Afternoon snacker needs help!

mc_mamma
mc_mamma Posts: 5
in Food and Nutrition
Hi there! I'm a fairly new user on myfitnesspal. I do great in the morning. I get all my water in. I'm getting better at logging EVERYTHING. Where I'm having trouble is getting thru my afternoon without using up so many calories that to have dinner with my family sends me over my calorie limit (and I like an evening snack as well... which is usually a 100 cal frozen fudge bar).

My question is: What are your favorite inexpensive, low cal, BUT FILLING and SATISFYING snacks? Need ideas for both sweet and savory. And I don't live in an area where I have access to a lot of "Whole Foods type food." Appreciate any and all responses. Thanks for reading!
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Replies

  • McBully4
    McBully4 Posts: 1,270 Member
    fruit

    peanutbutter

    cottage cheese

    greek yogurt

    glass of milk
  • Vansy
    Vansy Posts: 419 Member
    Piece of fruit or some veggies are probably the best (as far as low calorie).
    Small handful of nuts.
    Hard boiled egg.
    Greek yogurt.
    Cottage cheese.

    All of those snacks are great 100ish calorie options that have protein, etc. to help keep you full for a little longer.

    I know these don't appear "savory and sweet" -- but your taste buds change after you eat healthy for a while. Food that I find tasty and delicious (and also healthy) appear boring and tasteless to someone who eats unhealthy food on a regular basis.
  • Yardtigress
    Yardtigress Posts: 367 Member
    I have a cup or two of beef broth about 15 cals a cup and a laughing cow cheese the round ones in the wax about 35 cals. This gets me through preparing dinner or at the end of the day.
  • coliema
    coliema Posts: 7,646 Member
    Fruit, nuts, cottage cheese, eggs, laughing cow cheese on wheat thins, veggies with fat free ranch dressing.

    Those are just some of the things I snack on in the afternoon.
  • mc_mamma
    mc_mamma Posts: 5
    I forgot about some of my faves that you guys have mentioned here... cottage cheese, baby bels, nuts, etc. And I totally love the idea of beef broth... would satisfy that salty craving. Thanks everyone!
  • GreenEyedLady1
    GreenEyedLady1 Posts: 67
    jerky is one of my favorite snacks. low cal and filling

    also, hard boiled eggs

    banana.
  • BobbieJeanDietQueen
    BobbieJeanDietQueen Posts: 14
    Pickles! They are really low calorie, satisfy that salty craving and somehow also manage to curb my sweet craving. Just be sure not to over do your sodium for the day and I usually drink extra water to counter the salt intake.
  • ToughTulip
    ToughTulip Posts: 1,118 Member
    Roasted chickpeas :D
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
    String Cheese. Hummus and Carrots/Celery. 90-calorie Granola Bar. Special K Crackers. Popcorn Cakes. Emerald Cinnamon Almonds.
  • CoffeeJunkieMann
    CoffeeJunkieMann Posts: 95 Member
    Love me some hard boiled eggs
  • crrc78
    crrc78 Posts: 207 Member
    Plain Greek Yogurt with some fresh fruit or honey
    String Cheese (wrapped in turkey or ham too)
    Hardboiled Eggs (or just the whites with some salt and pepper)
    Hummus and Veggies
    Nuts - or make a trail mix to add a little sweet too
    Popcorn
  • amymichelle1226
    amymichelle1226 Posts: 150 Member
    I usually do fruit or baby carrots....I like to snack in the afternoons too and eating just one thing (like a hard boiled egg) won't work for me, I'll want more after that. So I bring some baby carrots (sometimes with hummus), this afternoon I have a bag of cherries. It helps curb that snacky need.
  • mamakjknows
    mamakjknows Posts: 51
    What are you eating for breakfast? It might help if you structure your food choices differently. If you have a nice filling breakfast then maybe you won't be as tempted to snack so much in the afternoon. That being said, some of my snack choices are string cheese, peanut butter on crackers or low-cal bread, Wholly Salsa makes 100 calorie packs of guacamole and I have those with some baked tortilla chips.

