Healthy snacks

I never have fruit or veggies alone. It just doesn't fill me up. I usually have some protein - greek yogurt, cheese, protein bar - with it.

I agree with the fruit and veggies not alone. just for lunch alone I had 3 oz slice apples yogurt. that also good for a snack. I say any fruit or veggies is good for a snack.
I like bananas for snacks. they do fill me up until dinner time if I have it an hour and half or two hours before dinner.

String cheese, couscous, greek yogurt, half an English muffin with honey/jam

If you do not have issues with sugar balance, then fruit with healthy protein is a great snack, otherwise have some healthy veggie choices and protein. Have protein with each meal. If no problems with dairy and nuts, they are great. Egg, Raw almonds, celery, spinach, cucumber, smoked salmon, strawberries. Have a protein shake like whey protein.

I definitely agree you need to have protein with the healthy carbs. Think of all the ways you can have an ounce of protein. Small handful of nuts, tablespoon of nut butter (peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter), boiled egg, string cheese, tuna salad, grilled chicken strips. Greek yogurt has more protein. Try adding a tbl of chopped nuts to the vanilla flavor instead of the fruit flavors. It's all about variety.

I am also all about convenience. I buy the John Soules precooked chicken or beef strips to add to a quick stir fry or fajitas at night, but it's also easy to reach in the resealable bag and grab 1-2 strips for a snack with veggies. On the weekend, I'll boil eggs and make a container of deviled eggs for quick snacks during the week. (Tip: put the yokes in a baggie, add your olive oil mayo, mustard and 1tsp cider vinegar. Seal the bag and smooosh until smooth. Snip a corner and squeeze the deviling into the whites.)

On to the veggies. Raw red bell peppers are actually sweet and loaded with vitamins. They also give you a crunch. Fill cherry tomatoes with about anything. I don't like raw carrots, but I do like them steamed for 5 minutes so they are still crunchy inside but not enough to break a tooth I marinade them in low fat italian dressing or vinegar and olive oil with some herbs and keep them in the fridge. With broccoli, I steam it a minute just until it turns bright green then plunge it in ice water. It's crunchy but not as earthy tasting to me so I will eat it without any dressing. I keep it in a bag in the fridge. If potato chips are a temptation, try finding a recipe for kale chips. Kale is that vegetable that is super healthy but few people eat. You bake the leaves with a sprinkle of olive oil and sea salt. Quick and easy to make ahead and keep in a container on the counter.

Fruit - if your family has a history of diabetes like mine does, this is where you might need to be more careful. Canned fruit is just an excuse to add sugar. Fresh fruit is best followed by frozen then dried fruit (only in small amounts). Berries are low-glycemic meaning they don't cause spikes in your blood sugar like bananas or pineapple might. Go to a farmer's market. They have things most grocery stores don't like my favorite Israel melons. Those fuzzy kiwi are hard to know how to eat. Try slicing in half and scooping out bites with a spoon. The "fuzz" becomes a convenient throw away bowl instead of a "what am I supposed to do with that"

I try to never eat fruit without a protein or a complex carb to balance out the sugar spike. I get my fruit in the mornings with oatmeal (very heart healthy according to my nutritionist). Try blueberries or dried cranberries and diced apples in your oatmeal. Instant oatmeal tastes like glue to me, but old fashioned long cooking oatmeal has some texture and sticks with you. It microwaves the same as instant. It just takes a little longer, but that allows the dried cranberries to plump up. They also act as a natural sweetener.

I might be 410 lbs, but one of my biggest problems is forgetting to eat and skipping breakfast. What has helped me more than anything is Muscle Milk. It mixes in room temperature water without any of the lumps of whey or other protein shakes. There are a ton of flavors available. You can buy it inexpensively online. I keep two scoops in a snack bag in my purse so that when I'm out and about, I have a healthy choice instead of giving in to a fast food craving. Toss it in a sports bottle with water, shake and you are ready to go. They have a "light" version, but it has more sugar than the regular version. Another plus is that Muscle Milk has monounsaturated fat which is the healthy fat. I found some peach mango flavored. It's my new fruit fix when I want something sweet. I have even tried freezing it in an ice cream freezer but still don't have the recipe quite right yet.

The little sweet bell peppers with the tuna salad sounds awesome! I'll have to try that.