Need some low cal snack food ideas!

JeriMckibben
JeriMckibben Posts: 7 Member
edited September 2015 in Getting Started
I've done this for 2 weeks now, and don't want to get burned out on apples, bananas, grapes and salad. A have looked at items such as nuts and seeds, but the portion size is extremely small for the amount of calories in them! Nature Valley "trail" bars with fruit and nuts are good, I discovered them yesterday. I find myself reading labels on everything now, and am having a hard time finding something to eat that is worth the calorie content. I'm at 1200 cal a day, so I really need to watch so I don't use them up too quickly. Any suggestions?

Replies

  • tthoma5201
    tthoma5201 Posts: 63 Member
    String cheese, Oikos Triple Zero Greek Yogurts. (They have 5 grams of fiber and 14+ grams of protein depending on the flavor. Cottage cheese with fresh fruit.
  • dlr165
    dlr165 Posts: 118 Member
    Hard boiled egg whites. They are filling and only have 17 calories each. Aldi's light string cheese is 50 calories a serving. 80 calorie greek yogurt. I use Waldon Farms caramel sauce on chocolate vitatops. Bags of frozen veggies. Love edamame. 35 calorie diet bread isn't bad. 100 calorie kettle corn popcorn. Tuna in water is filing. I buy the sweet and spicy and the regular. The regular is only 70 calories. I use spray butter with 0 calories and Aldi's 10 calorie fruit spread for jam. 30 or 40 calorie vanilla almond milk isn't bad. You get use to it. I prefer it over any type of milk. Aldi's hazelnut, sugar free creamer is the best! Way better than the name brand stuff. Oatmeal with almond milk and Pb2. Measure everything or your servings will be way too big. I eat oatmeal almost everyday for breakfast. Artic Freeze ice cream, 35 calories a serving. The vanilla maple is the best. Maple Grove Farms makes a sugar free raspberry vinaigrette dressing that has 5 calories a serving. I love it. It smells better than straight balsamic vinegar. Aldi's whole grain waffles are 130 calories for 2 and I use spray butter and Waldon Farms 0 calorie syrup on them. If you are looking to eat clean, some of my items won't work. The last year I have looked for foods to keep me happy while staying at or around 1200 calories a day. I look at it as a challenge. Good luck.
  • JeriMckibben
    JeriMckibben Posts: 7 Member
    Thanks so much! Those are all ideas I can use and actually like! And yes, measuring is important. Never realized how big my portions were that I was eating until I started measuring.
  • suruda
    suruda Posts: 1,233 Member
    Some of the light chips are satisfying and you get a lot for 100 calories. Pop chips, skinny pop are two that I like when I want something salty.

    pre portioned 100 calorie snack bags are a little more expensive but make life easy!
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    I like seafood sticks, under 20 calories
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Glenny's soy crisps (120 for the bag), quest protein chips (also 120), greek yogurt with whatever mixing you like (I like an oreo!), seaweed kinds of snacks, popcorn, salted cucumbers and peppers
  • keithgreenkg
    keithgreenkg Posts: 19 Member
    Musclefood.com have high protein alternatives for everything :)
  • KrisiAnnH
    KrisiAnnH Posts: 352 Member
    Popcorn (at least the UK version- no butterscotch etc) can be pretty low cal, sugar free jelly pots (some are only 5 calories!). Low cal cracker breads with 'light' soft cheese triangles, kitkats, oreo snack packs, certain cereal bars are all around 100 cals :) Fromage frais yogurts are a good one too :)
  • JeriMckibben
    JeriMckibben Posts: 7 Member
    Thanks guys! These are good suggestions. Went shopping today and implemented some of these ideas into my purchases! :)
  • mick1988burrows
    mick1988burrows Posts: 13 Member
    Protein crisp from muscle food.com, peanut butter, Greek yogurt , rice cakes, cottage cheese , protein bars , super slim noodles from asda ( 9kcal per 100g!) popcorn , bagels ..
  • OutdoorCamoGirl
    OutdoorCamoGirl Posts: 67 Member
    I know this may sound weird, but I take fresh whole raw white mushrooms, slice them... then use them to scoop up salsa. It's definitely not chips and salsa, but I like mushrooms and the combination of the two have saved me many times

    I also like to spread a Laughing Cow Light Cheese Wedge onto a couple stalks of celery. Low cal/carb and I get a crunch as well.
  • DreamerNme
    DreamerNme Posts: 1 Member
    Hi. I'm new to this app that my trainer introduced to me. I myself have started to burn out on those snacks too. Thank you everyone who gave snack ideas. Im so afraid to go over that I'm eating far less than I should. Allowed 1600 cal but I'm taking in less than 500.
  • djspacecaptain
    djspacecaptain Posts: 366 Member
    Some of my favorite low calorie snacks include:

