One of the things I quickly learned as a calorie counter was how to make the most of out my daily allotment, which meant discovering things to satisfy my tastebuds/mind with little to no calories. Here are some of mine- what are yours?
For Flavor
Hot sauces (as well as buffalo sauce w/no dairy)
Cilantro (& other spices)
Peppers, especially chilies
Yellow mustard
Vinegar
Sprinkle-on popcorn flavor (1/2tbsp= 12 cals)
For my sweet tooth
Diet Dr. Pepper (I know, I should drop this one, but I love it!)
Sugar Free Gum (Wrigleys makes mint chocolate chip flavor)
Sugar Free Candy (at ~10calories a serving)
And, of course, tea! This might not really count, because I tend to add a bit of honey, but gotta love it! Most of the items on this list have 0-10 cals/serving.
So please share your favorites and give me some new ideas! Thanks!
True, pickles are an excellent solution to a salt craving though! I love bread and butter pickles (the sweet ones) but all the sugar in them makes the calorie count go sky high.
I like Walden Farms zero calorie Ranch dressing and 15 calorie popsicles. I like orange creamsicle flavor gum too. There's always Jello sugar free gelatin cups.
I like having a tablespoon of real 1/2 & 1/2 in my morning coffee (fresh ground organic beans). That little indulgence is only 20 calories.
I also like olives and artichoke hearts (the jarred kind) and both are low in calories.
When I broil chicken or fish, I use a big cookie sheet and include on it thick-sliced onions, grape tomatoes, and hot & sweet peppers (fresh). All of that is really low in calories, but it tastes great broiled.
Now, this isn't really "no/really low" calorie, but I have a good espresso machine, and my little once-in-a-while treat is making my own cappuccino . I use just 1/2 cup of whole milk (75 calories) and if I want to sweeten it, I use Z-sweet (an all-natural sweetener). Usually, though, I don't sweeten it (I'm used to unsweetened because I haven't regularly put sugar in my coffee for more than 15 years). I just sprinkle some cinnamon on top, and I'm good to go. It feels indulgent, and it's only 75 calories.
At night, I have an espresso with one tsp. of Sambucca, which only has 15 calories. I feel as if I'm having something special in lieu of dessert.
I've learned to enjoy coffee, without cream, most of the time. Generally once or so a week I'll have some cream in my coffee. But, most days I don't want it. It has taught me to listen to what I want. If I want cream in my coffee and some sugar, I have it. If I don't, then I don't. That saves me a lot of calories!
I've recently started to enjoy wine spritzers (although MIL likes it with tonic water, which gives it a nasty biter taste, I prefer club soda or a lightly flavored (unsweetened) club soda such as lime or lemon..). Anyway...it makes the wine last longer I know the wine is still high calorie...but it makes it a bit better.
I'm trying to think of other things that are either low cal, or I've modified a bit to still enjoy something but make it "better''.
I think this is a great thread though!!
Olives are only low in calories if you have one or two. They're about 5 calories per olive, and that's 99% coming from fat. (After all, where do you think olive oil comes from?) Maybe there are people out there who are satisfied by a single olive as a snack, but I'm not one of them! I'm not eating them at all right now due to the gallstones (too much fat can trigger biliary colic), but before that I was eating them in fairly modest quantities, no more than four at a time, included in a meal rather than on their own.
Now cucumber, that's a very nice low calorie snack. Cut it into slices and sprinkle a bit of salt on it.
For dessert.....
Microwave an apple with a bit of water and sprinkle cinnamon on it. Sweet, filling, and cinnamon helps to regulate blood sugar so it's a great sweetener that wont cause an insulin spike!
And about the olives, in my nutrition class we were taught that olives are a discretionary fat. So. Should be limited in the same way that your typical sweets are limited.
I love I cant believe its not butter spray margarine. It's 0 calories per spray! Granted it doesn't give the same satisfying effect as drenching something in yummy melted butter. Buuuut it does add moisture and buttery flavor to my vegetables, toast, egg sandwiches etc.
Well, the way I look at it is if I have a hankering for something salty, I would rather grab five olives for 25 calories than some chips or even nuts, the latter of which can pack almost 200 calories for just an ounce (although I know they're good for you). As for fat, I stopped micro-managing that in the 80's. I don't think fat is the enemy to weight loss or good health.
If you have a Kroger around, they have resealable bags of sugar free jello cubes. only 5 calories a serving. And you can hardly taste that they are sugar free! I love 'em!
Is your instructor teaching that olives are a "bad" fat? If so, why? If not, can you clarify?
If I remember right olives are considered a food high in oil, like fish or avocado. Your daily servings of oils shouldn't exceed 11 teaspoons. But, the fat in olives is unsaturated...so that's good. Another thing to watch out for when eating olives is the sodium. An ounce will have something along the lines of 250 mg - most nutrition experts recommend keeping your sodium intake at or below 240 mg/day. So. They fall into being discretionary. They're okay once in awhile like any treat...but not the most nutritious choice.
Again. Not trying to preach or anything, just passing along info my professor taught us.
Favorite calorie freebies? (Or nearly)
I know the wine is still high calorie...but it makes it a bit better. 
