. They are expensive, and empty calories for the most part. They are good though, if you are having a craving and can't have a more economical big bag in your house. It makes you think before you open the next 100 cal pack up, whereas if it were a bag of chips I'd just keep eating. I make my own snack packs with whole grain crackers, in ziploc bags to take in my purse. And I always stash an apple all washed and ready to eat in there too.

Make sure that when you're calculating the cost of portioning out your own 100 cal packs that you include the baggies.

For 100 calories I can have a miniature banana bread muffin (made with applesauce and buttermilk), carrots, celery and laughing cow or celery and hummus, half a multigrain english muffin with 1/2 tbsp. of smart balance light and 1 tsp. reduced sugar jam, or the same with just some laughing cow on it. 1 tbsp. of peanut butter. Almonds and craisins. Fage yogurt with frozen veggies and a little splenda.

I used to love the 100 calorie packs, but I have come to decide hat I want my 100 calories of snack have volume to it. Any of the snacks above fill me up far better than any of the 100 cal packs.

That being said, I do love the grasshopper 100 cal packs, but I like to crumble them up and mix them into cool whip for a dessert, so not really for their originally intended purpose.

For about 100 calories I can have:

a light string cheese and an apple
5 slices of lean roast beef wrapped in a slice of mozzerella cheese
a banana
a light yogurt
a sugar free pudding with fat free whipped cream
a low fat hot dog in a low fat/high fiber bun
18 pretzles
a Fiber One bar
a "foldover" cheese sandwich (1 piece of bread with a 2% cheese slice folded over to make a sandwich)
a WW Ice Cream Bar

just to name a few of my favorites. I do WW, so those are my favorite 2 point snacks, but that's usually right about 100 calories. I started out using the 100 calorie packs, but once I got an idea of what made up 100 calories I found that I'd rather have other things. Because of the cost, I usually make my own "packs" of snacks to grab. It's not 100 calories, but I make 1 oz snack bags of nuts to eat for breakfast with a Fiber One bar and a big glass of water. I can grab it on my way out the door and it's good fats combined with lots of fiber. I do have snack packs of M&Ms on hand at all times to calm chocolate cravings. They're about 100 calories and just enough to satisfy the chocolate craving. Good luck with your presentation!

I loathe them. They
1. Are expensive
2. Are often LESS nutritious than the original
3. Are usually highly processed with questionable ingredients
4. Trigger binges and over-eating in a lot of folk. They are RARELY balanced (40/30/30)
6. Encourage folk to eat empty calories instead of nutritionally rich foods

100 calories can be spent sooooo much better:

1.5 sticks of LF string cheese
2-4 c veggies
1-2 servings of fruit
1 Joseph's pita filled with Laughing Cow and vegetables
1 mini Clif Bar
1 serving of almonds or walnuts
1 serving of Fiber One
3 c. air popped popcorn
1 c. most soups
2 Wasa crackers with 1 wedge of LC LF cheese
1 baked potato (small)
LF or FF yogurt
MSF or Garden or Boca burger
Thomas Light Multigrain English Muffin - toasted
Flatout Bread with LC cheese or LF hummus

I don't buy those 100 calorie packs.. It's those foods that made me fat to begin with. That is assuming you are referring to the cookies, cakes, chips, crackers, candy etc.. I would rather have a big plate of veggies for 100 calories, and that's alot of veggies! I gave up unhealthy foods for good. Unless they make healthy 100 calorie packs and then I would jump on them!

100 calories of Oreos is, to me, like non-alcoholic beer: Why bother? Seriously. When I used to eat Oreos, it was by the handful. Several times over. So a 100-calorie pack would be like a teeny little, dry, teasing taste.

The only 100 calorie food thing I buy are the bags of microwave popcorn that are 100 calories. It's just for the convenience because I won't stop at a partial bag of popcorn. My old way of making popcorn was in a big kettle with lots of oil and butter, so the 100 calorie bag is my compromise.

Other than that, I won't buy the snack packs. I'd rather have a half-serving of almonds, a piece of string cheese, a yogurt, an apple--real food. Your speech will be very interesting, I'm sure, as I think a lot of people buy and enjoy the snack packs. They're just not for me.

My favourite 100 calories snacks (or 2 point snacks as I do weight watchers):

* a fiber 1 bar
* a banana
* a pumpkin-bran muffin
* Nature Valley fiber plus granola bar
* fat free yogurt
* fat free pudding cup
* mini ice cream sandwich
* hummus and veggies
* 3 garlic crackers (they are similar to wasa bread and only 1 point for all 3) with hummus or a bit of goat cheese

If I'm REALLY craving some empty calories though I will have a mini chocolate bar (Halloween size or those 100 calorie Cadbury bars). It's not often but I get chocolate cravings once in awhile.

By the way, has anyone noticed the fat content on those tiny litttle packages of "diet" food?!!? It's insane, just pack ur own.

I do like the occasional 100 calorie bag of Orville Redenbacher SmartPop popcorn because it's a good sized snack. But I stay away from the fake cookie ones for the reasons you mentioned: a rip off quantity-wise and no nutritional value. Plus they don't taste all that great to me.

I do the 100 cal popcorn too but that's all for the 100 cal packs. My snacks are fruit, veggies, lt yogurt cup, pretty much the same as others on here. If I need a "fix", I have one (sometimes two!) Hershy's Dark Chocolate with Almond Nuggets - tiny bars but big on taste!

I think if you can handle having the 1 pack and not have any triggers or binges and it can satisfy your craving for the real thing, they are ok to count into your daily calories.

For me they are a trigger, I can't stop at one, and it sets off to eat other sweets in the house.

Maybe one day I can handle and control myself at one, one day....

I'm not hooked on them or anything, but I honestly can't handle having a large box of anything in my house. I need the individually wrapped packs to keep me from binging on the whole box of cookies or snacks. So I do buy them sometimes, and they work okay for me.

These are my thoughts exactly. I think they are HORRIBLE. Just horrible. When eating a restricted amount of calories like those who are trying to lose weight and then those that are trying to maintain that loss, each and every calorie consumed is precious and one has to get the most bang for their buck so to speak. And boy oh boy do those 100 calorie packs fall short. They are totally empty calories. My calories MUST work for me. I need to be and stay full from my calories. I also need volume and nutrition. I also need to keep my cravings at bay, not ratchet them up.

Some of my favorite 100 calorie (give or take a few cals) snacks:

-Egg white veggie omlette
-Mini veggie platter - baby carrots, grape tomatoes, cuke slices, pepper slices served with salsa. Hummus could work also.
-Fat free yogurt with 1/4 cup Fiber One Cereal
-Thinly sliced apple sprinkled with cinnamon and a few chopped walnuts on the side
-3 oz can of tuna inside a small colored pepper
-fresh berries - straw, black, blue, rasp
-3 cups of cauliflower - roasted or steamed
-various salads
-small baked apple with cinnamon, walnuts, raisins and SF maple syrup

Each one of those snacks provides me with nutrition and long-lasting filling power. Oh and fabulous taste and flavor. Priceless.

I completely avoid 100 calorie snack packs, but I do eat a Reeces PB cup each day for 80 cals. It's my one nutritionally empty treat and my favorite food of all. It's how I've manage to avoid binging after Easter and Halloween. I would never want to trade it for any snack pack, and I just don't have any room in my diet for any more empty calories.

So, I guess my opinion is the snack pack might be a good portion control option for someone who considered that food their one special treat, otherwise it's just encouragement to eat foods that don't provide adequate nutrition.