Near guilt free foods

randywilhelm1183

What are some foods that have such low calories that you really do not worey about eating them? Like celery, lettuce, radishes, cucumbers, tomato's sugar free jello, popcorn, pickles etc. And what do you do to make them taste good?

AnnPT77

Personally, I think most of the things you listed inherently taste good (except sugar free jello, which tastes like non-food to me, but I'm weird).

I adore cucumbers. Usually I put a little salt or seasoned salt on them.

Among things you didn't list, herb teas, sauerkraut (not everyone likes it, but I love it), marinated mushrooms (ditto, but I make them myself or get a commercial one without a lot of oil), a zillion other veggies (kohlrabi, jicama, . . . ). Frozen berries plus plain nonfat Greek yogurt plus chocolate peanut butter powder is pretty low in calories, and nutrient-dense, so can be a useful thing.

To me, that's another way to think about snacks, especially: Low calorie can be good, but moderate calorie and nutrient-dense can also be good, bonus points if they're filling. Nutrition is an all-day/few-days average kind of thing, and these things help.

Also, as an editorial comment: I get wanting to find some low-calorie snacks, but guilt is always optional, burns no extra calories, feels icky.

Oh, and, while the seasoning does add a few calories (and I don't think it tastes exactly like Doritos), I thought this was tasty;:

http://naturalchow.com/2014/03/healthy-dorito-flavored-popcorn/

snowflake954

Guilt? It's a bad way to think. There is just food. Some is calorie dense and needs to be monitored--smaller portions. There are multiple ways to prepare the foods you're listing and make them tasty and appealing. Sauces give you calories, so be careful but knowledgable.

penguinmama87

Pickles are indeed amazing. I don't think they need anything, but they definitely amp up my enjoyment of a lot of other foods. I like to pickle more than just cucumbers, too - I enjoy quick refrigerator pickles made with radishes, carrots, and zucchini.

I tend to pair low calorie veggies with small amounts of high calorie things. Veggie dips and salad dressing made with Greek yogurt. Hummus or baba ghanouj. Peanut butter. IIRC, the fat in those accompaniments make it easier to absorb the vitamins from the veggies! I don't feel guilty at all. I just weigh them and if they fit in my calories, I'm happy.

springlering62

randywilhelm1183 wrote: »

What are some foods that have such low calories that you really do not worey about eating them? Like celery, lettuce, radishes, cucumbers, tomato's sugar free jello, popcorn, pickles etc. And what do you do to make them taste good?

Aaaaargh!!!!

Popcorn is not low calorie, people!!!! I regularly eat airpopped popcorn. In fact I’m typing this with the only non buttery finger left after just demolishing a large helping. 😇

A 33gr serving of popcorn is 120 calories and I’m sorry, but is laughably small. I usually make two for 240, and am all sad faced when it’s gone.

Adding butter, margarine, shaky cheese, soy or whatever adds even more calories. Cooked in oil or microwave, popcorn is even higher.

Sorry, I’ve seen popcorn posted several times here on MFP as if it’s gods gift to dieters, a freebie. Nope nope nope.

Back to your question:


A good low cal food is fresh strawberries.

During cherry season I go through a couple pounds a week. They aren’t as low cal, but are the only food I don’t log. I figure a pound of cherries once in a while versus the pound of Cadbury’s Crispy Eggs I used to knock down every day….you get the idea.

I regularly take a container of carrots radishes and cucumber slices to my front-desk volunteer gig. I take a small container of Walden Farms Asian zero cal dressing to dip them in. You could use salsa (most run about 10 calories per serving) an easy homemade tzatziki, or some nice sprinkled spice blend.

springlering62

Ps: you need the Volume Eater’s thread.

I’m sure some kind person will post the link. I need ta go wash my hands now…..

AnnPT77

springlering62 wrote: »

Ps: you need the Volume Eater’s thread.

I’m sure some kind person will post the link. I need ta go wash my hands now…..

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10563959/volume-eaters-thread/p1

. . . while disclaiming "kind".

nossmf

You, @annpt77, are an enabler! lol

For meals, steamed broccoli with salt is my go-to veggie. If I want a snack I don't bother to record, it's red bell pepper slices.

