Snack Help Needed!

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I am a snacker by nature, so dieting has always been hard because of this. I don't eat poorly at meals, but I do feel like I go off-track with too many snacks. I need help in getting past this or at least some ideas on good low-calorie snacks for during the day.

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  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
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    I always have over 500 calories worth of snacks every day......I budget them in so it's not a big deal. Here are some of my favs:

    Air popped pop corn
    Greek yogurt with frozen fruit and honey
    Fruit (bananas, apples, grapes, etc)
    1/2 a bagel thin with cream cheese
    String cheese
    Graham crackers and 1 T of Nutella
    Almonds
    Pistachios
    Crackers and peanut butter
    Veggie Straws


    If you know you like/need to snack, don't stress! Just make your meals a little smaller and allow yourself the calories for snacks throughout the day.
  • peggymenard
    peggymenard Posts: 246 Member
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    Baby carrots with 1 TBS of hummus...Wheat thins with 1 TBS low fat cream cheese; frozen grapes; fruit and veggie smoothie; 1/2 C cottage cheese with sliced peach; celery with 1 TBS peanut butter; 1/2 apple with 1 TBS peanut butter; apple slices with a dash of cinnaman; 1/2 tortilla with thin slice provolone; Hope these help. Pick your snacks and snack times early in a.m. and stick to them.
    Your snacks depend on what your food preferences are. If you let me know, I can put some snacks together for you. Good luck!
  • peggymenard
    peggymenard Posts: 246 Member
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    By the way, snackers are grazers. That is their eating pattern. Reason I know is my 5 year old grandson is a grazer. He is healthy and not overweight as many children are. I agree with Lora, nothing wrong with being a grazer as long as you keep within your calorie requirements.
  • tistal
    tistal Posts: 869 Member
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    whole wheat tortilla, warmed, smeared with peanut butter with a banana rolled in it
    laughing cow cinnamon cream cheese on a whole wheat bagel thin
    soft serve ice cream (just frozen banana with peanut butter and some cocoa whipped in a food processor)
    celery and peanut butter
    pistachios

    Those are just some of my favs. My ALL TIME fave snack is Wheat Thins, but not the regular kind, the Kroger generic low fat ones. So yummy!
  • SkylinkFitness
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    Hi there, I came accross this online the other day... 30 snacks under 100 calories! Some look yummy!!! :)

    1. Strawberries and chocolate: Dip 4 or 5 (depending on their size) strawberries into 2 squares or melted dark chocolate.
    2. Mini quesadilla: Melt 1 tablespoon of cheddar onto 1 small corn tortilla. Top with shredded cabbage or diced tomato if desired.
    3. Chocolate banana: Dip one-half of a banana into 2 squares of melted dark chocolate.
    4. Frozen grapes: Freeze 1 cup of grapes and enjoy them as if they're sorbet.
    5. Greek yogurt with honey: Mix one teaspoon of honey into half a cup of plain, nonfat Greek yogurt.
    6. Cinnamon apple: Sprinkle an apple with cinnamon for a treat that tastes more decadent than it is.
    7. Bitter chocolate: Enjoy 1 large block or 3 small squares of dark chocolate.
    8. Hot chocolate: Mix 2 teaspoons of chocolate syrup with 6 ounces of nonfat milk.
    9. Almost apple pie: Try 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce with a hint of cinnamon.
    10. Jicama: Chop one and a half cups of jicama and add a splash of lemon juice and a pinch of salt for a tangy, refreshing treat.
    11. Café Au Lait: Enjoy 8 ounces of skim milk with a shot of espresso.
    12. Carrots with hummus: Crunch on 9 or 10 baby carrots with a side of 2 tablespoons of hummus.
    13. Nuts: A handful of 25 pistachios, 14 almonds, or 16 peanuts will provide you with the protein and fat your body needs.
    14. Eggs with guacamole: Hard boil an egg and replace the yolk with 2 tablespoons of guacamole for a protein-packed snack.
    15. Edamame: Boil or steam one-half cup of unshelled edamame with a pinch of salt for a fiber-rich snack.
    16. Mediterranean tomato: Dice one medium tomato and top with 2 tablespoons feta cheese and a pinch of salt.
    17. Bell peppers with balsamic vinegar: Drizzle 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar on top of 2 cups of sliced bell peppers.
    18. Eggs with spinach: Scramble 3 egg whites with one-half cup of raw spinach and 1 tablespoon of feta cheese.
    19. Corn with garlic: Coat one-half of an ear of corn with a 1 teaspoon of olive oil and 1 minced garlic clove. Grill until tender.
    20. Santa Fe black beans: Combine one-quarter cup black beans, one-quarter teaspoon of salt, and 1 tablespoon of nonfat Greek yogurt for a hearty snack.
    21.Caprese: Top one ounce of mozzarella cheese with half a cup of cherry tomatoes and 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar.
    22. Tuna salad: Mix together 2 ounces of water-packed tuna with 1 tablespoon of fat-free mayonnaise.
    23. Sweet potato: Enjoy one small baked sweet potato plain or with a pinch of salt.
    24. Popcorn: Munch on 2 cups of all-natural popcorn.
    25. Olives: For a salty snack, enjoy 9 kalamata olives.
    26. Watermelon twist: Top 1 cup of watermelon with 2 tablespoons of crumbled feta.
    27. Peanut butter: Even on its own, peanut butter makes for a protein-rich treat.
    28. Cottage cheese and melon: Combine three-quarters of a cup of melon with one-quarter cup of nonfat cottage cheese for a sweet dessert.
    29. Strawberry and spinach salad: For a savory and sweet salad, mix together 1 cup of baby spinach with one-half cup of sliced strawberries. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar.
    30. Shakeology: Mix one-half serving of your favorite flavor of Shakeology with water.
  • JordanandJacque
    JordanandJacque Posts: 23 Member
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    :laugh: One of my favorite snacks is what my family refers to as "shingles" because it reminds them of the shingles on your roof. Anyways, it's two rye crackers by Wasa, one slice of reduced fat swiss cheese sliced in half (one half for each cracker), and two slices of lean turkey lunch meat (one slice per cracker). I will sometimes add an avocado or tomato on it as well. I like this snack because I actually feel like I am getting something in my stomach, as well as I like crunchy stuff.

