newbie and need some snack advice

DeputyWoody
DeputyWoody Posts: 5 Member
in Getting Started
I am brand new to the forums and need some help. I am a 31 year old female, 5'5", and currently 260 lbs. For the last 9 years or so I have lived a pretty sedentary lifestyle, engaged in little if any cardio, and ate pretty much whatever I wanted. So 15 days ago I decided to make a change and began eating much healthier, which inspired me to begin working out and doing some cardio. I borrowed some dumbbells from my dad (8lbs and 15lbs) and purchased a mini stepper. I have begun a weight routine that I got from Donavon Green's YouTube page and I use the stepper every day. The first day I used the stepper I did 5 mins and thought I was going to die! LOL Yesterday I was able to do about 17 mins and I can tell my lungs are feeling stronger. I have lost about 16 or so lbs but I am certain it is mostly fluid and am not getting too excited about the initial loss. My goal is long-term steady loss even if it's only a few pounds here and there. I just want to be healthier, feel better, strengthen my heart and lungs, and build muscle and stamina! The weight loss is secondary to me and I'm certain will come with my new food intake mentality and my exercising.

All that being said...my calorie intake goal is 1650. I try to stay pretty well under that goal and so far have been pretty successful. I do need some help on a few things. As I mentioned before, I have become accustomed to eating whatever. So now finding fulfilling foods that don't kill me on the calorie and fat intake can be challenging. I love turkey salad and that has been a very good staple for me to eat more regularly. My problem really is that I work the midnight shift at a county jail and many days I have zero time to eat a meal or get any thing healthy. I am looking for some healthy snacks that I can eat a couple times a night to keep my calories down and my metabolism up. I am allergic to many fruits and sometimes don't have time to cook up veggies at work. I enjoy eating sunflower seeds and have switched to sea salt and black pepper flavor as it is lower in sodium but don't really know if that is A good idea. I just need some healthy snack ideas that could keep my metabolism up and my hunger down when I have no time for a healthy meal. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Replies

  • disneymama73
    disneymama73 Posts: 8 Member
    What about a low-fat cheese stick or some nuts or some type. Those are snacks that generally help me feel full for a while and are not too bad in the calorie department.
  • amy_lynn_522
    amy_lynn_522 Posts: 55 Member
    I like walnuts or almonds. Another good snack is Greek yogurt.
  • Nalgh94
    Nalgh94 Posts: 181 Member
    - Cashews ( in moderate amounts)
    - Unsalted almonds
    - Cottage cheese - you can get creative with additions such as hot sauce, fruit, herbs etc
    - Greek Yogurt with some cinnamon mixed into it; if you don't the like the plain kind there are many flavoured options
    - If you've tried Quinoa and liked it or care to experiment; how about you try these and have a few for a snack http://www.soveryblessed.com/2012/01/03/cheesy-quinoa-bites/

    Feel free to add me if you're looking for friends or more advice :)
  • hooterklb
    hooterklb Posts: 27
    I'm a surgical nurse with the same problem. I've started buying snack sized ziplocs and pre-counting/measuring snacks into those. I do a lot of nuts.. almonds, cashews, walnuts.. and I also bought some Quest bars.. they're high in protein and low in sugar/empty calories. They're quick and portable and they keep you from being hungry for a while.. but the bars are a little pricey.

    Good luck!
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
    I like to graze all day (and night!) long. Raw veggies are great for that. My favorite is sugar snap peas (not snow peas...those things are nasty).

    For more filling meals, try something that can sit out and you can take a bite when you have time. PB&J, protein bars, cheese, nuts, etc.
  • PinchofGlitter
    PinchofGlitter Posts: 67 Member
    I love snacking on sliced apple or celery/carrot sticks with a bit of sugar-free Peanut Butter - It's yummy and combats junk food cravings because of its natural sweetness and I find keeps me full for much longer :D
    Also why not try some low calorie crackers with cottage cheese or another low in fat cheese like Edam :)
  • KudosH3
    KudosH3 Posts: 18 Member
    I love snacking on dried or normal fruit and low fat yoghurts, both fill me up and are quite sweet so I don't miss the other (bad) sweet things i used to snack on!
  • cbrown494
    cbrown494 Posts: 3
    Greek Yogurt
    Low Fat Baby Bel Mini's
  • Watermelon_Crush
    Watermelon_Crush Posts: 170 Member
    Taking prepared things in a box will definitely be your friend, then you can just pop the box open and dig in with a fork LOL

    I'm a vegetarian, but I'm told that tin tuna is great for a filling but good snack.....maybe in a little lunch box with some chopped gherkin or capers, a squeeze of lemon or a splash of low fat dressing, seasoning etc.

