healthy snacks

tiny_worm

Ever since I realized (from reading mfp posts!) that it's better to spread food intake throughout the day, rather than consuming large meals at longer intervals, I've altered my eating habits somewhat, to the point where snacking on healthy food becomes much more frequent, and foods in this category number more than the actual meal foods lol

Please list ALL your favourite healthy snacks here (and maybe why you like them), including ones you eat for cravings, ones that you "don't count" as calorie intake, and ones that you fill in before major hunger pangs. I'd love some snack ideas from you guys ^____^

To start, here's the list of my healthy snacks (it's quite long haha I eat a lot of these)

1. Frozen
frozen berries (gonna try frozen grapes too)
frozen banana (tastes just like ice cream)

2. From the Fridge
plain yogurt
sunrise fruit flavoured dessert tofu
1% cottage cheese

3. Microwave
jumbo popping corn (cheap, fast and good)
kale chips (fresh leaves microwaved)

4. Raw Veggies
baby carrots
baby cucumber
celery sticks
broccoli stalks (recently found out they are better raw than cooked)
grape / cherry tomatoes

5. Dry
almonds (8 at a time only)
unsweetened baking chocolate (1/2 square at a time)
sun-dried tomatoes
roasted and unsalted chick peas
kavli crispbread (high fiber content)

6. drinks
mott's garden cocktail, reduced sodium
mott's tomato juice, reduced sodium

insatiable_lilly

Frozen peas are delicious! and also, I used to eat lots of cabbage. It's sweet, so I think it helps with cravings, and its versatile. Unfortunately, it's not good in large quantities for people with thyroid problems so I had to cut back my intake. I always got turned off frozen bananas cuz the peel turns black. How do you freeze them? Whole, or do you cut them up first? I'm curious now....

Denibabe94

Great Realization!
I love bananas, but I've never tried to freeze them, that's really interesting

This week I've been trying to try new food

So today I had a little less than a serving of cottage cheese with half a serving of sun dried tomato crackers
That was good because cottage cheese has 15g of protein

Also Greek yogurt is my new fave, which also has a lot of protein, but a lot of calories so be careful.

To keep hunger low throughout my day and to avoid snacking on just anything because I'm hungry I've tried to carry an apple or granola bars, which is my go-to snack.

Good Luck in your quest!! :happy:

tiny_worm

Frozen peas are delicious! and also, I used to eat lots of cabbage. It's sweet, so I think it helps with cravings, and its versatile. Unfortunately, it's not good in large quantities for people with thyroid problems so I had to cut back my intake. I always got turned off frozen bananas cuz the peel turns black. How do you freeze them? Whole, or do you cut them up first? I'm curious now....

LOL yeah I was turned off by the unsightliness at first too! But then once I tasted it I never say no again haha.

The way I do it: take it out and let it thaw for about 3-5 min (helps putting my mind off the craving too), then use a knife and cut the frozen banada lengthwise, finally spoon the contents out.

alittle99

Here is a brief list of what I really like!

1. Greek yogurt with goji berries
2. celery sticks with Laughing Cow Light cheese wedges (there are a million different flavors, and only 35 cals!)
3. fuji apples
4. Gnu Fiber bars (banana walnut is my fav flavor) -- VERY filling bc they are full of fiber
5. Dried apricot and prunes
6. Turkey roll-up (shredded cheese and guacamole/avocado rolled up in a slice of turkey)
7. coconut water -- this stuff is supposed to be really really good for you, and it's got a unique flavor

Thanks for your snack ideas, too. Good luck!!

SaraD145

fiber one oats & chocolate is my FAVORITE! I could eat those all day long, obviously that would defeat the purpose, so I only have one a day - but they're delicious, good for you and loaded with fiber

davejlee

I once went through every snack I could find at Trader Joe's and Kashi Go Lean Original Cereal was the overall best in terms of what I was looking for.

1 cup:
140 calories
13g protein
10g fiber
20g net carbs
45mg sodium
480mg potassium

I'll mix 2 cups of it with some other snack, almonds, trail mix, etc. in a large plastic container and snack on that all day at work.

Fruits work well too for me. No prep and healthy. A cup of black, seedless grapes, some tangerines.

I also really like sweet mini peppers. Very low in calories.

Nomomush

1. Frozen--
fat free ore ida hashbrowns
non fat yogurt only on cheat days


2. From the Fridge- Soy Light chocolate milk--cheat days

3. Microwave--can't think of any

4. Raw Veggies/fruits
- bell peppers, broccoli, sugar snap peas,
post workout- apples, grapefruit

5. Dry-
smoked almonds
peanut butter


6. drinks
water
water
water with Crystal light and BCAA- post workout recovery drink---feed my muscles

tolleirrigon

I love frozen bananas! My mom always had them when we were kids and I have continued the tradition. Peel and wrap them first (in foil or plastic wrap) then freeze them. That way the unappealing black peel is not an issue! We also do frozen oranges, feels like a treat and are especially good in the summer, always have them at the kids baseball games- all the players love them!

Also string cheese.. like to peel is off slowly and make it last, the light Frigo Cheese Head is only 60 calories...

tiny_worm

haha nice ideas guys. we all need snacks! I'd say my success with a diet, if at all, must be half attributed to healthy snacks that prevent me from binging on high-sugar, high-calorie, unhealthy sweets.

One of my "thing" is the more natural, the better. I feel like snacks that come processed in neat little packages are 1) more expensive and 2) less natural and therefore less nutritious. I could be wrong, what are your thoughts??

Also, I hardly overeat natural snacks, but if I have a carton of tasty sweet bars sitting around, no matter what I know I'll end up eating the whole box sometime. So I made a rule to keep those out of my cupboards.

carlybarley22

I have to try this frozen banana!

my favorites include grapes, strawberries & 2 tbsp of fat free cool whip and broccoli and hummus.

k_dancer_z

To go with the frozen banana idea, I used to do this as a child and it might help if you ever have chocolate cravings... I unpeeled the banana, rolled it in some chocolate powder (such as Hersheys chocolate milk mix) then I wrapped it in foil and froze. This gives the chocolate cravings a kick as well and doesn't increase the caloric intake too terribly (it's not like I drowned it in chocolate).

sue26

jicama - raw cut into sticks
frozen grapes - they taste like candy
almond butter with gala apple

EricJonrosh

If it's late and I'm starving and have some room in my diary, I'll have half a banana dipped in almond butter. Oh, yum. Maybe a splash of nf milk, like 1/4 cup. Usually does the job. I love this post - getting lots of ideas.

I'm not totally convinced of the "several small meals" theory though.

Denibabe94

I once went through every snack I could find at Trader Joe's and Kashi Go Lean Original Cereal was the overall best in terms of what I was looking for.

1 cup:
140 calories
13g protein
10g fiber
20g net carbs
45mg sodium
480mg potassium

I'll mix 2 cups of it with some other snack, almonds, trail mix, etc. in a large plastic container and snack on that all day at work.

Fruits work well too for me. No prep and healthy. A cup of black, seedless grapes, some tangerines.

I also really like sweet mini peppers. Very low in calories.

Wow I didn't realize this cereal was so good. I'm definately buying some to make a trail mix!