Thought we could have a snacks thread, maybe learn about something new. I know most of us are probably snackers, so having something healthy close at hand is crucial.

Lately I've been enjoying dehydrated fruit, I originally bought the Mickey Mouse brand for my daughter and I love them, too! They taste like fruit chips but without the added ingredients.

Teddy grams are good for a bit of a less-than-healthy snack I like to have with tea sometimes. I know, it's a processed food, but it's a safe alternative to my biggest craving (that I haven't had in forever)-Oreos. I like to eat a few chocolate ones with peanut butter.

Of course, the classic carrot sticks and celery with hummus. You can't go wrong there.

Frozen blueberries or grapes.

Berries dipped in honey-flavored greek yogurt.

Unsweetened shredded wheat with peanut butter. (dry)

Since I was a little girl, I have LOVED frozen peas. Pour them into a small cup, and I'm happy!

Apples and a little peanut butter

Wheat thins...I love so much. Last time I got them, I divided a family size box into 8 sandwich baggies. I think it equaled out to about 250 calories a bag, if I remember correctly. A little high for a snack, but it was SUCH a good way to monitor my intake of them without going overboard.

Whole wheat english muffins with all natural honey peanut butter. If you do a very thin spread of peanut butter, this is another 250 calorie snack that definitely fills you up!

Veggie smoothie! I use spinach, cucumber, beets, frozen blueberries, and water (sometimes I make acai berry tea, and add that for my liquid).

I've never been a big cheese eater, but decided to buy some "good" (i.e., it was way more expensive than I've ever spent on cheese) and now love it. I eat an ounce of that is I have calories left to afford a snack.

Also found a wonderful recipe for hummus which previously I thought tasted like wettened, ground up cardboard -- or what I imagined that would taste like. Love having carrot sticks and hummus.

I totally hated cottage cheese when I was younger but, my Mom said I should give it another chance with some fresh fruit, and now I love the stuff.

I buy the 2% milkfat cottage cheese it has 110 calories for 1/2 a cup with a half cup of fresh peaches or strawberries/berries it only add another 25-30 calories, and it satisfies my love of dairy and sweet with the fruit.

I also love to snack on nuts, to keep my protion in control I bought a few small ramekins that hold 1/2 a serving and some that hold a whole serving which is a 1/4 of cup for most nuts. Sometimes I add a sqr of dark 75%-90% cacao choclate which only has 60-65 calories This has become my Friday nite treat, depending on what nut I'm snacking on it can only cost me about 120-150 calories if I do a half serving of nuts and one chocolate square, and I get sweet and salty while being heart healthy at the same time, so it's a win win.

Air popped popcorn is another weekend fav when I'm vegging out with a few good movies, 3 cups without butter has less than 100 calories.

You have to be careful about dried fruits, most brands contain sulfites. Luckily Trader Joe's has some great dried fruits but I don't eat them anyway - too sugary!

Some snacks I find are good are:
- apples with peanut butter (careful about the PB though, ingredients should only list peanuts as the ingredient and nothing else)
- brown rice cakes from trader joes
- yogurt
- cheese
- hard boiled egg

Also, don't bore yourself with hummus and carrot sticks. Try adding some spice to your hummus, or olives if you make it yourself. I like adding toasted pine nuts to mine or sundried tomatoes, even spinach. I also like making black bean hummus which is sooooo good. And though I love carrot sticks I also discovered I love raw cauliflower or bell pepper to dip. Also those cute little cherry tomatoes. Get creative.

And once in a while a good cup of green tea can trick you into thinking it's a satisfying snack without having to digest any calories at all.

To go along with the cottage cheese post, do a half a cup over a cup or more of lettuce. Or anything, fruit preserve, pbutter, or hearty cheese for example on a hearty slice of whole wheat bread. My bread of choice is honey whole wheat by great harvest bread company. I could eat that bread with nothing on it and it would fill me up lol

My go-to snack lately has been kimchi. I'm addicted to it! A small serving is only about 20 calories and it's very satisfying, though I admit it's an acquired taste I usually follow it with a clementine, which has 35 calories. I'm good for a few hours after that.

I absolutely love dark chocolate!! And Junior mints are my weakness. Fortunately they have a reasonable amount of calories per serving. (Everything in moderation!!) lol

I like sliced up cucumbers that I use as like chips and then I make a dip by blending up a red pepper with a mango and add some diff flavor mustards to your liking and maybe some cayenne if you want it a little spicy its like a sweet spicy dip and so good then I just dip the cucumbers in it and helps with my cravings for chips and salsa or something like that. Could also dip the cucumbers in some salsa or guacamole I'd make it yourself though so there isn't as much salt.

yonanas is a great investment if you like ice cream I'm not really that big on ice cream but I like to make all kinds of ice cream with that using frozen fruit and sometimes adding a little natural peanut butter or cocoa powder or dried coconut. Just the fruit ice cream alone is really good still without adding anything. I like to make banana mango pineapple or banana pineapple raspberry or banana strawberry whatever u come up with.

I posted this on another snack thread recently but it's worth repeating.

I have been putting Trader Joe's fresh salsa on celery, it's to die for and only about 30 calories for a full serving of both. I also do Frank's Thick Buffalo sauce on celery for the same calories. Lots of flavor and a big bang for your buck in regards to the amount of crunch and volume. I loooooove snacking.

Melba toast!! Always so hungry at night but 4 is only 60 cals! or popcorn. Both of these are so filling and so low cal.
I also like cauliflower with a bit of low fat mozzarella cheese. I also do low fat vanilla yogurt with a bit of low fat granola, and yum fruit parfait.
I have sooo many snacks

I love olives also as a snack

Speaking of Trader Joe's I recently discovered their brown rice cakes. Super tasty and low cal and helps me stave off my wheat addiction yey.