How do you snack and stay in calories?

megz4987

To start, my snacks the last few days haven't been great (2oreo cookies today, an oreo icecream sandwich Tuesday) and I know that. My meals aren't huge but they seem to allow me to stay within a few 100calories of my goal on a daily basis and usually consist of a meat and/or bread (EDIT-That's just hte basis of my meals, I do eat veggies as well)

How do you stay within your calories and still snack, along with meals?

melsinct

I guess it all depends what you want as a snack. I generally don't find it difficult to free up the calories. If you are only sticking to 1200 calories a day and don't include exercise, I can see how it would be a problem. Like today for instance, I snacked on a banana and a Mini-Babybell cheese and still have left over calories for the day (my diary is open).

Edited to add: my coworker just gave me a mini Snickers. Yet another snack to add. :laugh:

jbucci1186

i plan my snacks (i also plan my days in advance). it helped me never go over because i know what i'm eating before i have to think about what i want to eat lol

megz4987

I guess it all depends what you want as a snack. I generally don't find it difficult to free up the calories. If you are only sticking to 1200 calories a day and don't include exercise, I can see how it would be a problem. Like today for instance, I snacked on a banana and a Mini-Babybell cheese and still have left over calories for the day (my diary is open).

That's also a problem some days, exercising. Fiance works and I'm home with a baby that, some days, refuses to nap and wants to constantly be entertained and that doesn't include laughing at mommy doing her exercises, haha. By the time he's home, it's dinner, shower and bed. Sometimes I get lucky.

jml107

Fruits and veggies are the best snacks I've found. Low in calories, tasty, and good for you. That's a win in my book.

woja9640

Eat low cal snacks like Jello snack packs. Nuts, and fruits and veggies.

kimmerroze

one of my favorite snacks is frozen veggies. I keep them in the fridge.. Run hot water over them and cook them for a minute or two.. a lot of the time I will ad a 1/8 of a cup of alfredo sauce to them... YUMMMM My favorite!


I also bumped my calories up... 1200 was just not enough... I felt like a mouse eating a crumb. so I upped my calories to my BMR calories, and I haven't gone back. Weight loss is better, I feel better I sleep better and I can enjoy more things.

MrsRobertson1005

I have nutrigrain bars, chewy granola bars, and peanut butter and cheese crackers in my drawer at work so i have healthy low cal snacks i snack between meals about 2 or 3 hours after eating and thats eat. I don't let myself constantly snack just because i'm bored.

WWhitaker

Fruits and veggies!!! Very low cal and very filling!

basschick

I try to stick to 1200 calories net per day so I can only have snacks on the days that I exercise (great motivation to exercise everyday!) Smoked almonds, a 6 oz. cup of Greek yogurt, an apple, pretzel chips or Crunchmaster multi-seed crackers with or without hummus, a slice of cheese, and 50% less fat butter popcorn are some of my usual snacks.

jackiebo

Fresh fruit, nuts in moderation, and my favorite, "peel-a-pound soup". It's simply a tomato-based vegetable soup with some beef broth thrown in for flavor, loaded with non-starchy veggies, plenty of cabbage and whatever. No peas, no potatoes, no corn. I find that adding cayenne pepper for a little bit of heat really cuts my appetite, too. I make it in a huge batch and freeze it. Sometimes add a little bit of parmesan cheese.

Meganl4

What I find helps me is if I am unsure of the colories or even if I do I still add it before I eat it. I then take a minute and ask myself if I really want that knowing that it's going to throw me off. Most of the time and find that I don't want to waste that many calories on something, when I could eat twice as much of something else that is healthier. Then if I don't eat that snack I delete it! It works for me~

SarahofTwins

I usually snack more in the evenings with fruits, chocolate fiber bar, peanut butter crackers (100 cal pack), plenty of water, and sometimes I eat a fat free hot dog. Hot dog + Bread = 80 cals only! Woo hoo :happy:

AHealthierRhonda

EXERCISE EVERYDAY! Even if I jsut squeeze in something that burns 100-200 cals, It gives me enough room for that cheat if I should want it. I try to snack on healthy stuff, fruit and veggies, and I also buy the 100 calorie packs from Keebler, and fat free puddings from jello and hunts.

mallorybriann

Greek yogurt
Edamame
Beef jerky
Baby Bell cheese/string cheeses
Blueberries/apples
Almonds

bluefox9er

Heavy sigh..I guess a 'snack' is an in-between something to nibble at..but to me, it's a meal of the most disgusting, nastiest processed 'food' washed down with fizzy soda. I don't 'snack' any more...but strips of carrot/celery/green peppers etc with hummus might work for some.

funkyspunky871

I don't.... If I snack through out the day, I end up having no calories for dinner. Lol. It's horrible. Good thing a sandwich with a serving of fat-free pringles is only 165 calories and enough to fill me up for dinner when I have snacked all my calories away.