Sinisterbarbie1

I looked at the volume eaters thread once and was turned off by the fact that when I started paging through people seemed to drown everything in 4 tablespoons of ranch dressing, top it with other caloric things, or turn sodas and sweet stuff into some sort of fluff substance. The first seems to defeat the purpose by adding 400+ calories to a salad (especially if unmeasured), the second looked like tik tok junkfood (which wasn’t what i was looking for at that moment) - but variety is the spice of life! I think it is great to have small portions of anything, but if a large volume of salad means you also eat a large volume of dressing for the same amount of calories as a 4 oz portion of salmon (or actually two servings of omlet or maybe even a slice of cake or multiple servings of ice cream if you have a sweet tooth), you would probably be better off having a smaller amount of salad and less dressing and also one of the above other food choices for satiety and variety and lack of deprivation.

pamperedlinny

I like to buy mini sweet peppers and cut them in half or quarters so they are like little scoops. I salt them right before eating and then scoop up salsa. I get crunch, salt, and a vehicle for my favorite dip/condiment.

springlering62

I’m going to tout my Ninja Creami yet again. We have ice cream every night.

I can enjoy half a pint of creamy, yummy homemade ice cream for under 100 calories. I usually add a squirt of whipped cream (15/serving), maraschino cherries (5 each), and a dash of sprinkles (token for a small shake, but, sprinkles = party in a bowl).

Last night we sprinkled some flaked salt on chocolate ice cream and it was amazing.

I mix sugar free pudding, skyr or Greek yogurt and some water to top it off, and then “creamify” it the next night with the Creami.

I’m still astonished at the quality of ice cream it produces.

Tonight is sorbet made from a simple can of pineapple bits in juice. 140 calories for a large satisfying bowl.

Only real con is that the thing is noisy and the racket wakes up our very irritable elderly bird, who screams his displeasure.

kshama2001

randywilhelm1183 wrote: »

What are some foods that have such low calories that you really do not worey about eating them? Like celery, lettuce, radishes, cucumbers, tomato's sugar free jello, popcorn, pickles etc. And what do you do to make them taste good?

Well, I don't really think like this. I have to get a balance of carbs, fiber, protein, and fat or I don't feel satisfied. It feels rather pointless to me to eat a salad of all low calorie veg and not add in proteins and fat.

kshama2001

springlering62 wrote: »

randywilhelm1183 wrote: »

What are some foods that have such low calories that you really do not worey about eating them? Like celery, lettuce, radishes, cucumbers, tomato's sugar free jello, popcorn, pickles etc. And what do you do to make them taste good?

Aaaaargh!!!!

Popcorn is not low calorie, people!!!! I regularly eat airpopped popcorn. In fact I’m typing this with the only non buttery finger left after just demolishing a large helping. 😇

A 33gr serving of popcorn is 120 calories and I’m sorry, but is laughably small. I usually make two for 240, and am all sad faced when it’s gone.

Adding butter, margarine, shaky cheese, soy or whatever adds even more calories. Cooked in oil or microwave, popcorn is even higher.

Sorry, I’ve seen popcorn posted several times here on MFP as if it’s gods gift to dieters, a freebie. Nope nope nope.

[snip]

Yeah, I have absolutely no interest in popcorn if it isn't cooked in oil and butter added. Sometimes I add cheese or peanuts too. It's definitely over 400 calories and I don't do it very often. In fact, haven't made it since I moved here in 2021.

penguinmama87

kshama2001 wrote: »

springlering62 wrote: »

randywilhelm1183 wrote: »

What are some foods that have such low calories that you really do not worey about eating them? Like celery, lettuce, radishes, cucumbers, tomato's sugar free jello, popcorn, pickles etc. And what do you do to make them taste good?

Aaaaargh!!!!

Popcorn is not low calorie, people!!!! I regularly eat airpopped popcorn. In fact I’m typing this with the only non buttery finger left after just demolishing a large helping. 😇

A 33gr serving of popcorn is 120 calories and I’m sorry, but is laughably small. I usually make two for 240, and am all sad faced when it’s gone.

Adding butter, margarine, shaky cheese, soy or whatever adds even more calories. Cooked in oil or microwave, popcorn is even higher.

Sorry, I’ve seen popcorn posted several times here on MFP as if it’s gods gift to dieters, a freebie. Nope nope nope.

[snip]

Yeah, I have absolutely no interest in popcorn if it isn't cooked in oil and butter added. Sometimes I add cheese or peanuts too. It's definitely over 400 calories and I don't do it very often. In fact, haven't made it since I moved here in 2021.

When I eat popcorn, it's dinner. It's a lot of volume compared to other foods, but yeah, I eat it with butter and salt. Sometimes nutritional yeast too, which also ups the calories. Worth it, IMO, as a once in a while treat.

I don't like the prepopped kind nearly as much as fresh.

MsCzar

Get thee a Yonanas machine. Feed it frozen spears of young yellow summer squash or courgette. Follow with frozen berries. I like the sweetness a half frozen banana adds, but you could add a bit of no calorie sweetener or Jello.
Result: a big bowl of frozen yum! for low low calories. Young squash is flavour neutral and provides an ice cream-like smoothness.