Snack ideas so I don't feel hungry

TMSteiner

Hi, I am just getting started here and I am hungry! I am looking for some snack ideas that will help me feel satisfied without using too many calories. I am looking for something that is low in sugar grams as I am amazed at how fast those add up when I think I am eating healthily. Any great, delicious ideas? Thx.

Liftng4Lis

Peanut butter is my favorite. Plus it helps get the protein up!

TMSteiner

Good idea. What do you normally the eat the peanut butter with? Do you buy natural or low fat or anything special?

trogalicious

Good idea. What do you normally the eat the peanut butter with? Do you buy natural or low fat or anything special?

natural and low fat isn't going to necessarily mean that it's any better for you.
You're new here, I think this might help.

1. don't trust the initial setup that MFP provides. If you put in the wrong/inaccurate information, it'll tell you to eat an amount that may not be applicable.
2. Make sure you eat enough.
3. Figure out what works for you and is sustainable/healthy/long term.
4. avoid fads. don't buy in to any "Hey, try the twinkie and vodka diet"
5. Don't cut out anything now that you don't plan on literally giving up forever.
6. GET A FOOD SCALE. Weigh everything. No, seriously.
7. Get an HRM with a chest strap. You'll at least have a better idea of what you're burning. It'll be more accurate than the generic info in the exercise database.. and even more than the cardio machines. This is great for steady state cardio (run/walk/etc)
8. Don't go balls out. You'll burn out. I see 300 lb people show up here, instantly start working out and cutting their intake SEVERELY... trying to cut out all of their carbs at once.. whatever. Take it slow. Figure out how much you need to eat FIRST in order to lose.. then incorporate exercise.
9. Don't cardio yourself to death.
10. Take the information on the forums with a grain of salt. A lot of people that have been here for a while.. and have been successful, may seem jaded. They give out GREAT advice day after day, only to be met with people that refuse to listen.
11. Eat real food. Not diet food. Not "low fat, sugar free, now without X." It's easier to get/find/count.
12. don't set time restrictions.
13. measure yourself weekly. Don't just weigh. Measure and take pictures.
14 BE PATIENT.
15. Avoid forum topics that have "1200" in the title. It's just full of butthurt. Lots of it.
16. If you ask a question on the forum, give as much information as you can ("yes, I have a food scale and weigh my food" is worlds better than "I eat a palm full of miscellaneous boiled chicken parts..sometimes.")
17. Be honest with yourself and honest with us.
18. This isn't a game, it's about changing your lifestyle. Do that.

pretty much that.

...and don't fall into the "1200 calorie" vertigo of suck because of:

the typical MFP users does this:
1. I wanna lose weight, let's try MFP.
2. OH! Wow, it tells me I can lose 2 lbs a WEEK? AWESOME!
3. I just sit at a desk when I'm not working out, I guess I'm sedentary.
4. MFP tells them 1200 calories, and they don't even eat that.. then they work out on top of it.. creating an even bigger deficit.
5. Lose a lot, fast, brag about 1200 calorie success.
6. Come back in a few months trying to figure out why they're dizzy, tired, not losing weight.
7. Get on the forums, ask why they aren't losing.
8. Get two responses (I eat 1200 and lose) (I eat 2200 and lose)
9. Argument ensues about who is right.

Now. That being said. These threads happen hundreds of times per day. Most times, and I mean really.. seriously.. 95% of the time.. people get the 1200 number because they don't put the right information in when they set up the account. There are a great number of people that are trying to help. I'm one of 'em.

I'm a hardcore advocate of actually finding out what works for the individual.. by means of other calculators, averages, time, practice, and patience.

Blanket prescriptions of 1200 calories "because it worked for me" is more harmful to the generic new user than the "figure out what you need to eat." Unfortunately, one is a LOT easier to type.

Find out what you need: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

and make sure to read: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

...and here's another approach.

Block off 6 weeks. log EXACTLY what you eat for those six weeks, weigh at the beginning, weight at the end. If you've lost, you're eating under your TDEE. If you haven't lost, congrats.. you found your TDEE, if you've gained... then you're above TDEE.

From there, look at how much you lost or gained and you have a rough estimate of how to shift your intake to balance it out.