    I don't know if you have them over there, but over here in the UK we now have individual porridge pots. I'd recommend you get a flavoured one (we have ones that already have fruit in, or syrup flavours). You literally just add hot water to the line, stir and wait a couple of minutes. They are about 260 cals a pot (although I must admit I sometimes add a sweetener and dash of cinnamon depending on the flavour).

    You could do a small pasta salad at home and take in a box....just a little low fat dressing to keep it nice and moist, some salad, sweetcorn, seasoning into it.

    You could do a couple of boiled eggs at home to take with you, or if you have some extra cals you could dice them into a mini salad with a splash of low fat salad cream or low fat mayo, paprika, touch of mustard, chopped spring onions (I think you call them scallions??? LOL), with a bed of watercress.

    Hope that helps!
  • alg42
    alg42 Posts: 45 Member
    Protein really fills me up so my snacks are usually the following:
    - hard boiled egg
    - slice of ham, spread with low fat soft cheese, then rolled up
    - celery sticks filled with peanut butter/low fat soft cheese
    - a handful of almonds
    - dried fruit (small amount) and seed mix
    - porridge oats and small handful of raisins (odd but totally fills you up)

    Hope these help and good luck!
  • tinkbaby101
    tinkbaby101 Posts: 180 Member
    I prep my snacks ahead of time. Peel and chop carrots, slice apples (and soak them in some lemon juice/water to keep them from turning brown), chop up melons, and put them all in snack bags. I even weigh them and label them so logging is a breeze. I spend probably 30-60 minutes every week or two, preparing snacks so they're fast and convenient for the rest of the week. This can be done with just about anything: carrots, apples, melons, crackers, cheese, nuts... I even did marshmallows in 100 cal packs, in case I have a sweet tooth.
  • Always_Belle
    Always_Belle Posts: 73 Member
    These are my 'go to' snack foods:
    1) nuts
    2) grapes, apples, bananas (whole fruit that is easy to wash & carry basically)
    3) hard boiled eggs
    4) veggies such as broccoli & cauliflower i LOVE (plus they're filling)
    5) popcorn
  • Watermelon_Crush
    Watermelon_Crush Posts: 170 Member
    Oh! And I forgot to say!

    After reading your initial post on the thread....

    Because you're doing quite a bit of exercise/toning, it might be more encouraging to track measurements of your waist, hips, bust, and maybe even thighs and arms....they might show more change at first than the scales if you're toning.
  • luckypony71
    luckypony71 Posts: 399 Member
    I like protein snacks. Fat free cottage cheese and some fruit (usually pineapple)
  • FItThembie
    FItThembie Posts: 5
    cashew nuts are really amazing.
    as well as low fat plain yogurt. 1 tub is only 96 calories.
    grapes are a lovely sweet snack
    and lady pink apples are good
  • ElvenToad
    ElvenToad Posts: 644 Member
    You sound a lot like me. I am 31, 5'4 and started at 268lbs. I am down 33lbs just by working out at home and eating at a calorie deficit. I eat 3 meals and 3 snacks per day usually around 1400 cals total. My favorite snacks are Kashi bars the dark mocha almond is my favorite. Its 130 cals with 6g protein and very low sodium. Whole natural almonds, bananas. And if you have an insulated lunchbox.. string cheese, and yogurt with 14g of granola. Just make sure they are snacks you enjoy! I'm going to send you a friends request :)
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    Quest bars (high protein)
    Kashi bars
    Nuts
    Banana with PB
    Apple slices with PB
    Berries
    Grapes
    Baby bel cheese
    Greek yogurt
    Carrot sticks with greek yogurt ranch dip
    Celery sticks with PB
    Popcorn
    Hard boiled eggs
    Rice cakes
  • cebreisch
    cebreisch Posts: 1,340 Member
    My favorite snacks include:

    Snyders pretzels (they have no high fructose corn syrup)

    Chocolite Protein bars (www.healthsmartfoods.com) (you can get coupon codes at www.retailmenot.com) - They have about 10 g protein, about 10 g fiber, about 100 calories, and gluten/sugar free. Plus it helps get in the fiber!!

