Snack ideas needed

smh_cliff

I do not always get a chance to sit and eat my lunch in one go while at work and so have often ended up snacking on junk foods and wolfing down a quick sandwich. It ends up being mindless eating and with the junk, obviously hungry again before I know it which is just silly.

I have seen a lot of talk of nutrient dense foods being the way forward, which obviously makes sense, but I am new to this* so would really appreciate any grab and go snack suggestions that I can pop in my bag to keep me away from vending machines and corner shops.

TIA




*I used to do weight watchers - given that fruit and veg wasn't given a value, I could have an almost zero point salad for lunch/stir fry for dinner and use my allowance on crap. Now I am trying to look at food properly rather than cheat the system (or myself) and choose food that will satisfy hunger and not just taste nice!

Fitnessgirl0913

almonds (cocoa roasted for sweet and sea salt for salty!), dry roasted edamame, apples, oranges (pretty much any fruit), protein bara, tuna packets
Are you limited to stuff that doesn't require refrigeration? If you have a cooler and ice pack you can do cheese sticks (the sargento balanced breaks are an amazing combo of cheese, nuts and fruit), hard boiled eggs, greek yogurt

MegaMooseEsq

I basically make my entire lunch snack food and nosh on it all day at work. And I try to always have a pre-measured backup snack on me as well (usually dried fruit or nuts). If you have food available that you like to eat, it can be a good motivation to go for that first. As for specific suggestions, I find higher fat foods very filling, but people really vary. I'd experiment with lots of things and keep close logs of what works and what doesn't.

kimcalica

Almond butter, avocados, boiled eggs, Greek yogurt. Atkins candy is really good! Protein bars and shakes are good in a pinch.

Maxxitt

Yogurt & apples & baby carrots work.

amtyrell

I love cheese sticks
Fruit
Protein bars
Pepper cut up
Cherry tomatoes
Snap peas

whitpauly

My old stand by is jerky and string cheese

spiriteagle99

Hard boiled eggs, cheese, fruit, carrots, juice, a bagel.

smh_cliff

Great suggestions to get me started, thank you all.

cs2thecox

Your profile kind of reads like you're British... which shops are near you?
Happy to share some ideas if you can share what you have access to!

smh_cliff

Yes I am - I flit between the big supermarkets for a big online delivery every 2-3 weeks as I have no car at the moment, and then top up fresh stuff, have a sainsburys and a small tesco in walking distance too.

cs2thecox

Have a look for Arla 20g Protein pots then - with the yogurt. Both Tesco and Sainsburys carry them.
Less than 150cal, pretty big, and the high protein means they're very filling.
(And, really, you won't die if they're out of the fridge for a while. I routinely take mine out the fridge at home, forget to put them in the fridge at work, then eat them for an afternoon snack...)

Total do 0% pots with fruit or honey to flip over (Muller corner style), and Skyr do pots layered with fruit puree, but I don't find them as satisfying for the calories as more of it goes on the fruity bit than the yogurt bit so they're smaller, but worth looking at.

You should be able to get jerky too - even the tiny Sainsburys near my office has it. I find it takes a long time to chew, so it keeps my mouth busy for ages which is good!

Also, nothing wrong with a sandwich - just make good choices. Chicken without too much mayo, and preferably not white bread, is my go to for staying full for longer. I like the Boots chicken and chorizo one at the moment.

And if you're craving crisps, check out Hippeas. I get mine in Boots (meal deal!) but they're kind of like Wotsits, just made out of chick peas instead.

I could go on, but I'm working really...

smh_cliff

Hey thanks There is nothing except a corner shop that sells mostly out of date bread type products and chocolate , so being prepared is definitely going to be key! I've never noticed the Arla pots, I will definitely check those out, and jerky sounds like a great idea!

I feel like looking at calories now rather than "smart points" is going to make me spend them much more wisely!


I'm looking forward to my next shop!

smh_cliff

Nothing at work, I should say. Home is fine!

cs2thecox

Nuts are also good, but portion in advance...
Sistema do teeny tiny clip-top tubs that are about the right size. I think I found mine in Asda.

I can only take snacks to work one day at a time or I get through a whole week's worth on Monday.

If you have more self control, Graze boxes can be quite fun! (Order online for better control over what they send you. But they sell the individual tubs in supermarkets too, although it's probably more expensive.)
I had to stop mine when I got braces a few years ago, as nuts and seeds were a disaster, but I might start up again actually.