Online calculators are great, but they're just estimates. They give you decent ideas for starting points. From there, it's on you to fine tune it.

edit: with only 15lbs to lose, you should make sure you're not set on the 2lbs loss goal. Set it at 1lb max expected loss, then reevaluate after 6 weeks.

quatermore

Quest bars, any flavor you prefer.

greenbeanmama

My husband snacks a lot on air-popped popcorn.

oystercatcher3944

A few ideas I like: Sliced vegetables like carrot, cucumber, kohlrabi, fennel, radish, green beans, or even tomato dressed with a squeeze of lemon juice and some salt, or dipped into hummus. Fruits of all sorts (though they do contain sugar, it's often less than processed snack bars and the like). A piece of whole wheat toast topped with peanut butter and a few slices of cut up banana. A hard boiled egg. Roasted chickpeas (google it for a recipe, they are fabulous!).

nuedai

for me, apples (fuji) my favorite and air popcorn if I can get to it, if those 100 calorie microwave popcorn. Lettuce, Celery and carrots, cabbage, when I want something heavier. They say nuts are good, but they never feel me up or if they do I end up eating to many, kinda like potatoe chips.

srd_23

I heavily rely on Dannon Light & Fit vanilla yogurt with blue berries on top. Low calorie and tastes sweet. Plus the protein really keeps my hunger down. Its a lifesaver.

mangogirl272727

2% cottage cheese with either chopped apples OR sliced tomato, black pepper, and dill
1/4 cup hummus with LOTS of raw veggies (carrots, tomatoes, celery sticks, bell pepper, jicama, cauliflower...)
1-2 Tablespoons of peanut butter on celery sticks / on 1/2 an apple (always keep the skin on your apples!) / on a sheet of graham cracker
an apple or pear with a cheese stick
A couple hard boiled eggs with salt and pepper

SnuggleSmacks

Air-popped popcorn is a great low-cal snack if you like it (I don't)

Hummus with veggies (raw sugar snap peas are awesome and crunchy)

Peanut butter on fruit (apples, pears, bananas, etc.)

Oatmeal with a half scoop of protein shake powder (for the protein, and for the decadent flavor)

Frozen yogurt (or non-frozen yogurt)

Cool Whip Free mixed with fresh berries (blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, etc.)

Just watch portion sizes. A portion of peanut butter or frozen yogurt is much smaller than you might think it is.

tabicatinthehat

Apples, eggs, brown rice with chicken or anything really. I just discovered these and I LOVE them. I mostly prefer to cook my own rice, but dang man, one minute? And it has six grams of fiber and six grams of protein. http://www.minuterice.com/en-us/products/234/Multi-GrainMedley.aspx (I swear I don't work for them)

Garrett1234

Fruit!

Livingfreetoday

I have a few snacks I take with me to the office: 1 cup of berries, 18-20 almonds or pistachios (I'm allergic to walnuts), 2% cottage cheese, celery with 2 Tbs of peanut butter, as many grape tomatoes as I can handle.

These get me through the day at the office.

TMSteiner

Wow! That was amazing to get so many responses in such a short time! Thanks for the good ideas.

Trogalicious: Thank you for the detailed message. There are somethings you said that spoke directly to me. I have always tried to do too much too fast and burned out after a couple of weeks. Also I am just becoming more aware of the downfalls to "diet" food.
I went to the links you suggested and found some great info. Thanks for taking the time.

schulersam

I drink nice flavoured hot teas. Makes you full and fruit flavours or Chai makes it seem special. Plus zero calories!!

judychicken

I like Quest bars, Hummus with Baby Carrots, Protein bars, Skinny cow Ice Cream.

CRody44

Quest bars and fresh fruit.

Patttience

Hi, I am just getting started here and I am hungry! I am looking for some snack ideas that will help me feel satisfied without using too many calories. I am looking for something that is low in sugar grams as I am amazed at how fast those add up when I think I am eating healthily. Any great, delicious ideas? Thx.

1. EAt bigger meals. Then you won't need snacks. Only snack if your bigger meals are far apart.
2. if you do the above, a piece of fruit will be fine for you and there's nothing wrong with fruit sugar.
3. To reduce your sugar count eat less processed foods and cook your food with whole foods primarily. Most bought snack food is processed.

CrimsonDiva7

My go to snacks are: apples and peanut butter, fiber one bars (any flavor), black pepper popcorn and low fat tortilla chips and salsa.

F00LofaT00K

Many days, half of my calories come from snacks. Check out my diary. Eat whatever you want/whatever you enjoy just do so in moderation and continue to eat at a caloric deficit. Foods that are higher in fat, protein and fiber help you to feel fuller for longer. The more protein I eat each day, the more satisfied I am throughout the day. On the days when I don't follow my macro goals (fat, carb and protein) I usually end up going over my calories because I feel so dang hungry.