    To counter any sweet cravings I will buy sugar free hard candies and continue to drink lots of water. If I really have to have something sweet they makes tons of stuff in 100 calorie sizes.
  • tararocks
    tararocks Posts: 287 Member
    A lot of times for me it is the action of snacking that i like, not that im necessarily so hungry (I am working on this i know) but anyway, I like to choose raw veggies because i can snack on them for 30 minutes and still only have consumbers 85 calories or so, now i do still choose prepackaged or procesed snacks like a fiber one bar, they do help ward off hunger, but thats 90 calories in 2 minutes...

    also popcorn is great, skinny pop, boom chicka pop both are low in calories, or air popped
  • KellyL23
    KellyL23 Posts: 81 Member
    Banana and PB, or apple and cheese stick, or greek yogurt and berries. I try and do a fruit/protein combo for a snack, it keeps me full a long time. Also, go on a nice walk or run and burn some extra calories so you can fit in your night time treat.
  • newcs
    newcs Posts: 717 Member
    I set up and sometimes pre-log everything from breakfast, morning snacks, lunch, afternoon snacks to make sure I have a decent amount leftover for dinner and a snack at night. If it's not in my lunchbag, I don't eat it.

    Here are some typical snacks (I aim for 75 - 150 calories/snack and usually 4-5 snacks during the day depending on how high/low calorie breakfast and lunch are):

    Pear, quartered & cored
    Plain oven roasted almonds (they have flavored ones too but I'm trying to cut down on sugar)
    Cube of cheese, cut into small pieces (I use Cabot - I like it and it's semi-local)
    Reduced fat string cheese
    Wasa light rye crackers with PB2 or with a Laughing Cow light cheese wedge (2 crackers, 1 serving of PB2 or cheese wedge)
    Veggie sticks (favorites are cucumber or celery. for celery I add some almond butter)
    Fiber One brownies
  • Goal_Line
    Goal_Line Posts: 474 Member
    Sweet = sweet peppers, baby carrots, snap peas, any fruit.

    Savory = White cheddar rice cakes
  • Christine1110
    Christine1110 Posts: 1,786 Member
    If I want to snack, but I'm not really hungry I drink water, or have a ice tea with Stevia.
  • trud72
    trud72 Posts: 1,912 Member
    WaTER<COFFEE<TEA...

    do some exersice it gives you a buzz that you dont want to eat then!! :)
  • FitBunnyEm
    FitBunnyEm Posts: 320
    I usually do fruit or baby carrots....I like to snack in the afternoons too and eating just one thing (like a hard boiled egg) won't work for me, I'll want more after that. So I bring some baby carrots (sometimes with hummus), this afternoon I have a bag of cherries. It helps curb that snacky need.
    this is exactly what i do, i prepare them the night before and take them to work so i never need to snack on all the cake, biscuits that the others at work do...
  • drelan
    drelan Posts: 59 Member
    Special K cracker chips (30 for 110 cal)
    celery and laughing cow cheese wedge
    Low fat popcorn
  • veerichie
    veerichie Posts: 214 Member
    Veggies (celery, carrots, grape tomatoes, bell peppers) with prepared hummus or FF sour cream/greek yogurt with dried dill and garlic mixed in
    Light string cheese
    FF Pringles (SALTY!)
    World Gourmet Veggie straws (SALTY!)
    Rice cakes (plain with some PB2 spread on) or the sweetened ones
    Dry cereal (lasts a long time if you eat a few pieces at a time)
    FF yogurt or Greek yogurt
    FF cottage cheese
    Natural apple sauce
    Cut up fruit (right now on a huge melon kick)
    Cut apple or strawberries with cool whip free
    Cereal bars (special K / Fiber One)
    Skinny Cow chocolate clusters or chocolate bars
    FF/SF Jell-O instant pudding
    Raw or dry roasted almonds

    You could try an exotic fruit that you've never tried before - it makes snacking kind of fun.