    Pickles - 0 calories
    Sugar snap peas - 41 calories per serving
    baby cut carrots - 5 calories per serving
    wheat thins hint of salt - 100 calories per serving
    Very lightly salted sunflower seeds - 100 calories per serving
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    Was going to add baby carrots, too. FYI those are 35 calories per 85g serving. Personally I like them with Swiss cheese, which isn't that low cal, but nowadays I take them with a very small square / portion of a slice. Great for tiding me over while picking things up around the house, or while preparing dinner, etc

    Coffee is low calorie. I buy flavored packs so I don't have to add anything to them

    Soups can be low in calorie yet very filling. Look for recipes for your favorite soups or just throw in your favorite vegetables in with some meat. Use the recipe tool to figure out the calories. I use the allrecipes.com app to find recipes for things I might be interested in eating
  • Lynzdee18
    Lynzdee18 Posts: 500 Member
    Soup. I make soup, lots of veg, no salt broth, add a pack of millet brown rice ramen noodles for protein and bulk. A bowl nice and steamy helps tremendously! Just take care what veg you add!

  • RogerToo
    RogerToo Posts: 16,157 Member
    I've done this for 2 weeks now, and don't want to get burned out on apples, bananas, grapes and salad. A have looked at items such as nuts and seeds, but the portion size is extremely small for the amount of calories in them! Nature Valley "trail" bars with fruit and nuts are good, I discovered them yesterday. I find myself reading labels on everything now, and am having a hard time finding something to eat that is worth the calorie content. I'm at 1200 cal a day, so I really need to watch so I don't use them up too quickly. Any suggestions?

    Hi Jeri
    FWIW I like the Dannon Light & Fit Greek Yogurt, 80 calories & 12G Protein, example Nutrition here

    They are all the same specs for calories and protein. Very tasty too, I use them as a dessert with my lunch & Dinner. Many Flavors, including seasonal flavors.

    Egg Salad made with Low Fat Mayo and 0 calorie No Sugar added Relish. Tasty.

    BTW just in case You did not know, a serving of food can be marked 0 calorie on the nutrition label as long as it is under 5 calories per serving.

    I would rather eat a Lean beef or skinless chicken breast instead of String cheese.

    Good Luck
    Roger
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  • sinbadfxdl
    sinbadfxdl Posts: 103 Member
    Let us all remember that eating a low carb with high protein meal works well with hunger pains. When it comes to losing weight, a calorie is not just a calorie. Your body always likes the short cut so it would rather go for stored fat than work all day to process the protein. Carbs (sugar) gets a direct pass to the blood stream and is quick to be stored as fat.
    After you drop a few pounds, eat more carbs the next day so your body will not go into starvation mode. Then go back to low carb till you drop the next two pounds. Your body is a chemical furnace. Feed it the right calories to keep it as a fat burning machine.
    This app is great for that. With this app, low carb diet, and exercise I always drop 2to 4lbs and I am never starving.
    Water is very important. Drinking lots of water actually helps flush fat and water weight. Be careful not to drink too much at night. Nobody wants to wake up at night to go to the bathroom several times. ;)B)
  • JeriMckibben
    JeriMckibben Posts: 7 Member
    I wish there was a "like" button for everyone's post! Thanks guys, you've all helped a LOT.
  • coachRichie
    coachRichie Posts: 27 Member
    Whoa 1200 calories a day seems way low to me.. but then again I am a guy and I workout so my needs are much different..
    So you can get a lot of great snack ideas from Pinterest. You can go to their website or use the app if you have a smartphone..
  • courtney_love2001
    courtney_love2001 Posts: 1,468 Member
    I eat boom chicka pop popcorn, greek yogurt, bananas, grapes, string cheese, babybel, English muffins (the 100 calorie ones) with a piece of laughing cow spread on it. I wanna get the biggest bang for my buck with snacks so I'm looking for something with fiber to keep me full.
  • CasperNaegle
    CasperNaegle Posts: 936 Member
    quest protein chips, hard boiled egg whites.. we also like to make banana protein muffins or egg white muffins.
  • Mal88fan
    Mal88fan Posts: 4 Member
    I love Pure Protein bars & they come in all kinds of flavors. High protein, Usually 200 calories or less, low sugar content as well. I eat 5-6 small meals a day & use a bar as one of my meals.
  • LeonardoPayer
    LeonardoPayer Posts: 2 Member
    Natural peanut butter - Greek Yogurt - 1 tbsp honey, ideal for late night snack or next meal after breakfast
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Here's my list.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/jgnatca/view/mid-day-snacks-722504

    Don't discount the calorie-dense food choices. Just pack them very small. Sometimes I cut a protein bar in half so it turns in to two hundred-calorie snacks. My lowest calorie meal (to compensate for the snacks) tends to be lunch, which might be soup or salad.
  • melonaulait
    melonaulait Posts: 769 Member
    Crispbread and rice cakes are some of my favorites to snack on.