100 calorie snack packs
 

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 :smug:

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.

Thank you all so much. You have given me several ideas that I can tell my group and some great food choices.

I have two pieces of Dove dark chocolate every day for 84 calories. Like Yoyoma, I'm not willing to give them up. I do think it is about choices and if you can do just one snack that isn't really nutritious and not have that trigger more empty calories then I say fine. But, we know that isn't the case for most people.

I'll pay the expense for a small portion of something, just so I don't have any more around. But that means an actual *single* serving. If it's a bag full of single serving packs, there's no point, at least for me.

I'm with Julie. I love those little Oreo 100-calorie packs, but I don't need 6. Not necessarily because I will chow down the rest of them, but because I just am looking for one little treat. I'm not going to buy a box and throw out 5. That's just ridiculous. Being in marketing, I know that they will never make them available in single servings. Their target audience is people who will buy 6.

For 100 calories, I eat:
air popped popcorn
steamed veggies
roasted brussel sprouts (man, I love Fall!)
sauteed mushrooms (yeah, I'm weird.)
plain yogurt with a some berries tossed in

I've never used any snack packs because they never appealed to me. 100 calories can give me a small but filling snack.

1) Almost any piece/serving of fruit is 100 calories or less
2) Carrots, celery, bell pepper strips or other dippable veggies with a couple tablespoons of hummus
3) A piece of whole grain bread with a little hummus on top
4) 1/2 cup plain unsweetened yogurt (I use soy) with frozen berries on top

I don't like them. They are still loaded with things I don't need, which make me want more of it. :dizzy: I think if I was desperate for cookies or needed just a few crackers for a recipe, then I might buy them, but otherwise to me it's just more than portion control, it's the domino effect of trying to eat just one.

Try this book called 100 Calorie Snack Cookbook. They are pretty basic recipes, but if I'm thinking cooookies, then I look in here and see nori and cottage cheese, or baked grapefruit and honey, and instantly my train of thought changes.

Sign my name to this - for me. But, I don't want to say they can't work for other people. Everyone's gotta figure out their own plan for long term success, and I could see how a little 100 pack of Oreos might work for a different person. I'd rather have 100 calories of premium dark chocolate!

I do that too! I love sauteed mushrooms!

Oh - - and I lied, I do get the 100 calorie popcorn packs. I don't consider them 100 calorie packs because they're "real" food.

I could also say I have 2 categories of 'snacks'. I have light snack that is quick.

I also have snacks that are a bit higher than 100 calories but still my snacks. Like today my snack was beans with diced butternut squash and zucchini. I'll have smaller portions of my meals as a snack basically.

I like them. Call my crazy, but I need a sweet taste at the end of a meal and those little packs give me just that. I hope to get off of them, but they work for me now. I also like the 100cal ice cream (which I think is really fro yo) from eating right (safeway). The kids ones are great, although I think it's a little sick for kids to be concerned with calories!

I am for it - when I first read this title of this thread, I thought "hm those snack packs aren't a good choice at all". It's just the same junk food but in a smaller pack so you don't over binge. Much healthier, natural food option out there for 100 cals!

I see nothing wrong with them as long as you don't eat them all the time. I need comfort in foods I once ate and if a small package of processed unhealthy cookies fit into my calories for the day when fruit wont do it then why not? Its not like I eat them everyday maybe twice a week when I need a little sugar fix.

For my mother, the 100 calorie packs were useful. She didn't buy many because they are expensive - and the expense encouraged her to try to eat them sparingly.

Very few of them appeal to me, so I've only bought them a couple times (and wasn't impressed with the few I've tried. I'm trying to eliminate or limit most grains (still eating a little bit of brown rice) and other high-carb foods, so most of the snack packs don't fit into that (except the jerky, and I make my own).

Once I did find "Gerber" brand snack crackers individually packaged in 60 calorie bags (cheese flavor, and vegetable flavor) in a dollar store. Yes, they're "baby" snacks, but so what? There were 6 packs in the $1 package, and as an added plus, they were far less salty than most crackers.

Mostly my "100 calorie snacks" are fruits or veggies with a bit of light sour cream based dip.

EXACTLY! Loaded with MUFAs, heart-healthy 70% or higher - DARK chocolate :D
http://fc05.deviantart.com/fs35/f/20...0fbf028498.gif

A few of them are okay. The keebler cookie ones were something I ate a lot when I first started dieting. Most of them are just a waste of money. One serving of doritos is 140 cal and probably WAY less expensive than buying them in 100 cal packs.

I've found that 5 hershey kisses totally satisfy my chocolate craving when it gets out of control, and its only 125 cals.

I just complied a LONG list of snacks that are all under 200 calories and most are under a 100 calories. I have things from all the food groups and even some sweet and crunchy snacks that aren't totally devoid of nutrition.

I don't want to tell the members of the group to never have 100 calorie snack packs because if it works for them then great, but I want to show them all the other choices that will be good for their body while satisfying their cravings or need for a snack.

Thank you all for your input on this thread. I really appreciate it. :)

Interesting read!! I have been buying them and I have them every so often just as a little treat for myself. I couldn't have the "real" thing in the house because I still don't trust my self control. IDK if that is something that will just come in time -- I just keep going lol Some I have found I would just as soon pass on and mostly I don't eat them often.

I wanted to throw out there that rather than focusing too much on the bad side of the 100 calorie packs, to consider focusing on convenient, long-storing, easy traveling snacks. Besides the idea that these things are prepackaged in the 100 calorie packages I think the major attraction is the fact that they can be in your pantry and go with you very easily. I personally am really busy and work outside the home and these aren't tools I use but I do understand how people might choose them for the convenience factor. I don't make it to the store very many times a week and I'm outside the home a lot. Maybe think about pointing out ways you can get prepared veggies (still more expensive but sometimes I have more money than time and I don't think I'm unusual). I don't know the nutritionals but things like those little cottage cheese snack packs they have out might be a good alternative suggestion.

I also think it is sort of an issue of where you are on the journey. This is a great baby step for someone trying to make incremental changes.

Hope your presentation goes great! Good for you!

Peg

I just started trying to eat healthier, and for me so far they are helping the cravings. I seem to have 1 bag every other day or so. Never more than 1 a day, and my craving is totally over after that.