Low calorie snacks?

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Amo_Angelus
Amo_Angelus Posts: 604 Member
in Food and Nutrition
My fiancé has just joined this site after seeing how well it's worked for me however, he does 12 hour shift patterns, 4 days, 4 off, 4 nights, 4 off repeating and it's slowly killing him. Not to mention the fact that he' running his own small buisness on top of it! With any luck his buisness will take off and he can quit his job, but until then he's in a very high stress job, the hours are killer, he has no time to excercise (seriously, that's not an excuse, he's got very little time for anything other than work, including sleep). So that's our backstory.

Now while I eat pretty much the ame as I always have and have just increaed my activity levels, I'm getting back to my skinny self, however...I've never known him skinny. I don't think he remembers being skinny. He's always been on the large side and has a very unhealthy relationship with food. So he started this diet 3 day ago and has been miserable ever since. Day 1, I cooked, and the meals were under the calorie goals, but he couldn't have hi usual snack allowances and became miserable. Yesterday we had a cheat day as we went for date night. Today, he cooked me dinner/his breakfast as he's started his night shifts...bacon cheeeburgers, curly fries and beans...yes, you guessed it, 500 calories remaining for the rest of the night. He came into the bedroom in tears only a couple of minutes ago claiming he's starving...we only ate about 4 hours ago! And the meal made me feel VERY full to the point of still being full, but ith only 500cals remaining he wa in tears and tarving because there' no snacks and not enough for a full meal! So I ran to the shops to get a healthy snack, but all I could think of was dried fruit...that's healthy right? now he's got about 250 calories remaining and still starving and crying.

He usually eats wine gums and chocolate, and energy drinks and...I wear he was eating 3k cals a day! Now he's on a restricted cal diet and he's "starving" and I feel aweful because I can't think of any low cal snacks for him. I can do his meals, so long a he doesn't decide to cook, but what on earth can he snack on that doesn't feel like a punihment (celery for example) He doe like dried fruit, but the cal content is surprisingly high and I just don't know what to feed him. Epecially because he doesn't have the time to go for a quick excercise to earn more back. He doesn't even get a lunch break most days...

Replies

  • budkow
    budkow Posts: 39
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    I LOVE sugar snap peas. They're surprisingly filling and a nice low calorie non-celery snack. Buy a big bag and take them in baggies and the price is good too. If he wants something that's a bit salty and tastier, I'm absolutely in love with "Smart Fries" by Gourmet Basics. They're 110-calories for a bag, and the serving is way bigger than anything else for the calories.
  • russelljclarke
    russelljclarke Posts: 836 Member
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    He could try having a drink in place of at least some of these snacks. Might fool his stomach for a while (works for me)
  • SaraTonin
    SaraTonin Posts: 551 Member
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    It might be a good idea to start him off slower - Set MyFitnessPal to .5 lbs loss per week. That'll give him a more realistic cushion rather than setting up to fail.

    My favorite healthy snacks are carrots, nuts, apples, etc. 100 calorie packs are a great idea for someone who isn't used to exercising self restraint regularly too.
  • russelljclarke
    russelljclarke Posts: 836 Member
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    Oh, I used to eat a low cal dip with crudites. Doesn;t have to be celery, can be virtually anything as long as its not too calorific
  • NWLARealtor57
    NWLARealtor57 Posts: 34 Member
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    My favorite healthy snacks are Emerald Coco Almonds 1 oz- found at Sam's., Medium Apple, or Red Seedless Grapes. Also a low carb protein shake is good as well.
  • melvac
    melvac Posts: 333 Member
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    sliced apples are good and good for you.
  • melvac
    melvac Posts: 333 Member
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    sliced apples are good and good for you.
  • russelljclarke
    russelljclarke Posts: 836 Member
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    The problem with nuts is that in quantity they're calorific, and it sounds like the poor guy has a bit of anappetite
  • zowgati
    zowgati Posts: 25
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    Protien bars are relatively low in calories (140) but also fill me up. I also fill up on herbal tea- no calories!
  • russelljclarke
    russelljclarke Posts: 836 Member
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    Me too - licorice is my favourite
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
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    A bowl of strawberries, a no fat activia snackpot is filling, a big salad with lettuce, cucumber, few cherry tomatos, greated carrot and cabbage and a fat free vinegarette is very very low in calories, filling and fat free. I eat a large salad with virtually every tea, and it fills you up. Asda do asda sharing salad bowl. 1.50. Half of one of those is loads and only 40 calories. Its fantastic, especially with dat frewe vinegarette. Cous cous is also pretty low calorie and fat and filling. Home made soups are great too. I do spicy lentil and chick pea, its a lot nicer than it sounds and 200 cals for a big bowl. Fills you up for ages. I always have oats so simple porridge and a banana for breakfast, this is 300 cals max, and fills you up for ages. I'm starving without that for work, for me its certainly the best way to start the day. I was eating probably 3000 cals a day, but because I eat porridge and banana for breakfast, home made soup for lunch, yogurt at break time, a good filling tea with lots of salad or veg, and some supper like low calorie bread with philadelphia light on, as well as a bag of crisps I find I'm not hungry. I agree with setting your husbands goal to .5lb for a couple of weeks and increase slowly. For someone who can't exercise 1lb a week is more realistic and he wouldn't feel so deprived. Its still 52lb a year, 3 stone 10. Slowly is the best way to keep it off, and if your going to keep it up it has to be realistic. Also drink 8 glasses of water per day makes a huge difference. He can fill up of healthy food and not feel miserable. I've lost over 3 stone now. I was 21st 8lb before. It is achieveable. Feel free to add me as your friend. I live in manchester. I only keep a small circle of friends and would support you both a lot if you wanted to be my friend. Zara x
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    First up - 3 days is nothing - it takes a while to get used to a new regime. But try to take it slowly if you can, rather than an all at once approach.

    Dried fruit is pretty high in sugar - you'd be better with fresh fruit.

    Filling snack ideas - hard boiled egg, string cheese, spready cheese triangle on a couple of rice cakes, roast soy beans, natural yoghurt, sugar free jelly, crab sticks, slice of ham and some cherry tomatoes...
  • Rage_Phish
    Rage_Phish Posts: 1,507 Member
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    First up - 3 days is nothing - it takes a while to get used to a new regime. But try to take it slowly if you can, rather than an all at once approach.

    Dried fruit is pretty high in sugar - you'd be better with fresh fruit.

    Filling snack ideas - hard boiled egg, string cheese, spready cheese triangle on a couple of rice cakes, roast soy beans, natural yoghurt, sugar free jelly, crab sticks, slice of ham and some cherry tomatoes...

    what are crab sticks?

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