    Apple slices

    Banana's

    Light String Cheese

    Yogurt

    hard-boiled eggs
  • 2shoes123
    2shoes123 Posts: 204 Member
    My new go to snack is Nachos. I use baked nacho chips and melt Weight Watcher shredded cheddar, add salsa and nonfat plain greek yogurt (takes the place of sour cream).

    Frozen grapes are amazing!
  • DeputyWoody
    DeputyWoody Posts: 5 Member
    Wow everyone! Some great ideas. I hadn't even thought of cottage cheese! I love that stuff. I really appreciate the feedback.

    I will definitely start taking measurements. I need to buy some supplies. I bought a scale but didn't think about measurements until I got on here and started reading some posts.

    I'm excited about eating things that I don't have to feel "guilty" about later!
  • MrTolerable
    MrTolerable Posts: 1,593 Member
    Unsalted almonds FTW!
  • MrTolerable
    MrTolerable Posts: 1,593 Member
    Quest bars (high protein)
    Kashi bars
    Nuts
    Banana with PB
    Apple slices with PB
    Berries
    Grapes
    Baby bel cheese
    Greek yogurt
    Carrot sticks with greek yogurt ranch dip
    Celery sticks with PB
    Popcorn
    Hard boiled eggs
    Rice cakes

    ^whatever that heavenly looking being advised.
  • laurapresley
    laurapresley Posts: 1 Member
    I am one of those people who could live on potato chips, so I have to pack snacks to stay healthier. I have small containers that fit perfect in most lunch boxes. I usually pack at least 2 snacks, one sweet and one salty. Sweet is usually an easy to measure fruit like apples, grapes, etc. My salty is usually almonds, pistachios, or kashi hummus crisps. Occasionally, I'll pack hard boiled eggs with a bit of black pepper. Baby bel lights are great.
  • JennyJ2015
    JennyJ2015 Posts: 154 Member
    almonds are great blue diamond has a lot of flavors too !
  • wiss22
    wiss22 Posts: 14 Member
    I love popcorn with some olive oil drizzled on it. I got an air-popper for Christmas - I love it! This is my go-to snack.

    I'm also a fan of almonds - I like the raw, unsalted ones from Aldi. Especially with some string cheese.

    When I'm feeling reckless, I have a serving of oyster crackers with a serving of chocolate chips. Not the best, nutrition-wise, but I find that the salty/sweet combination curbs my sweet tooth sometimes!
  • CarolinkaCjj
    CarolinkaCjj Posts: 622 Member
    Pretty much what everyone else has said - life would be tough for me without cheese sticks and baby carrots.
    Hard boiled eggs are a good boost as well.
    On days when I am busy, I will drink a protein shake (atkins or whatever is on sale - even sometimes glucerna even though it is for diabetics because they make a butter pecan that is very tasty) - not the best nutrition wise but in a pinch, it will do. Many of them are packed with sugar but they tend to fill me up. I always add a cheese stick and some fruit to round it out. If I had time, I would make my own smoothie but most days there is no time. Looking forward for when the garden comes in for all kinds of good salads.
    "Girl" bars too - Luna Bars, etc - another good in a pinch. Has been my lunch more times than it should but again, the lesser of many evils.
    Check out the lemon Fibars - they are delicious.
    Yogurt - another go to for me. Greek or otherwise, I am not that picky but the Greek has more protein and fills me up longer.

    In the past, I would reach for chips or candy - now, I am more likely to reach for a yogurt or cheese stick. And always the carrots - love the darn things.

    And had ice cream for breakfast the other day - really. It was taking up room in the freezer, there was only a half cup left and truthfully it kept me going all morning.
  • DeputyWoody
    DeputyWoody Posts: 5 Member
    What about Pork Rinds. They are low calorie and no fat, but as it is fried skin...it always seemed wrong. Lol

    Also are pickles okay or are they too sodium filled. I love dill pickles!
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    Apples and peanut butter, crackers and hummus, or homemade guacamole with Food Should Taste Good tortilla chips are always good snacks!
  • MagicalGiraffe
    MagicalGiraffe Posts: 102 Member
    I found a site with some nice low calorie popcorn recipes, http://www.theyummylife.com/Healthy_Microwave_Popcorn The first part of the site probably has a fair bit of broscience on it but the recipes are easy to follow and have nice results.

    Made some of the cinnamon popcorn last night, comes to just under 100 cals per 2cup bag. Was super easy to make!:

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