    With fruits and veggies it makes it MUCH easier if you have everything cut up ahead of time and stored in a Tupperware.
    Also, I agree with PP about logging as much as possible, then figuring out how much room you have left for snacking. It makes it easier to stay within calories.
  • NikkiSixGuns
    NikkiSixGuns Posts: 630 Member
    - Hard boiled eggs (I skip the yolk)
    - A few ounces of sliced or baby carrots with a laughing cow creamy light swiss cheese
    - Light wheat bread toasted with a smidge of cinnamon & sugar
    - Frozen banana - I peel it and freeze it whole. Takes longer to eat that way and the texture is kinda like a hard frozen yogurt. Great when it's really hot outside!
    - Apples
    - A bowl of salad, skip the dressing & jazz it up with lots of different flavors. I love tons of black pepper and/or red pepper flakes on mine
    - Pickles! For me they'll stop a binge in its tracks.
    - Dannon light & fit yogurt with a sprinkle of fiber one original & a few berries or other fruit. Sweet & crunchy!

    Good luck!
  • lynn14
    lynn14 Posts: 116
    I do cut up veggies....cucumbers, red peppers.
    I also try to get in a protein with my snack; Baby Bell Light cheese, or almonds.
    I use the prepackaged nut mix because then I won't go over in my portions!

    I cut up a lot of veggies on the weekend and it becomes my "go to food" for that afternoon snack.

    Hope this helps!:smile:
  • Tallblondechick
    Tallblondechick Posts: 53
    Sometimes I make myself a party tray for snacking. It has one boiled egg, cut in 4. four olives, a pickle , cut into strips, and a piece of laughing cow cheese. I present it on a plate with 4 ritz crackers. I feel like I am at a party. It is my go to snack very often. Very filling as well. It makes for meal almost. And sometimes it is a meal. Don't remember how many calories exactly but real easy to figure out. You can substitute any item with another item. Being creative helps.Good luck!
  • 1SlimShaylee
    1SlimShaylee Posts: 204
    peanut butter with apple slices
    carrot sticks with light laughing cow cheese (only 35 calories nom nom nom)
    protein shake/protein bar
    nuts
    dried fruit if you need sugar lol
  • MzMiller1215
    MzMiller1215 Posts: 633 Member
    I love Orville Redenbacher's 100 calorie popcorn (it has less sodium than PopSecret) and Emerald's Cinnamon Roast Almonds. Also, if you like sweets, try the WhoNu? Chocolate sandwich cookies (only 160 calories for 3 cookies). Apples are good as well. If you are going for crunchy, try fresh baby carrots (only 35 calories for approx 13-14 carrots).
  • slimsdown
    slimsdown Posts: 122 Member
    sugar free jelly - under 10 calories

    caxton Pink and white wafers - under 50 cal

    pink panther wafers - under 43 cal



    or my best idea yet........................................................ get a empty drinks bottle and fill with some sugar free squash and water. put in freezer over night and take to work in the morning, eating ice is no calories and you will have it most of the day any time you get tempted to snack !! it is fun to see how much ice you can get out of a small lid, it is fun trust me xx
  • 1831home
    1831home Posts: 1
    Watermelon
    Popsicles
    Apple and peanut butter
    Carrots
    Tortilla chips (Hint of Lime - Aldis Brand - yum!)
    Trail mix
  • heddy90
    heddy90 Posts: 144 Member
    -Cottage cheese with bits of fruit (dried or fresh) and raisins. Can also pour a bit of lemonade(no sugar) on top and stir it in. Yummy!

    -Chop up a lot of fresh vegetables, and put them in a bowl of cold water. Can also add some slices of cheese, but not too many.

    -Fruit salad! Apple, banana, dragonfruit, kiwis, clementines.. and squeeze some lemon or lime on top!

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