Spencerport

Homemade Smoked Beef Jerky is my go to snack. I can control what goes into the marinade, so my homemade jerky isn't loaded with salt / preservatives like the commercially available jerky (Jack Links / Krave).

amusedmonkey

I like more substantial snacks. These little hand pies are perfect. They're delicious and portable, and can be eaten hot or cold.

https://www.maureenabood.com/lebanese-spinach-pies-or-fatayar-or-whatever/

They're about 100-150 calories each, depending on the size you make them. Not the best protein source if that's what you want so they're not suitable as a meal unless you pair them with a protein, but for me I find them quite effective at taking the edge off. You could maybe add low fat non-melty cheese to the filling for a little bit more protein maybe?

janetennet

Here are some of the things I bring to work as a snack;

Cottage Cheese (either portioned or a tub) - I put this on rice cakes and add a little honey, yummy nutritious and FILLING!;
Carrots/ peppers/ cuc's / veggies (100g) with a small hummus or other dip
Boiled eggs/ smoked chicken slices/ mini sausages/ viennas/ cheese triangles/ ham rolls/ slices of cheese - any combination of the and they all can go on the crackers in my desk drawer
Fruit!
Yogurt with granola/ oats/ fruit etc.
Popcorn - also helps keep the chips cravings away!
Raw Juices and Smoothies are also a good one, very filling and helps get extra vitamins.

All of them last perfectly fine out of a fridge until I eat them, but if you're squemish about stuff like that, pop them in a small cooler.

robm1brown

I make samosas with filo pastry they come out fairly low calorie. Not quick though.

smh_cliff

Thanks people!

JaydedMiss

green smoothies, Protein puddings, cans of Tuna, Baby carrots/tomatoes, fruit....anything could be a snack lol

smh_cliff

Not sure I could eat a can of tuna without the mayo, pasta and cheese to go with it!

Lounmoun

I generally have 100-300 calories left for snacks so I have whatever I want that fits that.
Hard boiled egg/deviled egg
Apple
Orange
Carrots
Granola bar
Pickles
Olives
Cheese
Trail mix/nuts
Popcorn
Yogurt
Cottage cheese

Javagal2778

I have a job that keeps me super busy and running most of the day. I've found setting an alarm on my Fitbit to eat has been so helpful! I take 10 minutes to grab a snack/mini meal twice in the day and now I don't eat all of the things when I get home.

cs2thecox

Javagal2778 wrote: »

I have a job that keeps me super busy and running most of the day. I've found setting an alarm on my Fitbit to eat has been so helpful! I take 10 minutes to grab a snack/mini meal twice in the day and now I don't eat all of the things when I get home.

I found the same!
Introducing morning and afternoon snacks helped me SO much. And when I choose badly (like this morning... I should have learnt!) I really notice, and feel much hungrier much quicker + HANGRY!

It doesn't work for everyone - some people prefer 2 massive meals a day - but it definitely helps me make better food choices in general.

JaydedMiss

smh_cliff wrote: »

Not sure I could eat a can of tuna without the mayo, pasta and cheese to go with it!

You can get flavoured tuna cans for about 120 calories Their yummy, Lower protein but good for on the go if you need the flavor

smh_cliff

Well, that's a revelation!!

passenger79

Former WW member here too. Things I like are
Muscle food beef jerky (It's so yummy and low calorie)
Apple slices with almond butter
Almonds
Boiled egg
Carrots and hoummus
Banana and PB2 or smaller amount of Sun pat peanut butter
Left over chicken and cherry tomatoes

You can definitely eat higher fat and more substantial meals/snacks without feeling guilty because you had an avocado lol

smh_cliff

Haha, yeah I used to find myself thinking "I wont have egg, I'll have some grapes and save the points for crisps" - not a healthy mindset! Definitely will give jerky a go, I love a savoury snack!

tinkerbellang83

Some of my favourites which are easy to pre-portion and pack ahead:

• Boiled Eggs
• String Cheese
• Low Fat Yoghurt with fruit (I like cubed apple or blueberries with lemon flavour yoghurt)
• Roasted Chickpeas or SoyBeans
• Pickled Onions/Gherkins
• Cucumber Wedges with Lemon Juice and Black Pepper
• Strawberries and Black Pepper
• Protein Bars
• Protein Muffins (I like to make them from the MyProtein muffin mix they are about 90-120 cals depending on what you use to flavour them - I like Lemon or Orange with Chia Seed, Black Forest, Vanilla and Choc Chip)

passenger79

I know I could slap myself now for wasting time on WW this is so much easier .I 've lost 15 pounds while eating so much better.
Good luck you ll do great