Foods that get you through?

aset132

I'm wondering what are the foods you can't live without? What helps you get through every day in your weight loss journey?

I have some favorites but I would love to expand and get new ideas. Some of mine are....

1. edamame- I LOVE it! Offer me a bag of chips or a bag of these, I choose edamame every time!

2. Splenda sugar blend- Less calories then sugar and better tasting then splenda. I know a lot of people stay away from Splenda but it does help me.

3. Whole carrots- the kind you have to peal and cut yourself. For years I bought ready to eat baby carrots, then in an effort to save some money I bought a bunch of regular old carrots. The flavor difference is amazing! Will never go back.

4. Baby spinach, raw- even my kids love it.

5.Dark Chocolate- very small amounts, but loved even before I was watching calories

6. Natural peanut butter

7. Bananas- Never ate too many now try to get one a day. Love them in shakes!

8. Strawberries and blackberries- Yay for summer and slightly lower prices

9. Sweet potatoes

10. Mushrooms- drizzled with a very small amount of olive oil and some garlic, then broiled

11. Salmon

12. Chicken breast- can adapt almost anything to include chicken breast

13. Diet soda- I allow myself just one a day in the afternoon on some days. Helps with the soda craving although not a great choice I hear.

14. Unsweetened Almond milk- I don't much like milk but this I do

15. Green tea- hot or cold I love it.

LessMe2B

I see sweet potatoes on your list, I lightly spray Pam on a cookie sheet and bake wedges of them for sweet potatoe joe joes (very lightly salted with sea salt). YYYUUUUMMMMMMMMMYYY!!! :bigsmile:

jamie1888

Fage Non-Fat Greek Yogurt - I can add whatever I want and make a healthy, filling snack!
Scivation Chocolate Protein powder - helps me get all the protein I need and it tastes great! I love to mix it into that Greek yogurt!
Frozen Berries - blended with protein powder & a little almond milk makes a yummy post-workout milkshake!

mommamills

hmmmmmm...........

GUM!!!!! Helps everytime I have a sweet tooth.

I love pretty much ALL fruits.

Salmon

Chicken

Luna protein bars

Green beans and sweet potatoes

I'm sure there are a ton of others but those are the few that pop into my head.

jonikeffer

Ooh, edamame IS great.

Fruit - for me apples are a big one. Always know that even if I've eaten all my cals, I can have an apple if I really need something else.

Coffee - with creamer, makes you feel like you've eaten something.

Gummi bears - are my sweet of choice. I can just suck on them and make them last forever.

SimplyDeLish

I'd add:

Greek Yogurt
Bagel Thins
Grapes (especially frozen)

knitta64

I'll second dark chocolate. I make a snack mix with 22 whole almonds, 2 TBS raisins, 1 TBS dark chocolate chips and it's about 220 calories. Keep preportioned baggies at work for late afternoon snack cravings.

I also can't live without yogurt. My favorite is Fage Greek Yogurt.

dls06

Jolly time mini bag low fat popcorn. Love it. Eat it almost every night. Weight watchers approved.

aset132

I'd add:

Greek Yogurt
Bagel Thins
Grapes (especially frozen)

Ooooo I love frozen grapes!

bcattoes

Brown rice and Brussel sprouts. Not necessarily together, but I eat these a lot. So healthy and filling and so yummy. Oh, and almonds. I eat them pretty much every day.

annacataldo

air popped popcorn with no salt and yogurt butter poured over top... (3tbls kerneks, + 2tbls yogurt butter =220calories for a big bowl, or 2tbls kernals with 1tbls butter is 132calories for a medium bowl). --nearly everyday for my evening snack. Theres the 100calorie bags, but they arent as big as ur air popper amounts and i like being able to control the exact amount of butter and not adding any salt.

Baby carrots-- big handful is 35calories and if i have the munchies i grab them.. have them about every day... can add a bit of honey and water and steam them in the microwave for a couple minutes and have nice flavored steamed carrots, can chop up and add to salads, can steam and add cinnamon (cinnamons a metabolism boosters), can add to rice water and steam with the rice, can go in stews and all sorts of things no problem. put in a bowl and tossed with a tablespoon of wishbone light ranch is only 20extra calories. i like regular carrots too, but hate having to spend time peeling and cutting, etc, when i could just reach in the bag and have my carrots already all ready to go.

