Quick Snacks!

Veggies and hummus! I buy a bunch of veggies (carrots, red bell peppers, and cucumber are my faves) and cut them up all at once so that they're ready. I also make my own hummus, but they also sell single-serving packs of veggies and hummus at the grocery store if you don't want to do it yourself.

Edamame. Get it frozen in-shell or already shelled. If you're watching sodium go for unsalted.

Have some peanut butter or almond butter with your fruit, seems to help me.

Nuts, I find them very satisfying. If you're worried about over-doing, you can always portion them into individual servings.

I also recommend keeping instant powdered hummus on hand. Is it as awesome as from-scratch hummus? No, but very convenient, and you can make as much or little as you like.

Veggies and hummus! I buy a bunch of veggies (carrots, red bell peppers, and cucumber are my faves) and cut them up all at once so that they're ready. I also make my own hummus, but they also sell single-serving packs of veggies and hummus at the grocery store if you don't want to do it yourself.

Edamame. Get it frozen in-shell or already shelled. If you're watching sodium go for unsalted.

Have some peanut butter or almond butter with your fruit, seems to help me.

Ooh, do you have a recipe for making your own hummus? Always have been curious to try!

Crunchy

Tossing rinsed and dry kale leaves with 1 tsp. of olive oil and then baking in a 300 degree F oven for about 20 minutes, or until they are crispy creates a satisfying, earthy-flavored chip. Dust with salt or nutritional yeast to add flavor with minimal calories. Air-popped popcorn contains just 31 calories per cup. Try tossing with 1 tbsp. of Parmesan cheese or truffle salt or spritz with a bit of cooking spray and top with 1 tsp. of brown sugar and a pinch of cinnamon. Tear three nori sheets into three strips and coat with brown rice syrup, sesame oil, cayenne and course salt and then bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F, flipping once, for a sweet and salty treat with 44 calories per strip.


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Dips

Hummus is a go-to vegetarian snack, but commercial versions may contain almost 100 calories per scanty 2-tbsp. serving. You can create a bean dip without the calorie-dense olive oil and tahini by processing together canned chickpeas, garlic cloves, white wine vinegar and roasted red pepper in a food processor. Eat a 38-calorie, 2-tbsp. serving of this dip with endive leaves, carrot coins and celery sticks. For another quick, low-cal dip, blend together low-fat cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, fresh dill and chopped scallions. Use 1-oz. of baked chips or rice cakes to scoop up the mixture.

Smoothies

Commercial smoothies may be high in calories, but you can control the contents when you make them at home. For a sweet smoothie, blend together half of a frozen banana, 1 cup frozen strawberries, 1 scoop of soy protein powder and 1 cup of soy milk for a filling snack with 265 calories. Substitute blueberries or peaches for the strawberries and hemp protein for the soy if you prefer. You can also make savory smoothies with a combination of cucumber, romaine lettuce, parsley, tomatoes, lemon juice and spinach leaves for minimal calories.

Soup or Salad

Modest servings of vegetarian salads and soups make tasty, satisfying snacks. Create a vegetable soup by heating vegetable broth and adding quick-cooking vegetables such as peas, broccoli and diced squash for a low-calorie, comforting snack on a cold day. You could also toss together raw baby spinach with the segments from one orange, ½ tbsp. of slivered almonds and 1 tsp. of olive oil mixed with red wine vinegar for a 200-calorie, nutrient-rich option. Mix ½ cup of quinoa with chopped pepper, ¼ cup of black beans, fresh cilantro, lime juice, ground cumin and 1 tsp. of olive oil for a heartier salad with 206 calorie