Evening snacks

babyweightagain3

I miss my snacks! But I usually snack on chocolate or crisps, or things with lots of salt. Any ideas of what I can have instead?

deannalfisher

have some chips - just measure out a serving and plan for them in your overall calorie goals for the day...

I have a bowl of cereal each night right before bed - its the first thing that I log into my MFP each day so I make sure I have the calories for it

babyweightagain3

I still have my cereal too, but mainly as I'm breastfeeding so I usually have 500-800 calories left over and I don't want to effect my milk supply.

The chocolate or crisps are just because I'm greedy :-)

deannalfisher

if you open your diary up - other MFP'ers can take a look at give you suggestions/recommendations

malibu927

If you have the calories and have gotten sufficient nutrients throughout the day, there's nothing wrong with chocolate or chips. I save calories every night for something sweet, usually ice cream.

Jules_farmgirl

I am a popcorn addict as well as a peanut butter addict... I refuse to go to counselling for it cause I ain't a quitter..

That being said, I pre-pop popcorn and use "butter flavours" spray and popcorn seasoning, then measure a bag it so I have basically "chip sized bags" in my pantry for the evening (No I have no self control and a whole bowl would be eaten in one sitting). If I want sweet I opt for a banana or apple dipped in peanut butter. Now I don't actually use the fruit as a "healthy" option... I use it as a vessel to get the peanut butter to my mouth.

TeaBea

Popcorn is great for a salt craving. Pop it yourself in a non stick pan & just just a little oil. The added moisture helps the salt stick.

There is no substitute for chocolate. I just save room for a small serving. Dark chocolate seems to give me more chocolate (flavor) for the calories.

pacingoamy

I do roasted peanuts in the shell. I feel like it is more active participation lol

Stella3838

pacingoamy wrote: »

I do roasted peanuts in the shell. I feel like it is more active participation lol

I'm hooked on the 100 calorie packs of pistachios in the shell. It takes so much longer to eat them!

debtay123

I usually go with the 100 calorie pack of nuts or popcorn- sometimes chips- I pre-measure as well- need my salty snack each night lol

abatonfan

Those foods -given that you can fit them into your daily calories without sacrificing on nutrition (don't skip out on eating vegetables so you can have potato chips).

In terms of "healthier" alternatives, I really like super dark chocolate (85% cacao or greater) instead of eating a regular Hershey bar. 30-35g of really good chocolate (about 6 small pieces or 2 large squares) takes quite a while to savor and leaves me more satisfied than eating an entire bar of chocolate in 30 seconds, and I end up saving a few calories (30-50 depending on how much I eat) while also getting a good amount of iron, fiber, and fat (I struggle with meeting my fat goals). If you're craving potato chips, there's some brands that make 100-calorie bags of chips or crunchy-salty crisps (special K?). Quest also sells protein chips, though I haven't tried those out yet. There's also options like popcorn, homemade chips (slicing potatoes or zucchini super thinly or baking kale), and smaller portions of the regular stuff (if eating a little bit of the stuff won't cause you to eat the entire bag... I'm still working on that).

debrafm

I see that popcorn has been mentioned. I know popping your own is more cost effective, but I really like the Jiffy Pop 100 calorie bags. I get the Kettle Corn one, but I also just bought the buttered one yesterday. I like it because it's a little crunchy, salty and sweet, and only 100 cals. If I eat it for dessert after dinner, it keeps the sweet tooth from craving something horrible for my weight loss.

elizakristofferstuen7370

I love quest bars! Eat one almost every "night"
Noe sugar and lots of protein!

hayleyyrue

I am horrible about late night snacking... and drinking lol. It is one thing that I want to kick this month. I work 2-10 shifts and my dinner break is at 4... which leaves me famished by the time I get home. Popcorn and wine is usually my go to. Sometimes chocolate. I air pop my popcorn, however, it is really bland by itself. My question is... is it better to have a small serving of real butter, rather than some kind of processed spray? It may have fewer calories, but is it worth the chemicals? Which is the reason I switched from the bagged microwave popcorn.

CTea2478

I am a salt nut as well. I usually keep brown rice cakes handy, in my car, with almond butter spread. As soon as I get out of work, I'm usually about ready to down anything. I cut up raw peppers (orange & red) before I go in and munch on those too.

At night, I'm all for the sweet treat. I started eating dried apricots. It took care of the sweet tooth and curbed my hot flashes as well. Two for one !

daworley

In the evening or weekends my primary snacks are beef jerky, nuts - Blue Diamond Bold Salt and Vinegar flavored almonds are my favorite, dried apricots, popcorn, dry cereal, instant hot chocolate with either a tablespoon-ish of heavy cream or marshmallows or chocolate candy of some type. Kinda depends upon if I want sweet or salty. At my desk I keep Cinnamon Imperials, Gob Stoppers, Jaw Breakers, Tic Tacs, etc. My husband favors beef jerky and chocolate graham crackers.

JeromeBarry1

I have a bottle of pink salt. As my daily food is often low in sodium, and hyponatremia sucks, I consume a few grains of the pink salt before bed. It serves to keep my sodium good in the night. Night is when sucky hyponatremia struck me.

I know it sounds weird, but a few of those big grains of salt might satisfy your snack desires. Just let them sit on your tongue. They last a while.

My other emergency snack reserves are one bag of Ghirardelli 86% cacao squares, and one bag of Brach's chocolate peanut clusters. Usually, just one piece for less than 100 calories gets me over the desire.

DoneWorking

I like to have a Kroger Carbmaster and a Fuji apple.

CaliMomTeach

Smart Food Delight popcorn is 35 calories a cup and it satisfies my salt cravings at night. Trader Joes has 100 calorie dark chocolate bars sold in packs of 5 which help with chocolate cravings. Trader Joes has a Reduced Guilt popcorn, but it is not salty enough for me.