Kraft Free zesty italian dressing---has a higher sodium level than the non fat free, but its 7.5 calories a tablespoon and I only need 1tbls or less on salads, i can marinate meats in it, can add to veggies for an extra kick, etc... if i have extra calories i can use the non fat free one and have more calories and less sodium; and the more fat doesnt bother me cuz im always way under on fat.

Feta cheese--on salads, in cold noodle dishes, sprinkled over chicken, etc etc etc---23calories a tablespoon.

Half a apple with 2tbls of peanut butter--new favorite breakfast (im not a big peanut butter person, or a big apple person, but the two together are really good).

Potatoes---baked potatoes, boiled potatoes, roasted potatoes, homemade french fries, etc etc etc... all can be made with no oil, butter, or salt, and taste amazing with garlic, italian herbs, pepper, and red pepper flakes.. i like fat free cottage cheese on baked potatoes too if i have the calories for it..1 potatoe is filling and only 100 calories. --and cheap.

chicken---used in tons of things--salads, burgers, fried with egg whites and crunched up fiber cereal as coating in a light olive oil, tacos, just by itself, etc etc etc.

healthy choice tv dinners--for my lunch at work; its easy to grab and no time cooking other than throwing in microwave, is only around 300calories (depending on the type), comes with a fruit dessert, veggie and a tasty main course; loaded with potassium, fiber, & protein, and the salt isnt too bad for the type of meal it is (450mg for a quick meal i think is pretty good).

fiber one bars--oats and chocolate, oats and peanut butter, oats and caramel.

local coffee place coffee--4shots, sugar free, fat free irish cream latte, 20oz, only 110calories cuz of the milk; makes you feel like youve eaten a full meal, and the only time i get it is if im having problems going #2 in the restroom but i really enjoy this occasional treat--i just make sure to drink more water to cover for what the coffee depletes.

phenrichs

Honestly my savior is not food at all. I drink a LOT of water, with lemon. I keep a big bottle of real lemon juice in the fridge at work and a 24 oz water bottle at all times. Keep my belly about half full of the good stuff then it doesn't take much of a snack to fill me up.

On the snacks - I love apples. But a friend just tipped me to rice cakes, which I have always hated until he showed me the carmel cake ones. WOW! Tastes exactly like the Golden Crisp cereal I ate as a kid and they are only 50 cal each. The down side was the first couple times I had one it cause a sudden craving for a bowl of milk.

annacataldo

phenrichs-- i hope u eat enough. Water with lemon instead of snacks, and apples and rice cakes r all low calorie... if i ate those alone as snacks, i would never meet my 1600 calories a day. i eat 6-9x a day AND drink 20+cups of water a day (well generally, unless i have alot going on its harder to focus on water intake and enough food)

as far as golden crisp cereal that the rice cakes remind you of--kashi brand go lean crunch cereal reminds me of golden crisp--almost identical as a matter of fact, just better for you. its 190calories for a cup, but full of fiber and vitamins etc.. I have quarter cups in yogurt for breakfast sometimes; or 1cup cereal with half cup milk. I have to make sure each meal is 300calories each and each snack is 230 calories, unless i excercise, then I need even bigger snacks/meals.

wildon883r

I'm not obsessed with food so i don't need anything to get me through my day. Just eat healthy and a day is just another day. I don't eat junk, bread, sweets. Meat, fruits and veggies. No processed just food thats good for our body

somigliana

Things off your list I love and eat often too are: edamame, Whole carrots, Baby spinach, Dark Chocolate, Natural peanut butter & chicken breast.

And then I never very go long without eating:
Oats/oat bran
Tinned peaches
Frozen mixed berries
Tomato
Pistacios
Tuna
Yogurt
Spices like coriander, cumin, paprika
Eggs
Lentils
Kidney beans
Frozen grapes
Protein powder (in a frozen berry or frozen peaches smoothie)
Milk
Rooibos tea
Coffee

ladybg81

Strawberries and ff whipped cream in a can - YYYUUUMMMMMMMOOOO
Skim milk
Ovaltine
Chicken breast
Sweet potatoes
Carrots
Onions
Skinny cow anything
String cheese

I have really grown to prefer the low cal eating to the heavy, greasy, gross stuff!!!

aset132

Thank you everyone for your responses!!!