CristlNothem

I buy the 100 calorie snack packs. I tend to crave chocolate alot and will eat a pack of the chocolate covered pretzels. I too am a stay at home mom and I just started buying some healthier stuff that i can snack on. i cant do the veggies all the time, so i buy snacks that are just lower calories. One thing that really heps in not wanting snacks is drinking alot of liquids. I get propel zero packets and just carry around a arge water bottle with me...when i want to snack i just drink instead!!! My daily goal is 1400 calories and i usually cant hit it because i am so full after what i do eat, so i usually only get in 1200...good luck!!!

raychybabe

I am a terrible snacker, I like to graze through the day or I get tired and bored. I'm getting more into fruit, but it makes my sugar levels go up alot so may have to reign that in!

Good snacks: rice cakes, dried fruit, roasted soy beans, fat free yoghurts, fruit generally (berries/grapes are low in calories, bananas are higher but better for energy because of the potassium and vitamins).

I experiment - like i covered some strawberries (about 50 cals), in a fat free yoghurt (about 76 cals) and topped with a crumbled low fat weight watchers cookie (about 45 cals) which was sort of like a cheesecakey dessert thing!

I also have cereal bars for a sweet treat, but they're all factored in.

foreverloved

Exercise and eat back your exercise calories!! You should have plenty of room in your calorie budget then for healthy snacks!

swaymyway

I snack all day long, I love snacking - my snacks range from 10 - 200 calories and I usually manage to stay within my calorie allowance. I suppose it's because I generally eat low calorie meals though, my breakfast is only around 100 calories and my diiner and tea 300 - 500.

milaxx

Go light on the snacks. Take advantage of the summer fruits. For example a cup of watermelon is 43 cals/sugar.10

0% Greek yogurt with a bit of fresh fruit is probably in the 100 - 200 range.

String cheese under 100

WWH_AJ

I LOVE the 100 calorie snak packs. I have to say that the white and chocolate covered pretzels are my favorite! I also like the canned pineapples because they are easy to carry around. Also there are 100 calorie cheese packs now and I love the pepperjack cheese!

I buy the 100 calorie snack packs. I tend to crave chocolate alot and will eat a pack of the chocolate covered pretzels. I too am a stay at home mom and I just started buying some healthier stuff that i can snack on. i cant do the veggies all the time, so i buy snacks that are just lower calories. One thing that really heps in not wanting snacks is drinking alot of liquids. I get propel zero packets and just carry around a arge water bottle with me...when i want to snack i just drink instead!!! My daily goal is 1400 calories and i usually cant hit it because i am so full after what i do eat, so i usually only get in 1200...good luck!!!

pittielover23

FILLING snacks! Oreos are great as a treat (and I totally do that), but they are not going to fill you up. I like to snack on either low cal stuff I can eat a lot of (baby carrots, popcorn) or really filling things (greek yogrut, nuts, string cheese).

mallorybriann

HAHAHA love your pic of the bunny!

I don't.... If I snack through out the day, I end up having no calories for dinner. Lol. It's horrible. Good thing a sandwich with a serving of fat-free pringles is only 165 calories and enough to fill me up for dinner when I have snacked all my calories away.

pisces271

this soup sounds GREAT!

lovinmamaxo

I'm probably not the one to ask as i have way to many snacks most of my calories seem to come from snacks vs meals. But for snack my favs are...

Skinny cow ice cream
Broccolli
Unsalted saltines and laughing cow cheese wedges
baked garlic pita chips and hummus
Weight watchers ice cream bars comparable to snickers bars
Baked Lays chips
Bagel thin w/weight watchers cream cheese/peanut butter
Almonds
Sugar Free jello snacks
Bananas
Watermelon
Corn on the cob
Weight watchers coconut candy (when i truly need that chocolate fix) about 150 calories for 3 pieces.
Fiber one chocolate mocha bar
My recent fav is
100 calorie coffee cakes lol

I could go on.... lol but apparently it's working for me.

LisaMarieee

I snack on things like nectarines, apricots, plums, 0% fat free plain yogurt, string cheese, triscuits. It's so easy to stay within your calorie budget and snack if you snack on the right foods.

Elizabeth_C34

Banannas are great snacks. They keep me full for a while too. I just budget them in just like any other food.

Keegansmum6

In regards to exercise and the baby how old is she? Can you put her in an exersaucer. Well you work out,or do you live in a safe enough neighborhood where you can put her in the stroller and head out for a walk,just thinking of ways you can earn more snack cals

finchase

At work I snack on baby carrots, and usually have some other piece of fruit like an apple, mandarin orange or a few strawberries in the afternoon. If I'm really hungry I'll have a Special K Blueberry snack bar (90 calories). When I come home from work and before I go work out, I'll have something like an ounce of almonds or a Babybel Light cheese. In the evenings, I'll have another piece of fruit--I've really been favoring watermelon and nectarines lately, although my trainer says I should be eating something more like a complex carbohydrate.

I think my biggest craving has been for salty snacks. Potato chips were always a bigger weakness for me than chocolate. I haven't found anything to replace that, so if anyone has any suggestions, I'd be grateful. I'm trying to stay away from processed foods as much as possible, although I know I can't eliminate them altogether.