Looking for friendly budget meals and snacks

FammaMel

I am trying to follow pursuit in what I have been reading on here over and over and begin eating my exercise calories... This plateau has gotten the best of me. I am eating every two hours yet still seem to have anywhere from 400-600 calories left at the end of the day.

I am a single mom of three that lives on a strict food budget who is trying to find higher calorie healthy snacks and meals. Ideas? Suggestions?

Jameslemond

take a look at my food diary for some suggestions.... also

100 Family Snacks Under 100 Calories -- courtesy of Canadian Parents Magazine (http://www.canadianparents.com/article/100-family-snacks-under-100-calories) They are healthy too! No more excuses....Enjoy:)

1. 1 tablespoon hummus with 1 rye crisp, 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, 2 celery stalks
2. 1/4 cup berries with 2 tablespoons full fat, plain yogurt and 1 tablespoon chopped nuts or seeds
3. 1 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk and ½ scoop chocolate-flavoured protein powder blended with a couple of ice cubes
4. 5 almonds, ½ cup air-popped popcorn, 2 tablespoons raisins
5. 1 small tomato sliced with 1 ounce crumbled feta cheese
6. ½ slice of whole-wheat toast with 1 tablespoon almond butter and ½ an apple or pear
7. 1/4 cup cooked quinoa with 3 tablespoons chickpeas and ½ cup diced veggies
8. 1 rye crisp topped with ½ sliced hardboiled egg and 1 sliced plum tomato
9. 1/4 cup high-fibre, low-sugar cereal with 1/4 cup diced fruit or berries and 1/4 cup plain soymilk
10. ½ mini pita stuffed with 2 tablespoons each of mashed avocado and chopped tomato
11. Chopped steamed broccoli florets sprinkled with 1 ounce of cheese
12. Can of diced tomatoes sprinkled with 1 ounce of cheese
13. Small baked potato with a ½ cup salsa and 2 tablespoons non-fat sour cream
14. ½ cup orange juice (try freezing it and eating it as sorbet!)
15. 4-ounce container of low-fat yogurt
16. 4-ounce container of low-fat pudding
17. 1 container no-sugar-added rice pudding
18. 1 piece of toast cut into sticks with ½ cup of applesauce for dipping
19. 1 slice reduced-calorie bread with ¼ cup cottage cheese, 2 tablespoons applesauce and dash of cinnamon
20. 1 cup unsweetened applesauce (or ½ cup sweetened)
21. 1 cup berries with 3 tablespoons fat-free Cool Whip (or 1 tablespoon regular Cool Whip)
22. 1 cup berries with 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt and 1 teaspoon honey
23. 10 strawberries dipped in 2 tablespoons of light chocolate syrup
24. ½ cantaloupe
25. 3 plums
26. 1 medium banana
27. 1 large apple
28. 1 medium orange
29. 2 cups watermelon chunks
30. 4 dates
31. ¼ cup dried cranberries
32. 10 dried apricot halves
33. 30 grapes (try them frozen!)
34. 1 cup chopped mango
35. Small sweet potato
36. Corn on the cob (1 ear)
37. 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
38. 10 cashews
39. 10 almonds
40. 10 walnut halves
41. 25 pistachios
42. ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
43. 2 tablespoon roasted soy nuts
44. 1 tablespoon nuts mixed with 2 tablespoons dried cranberries or raisins
45. 6 crackers with 2 teaspoons nut butter
46. 2 graham crackers with 2 teaspoons nut butter
47. Large stock of celery with 1 tablespoon nut butter
48. 1 rice cake with 1 tablespoon nut butter
49. 1 small apple and ½ tablespoon natural peanut butter
50. 1 rye crisp cracker with ½ tablespoon almond butter
51. 1 cup pureed cauliflower with salt and pepper to taste
52. 1 carrot with 2 tablespoons tzatziki
53. 1 cup baby carrots with 2 tablespoons hummus
54. One packet unsweetened instant oatmeal
55. 1 cup minestrone soup
56. ½ cup split-pea soup
57. 1 cup tomato soup (with 1% milk; fewer calories with water)
58. 1 cup vegetable juice with 2 ounces roasted turkey breast
59. 8 shrimp with 4 tablespoons cocktail sauce
60. 10 jelly beans
61. 14 gummy bears
62. 15 chocolate-covered raisins
63. ½ cup edamame (measured with shell)
64. 3 cups air-popped popcorn
65. 2 cheese strings
66. ¼ pita bread with 2 tablespoons hummus
67. ½ red bell pepper with 3 tablespoons hummus
68. 2 egg whites on one slice whole-grain toast
69. 1 hard-boiled egg with one slice Melba toast
70. 3 breadsticks in 3 tablespoons of salsa
71. 5-ounce tossed salad with ¼ cup fat-free dressing
72. 1 multigrain waffle
73. 1 low-fat granola bar
74. 1 snack pack of plain cottage cheese
75. ½ cup low-fat cottage cheese with 5 strawberries
76. 1 serving of Jello sugar-free chocolate pudding
77. ½ cup vanilla soy ice cream
78. ½ cup sherbet or sorbet
79. ½ cup frozen yogurt
80. ½ cup unsweetened applesauce with 2 teaspoons of crushed walnuts
81. 2 tablespoons of fat-free ranch dressing with chopped celery and red pepper
82. 2 ounces smoked salmon with 1 tablespoon fat-free cream cheese
83. 1 ounce smoked salmon on ½ mini bagel
84. ½ cup of low-fat fibre-rich cereal with ½ cup vanilla unsweetened almond milk
85. 2 ounces water-packed tuna with ½ cup chopped tomatoes sprinkled with lemon juice, salt and pepper
86. Two ounces of water-packed tuna with 1 tablespoon fat-free mayo
87. ¾ cup whole-grain, low-fat cereal
88. 8 animal crackers
89. 4 whole-grain crackers with 1 tablespoon fat-free cream cheese
90. One slice pumpernickel bread with 1 tablespoon fat-free cream cheese
91. 1 piece whole-grain bread with 1 tablespoon no-sugar-added raspberry jam
92. 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk with 1 packet of light hot chocolate
93. 1 cup skim milk and 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa
94. 3 tablespoons of guacamole with ¾ cup raw red pepper strips
95. 2 sesame breadsticks
96. ½ English muffin with ½ teaspoon butter
97. 1 frozen fruit bar
98. 1 fudge popsicle
99. 50 small pretzel sticks
100. 8 low-fat tortilla chips with 3 tablespoons of salsa

Hood25

She probably has these on your list but here goes. These are all economical. Peanut butter, herring or sardines in a can(paprika herring is surprisingly good), Avacodo, pears, beans, cheese, oranges, sweet potatos (my new found love!) and dark chocolate are my favorite snacks to give me a little extra healthy calories and are easy to grab or fix.

FammaMel

She probably has these on your list but here goes. These are all economical. Peanut butter, herring or sardines in a can(paprika herring is surprisingly good), Avacodo, pears, beans, cheese, oranges, sweet potatos (my new found love!) and dark chocolate are my favorite snacks to give me a little extra healthy calories and are easy to grab or fix.

Dark chocolate... mmmm. Lol! These are great thank you! I am going to have to print out that list too it is full of some really easy ideas.

Bruinsmama

You have to search but sometimes you can find healthy snacks at a Dlolar Store! Granola bars, dried fruit, trail mix. Just be sure you recognize the brand, foods from other countries aren't always up to US standards.