    I also like to snack on almonds, cashews, pistachios. These nuts are high in calories, but your body will use these calories verses say calories from a cheeseburger:laugh: . I like to keep a few "candy" dishes around my house with these nuts in them. Also, I like to cut up a plate of fruit and just lay it on the counter. I watch my kids, husband, and myself eating it without even realizing it, which most snackers do.....not even realize they are snacking so much, but by the end of the day, the plate is empty!! This summer is great for blue berries, strawberries, kiwis, oranges, dragon fruit, etc.

    Also, take some chopped up blue berries and strawberries, mix them in a bowl with a bit of sugar on them, and you have a nice little "treat"

    Another snack we like at our house are smoothies. They are really easy to make because it doesn't matter what you put in them. We add all kinds of things like bananas, raspberries, mango, & strawberries to them, but we ALWAYS add spinach. You can't even taste it, but you get the benefits from it. You can make an entire pitcher and put it in your fridge.

    And remember, snacking isn't a bad idea as long as you don't go over board. It keeps your metabolism up and it allows your blood sugar to stay normal.
  • Beebes99
    Beebes99 Posts: 8 Member
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    I'm a snacker too! I'm trying to be good about my snacks so here is a list of snacks that i enjoy! Good Luck!

    Quaker White Cheddar Rice Cakes
    Almonds with a wedge of Laughing Cow light cheese
    Celery with light peanut butter or almond butter
    mixed berries (strawberries/blueberries) with a packet of splenda sprinkled on top
    light string cheese
    Hare boiled eggs with pepper
    light popcorn
    cinammon applesauce
    pistachios
    chobani greek yogurt (Rasberry is my favorite)
  • shannonrparsons
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    Wow - I really appreciate all of the suggestions. I have printed out this entire thread and am taking it to the grocery this weekend. Thanks again to all of you!!!
  • dotti1121
    dotti1121 Posts: 751 Member
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    bump
  • candiceanderson84
    candiceanderson84 Posts: 43 Member
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    BUMP
  • MinMin97
    MinMin97 Posts: 2,676 Member
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    Hello! The cool thing is that you can structure your eating so you are eating every 3 hours!! I would suggest you when you eat, eat something that truly satisfies you while fueling your fitness effort.

    If you get snack-y, maybe you are eating too low in the protein dept...Since starting mfp, I have been surprised at my protein requirement. You need about 1g for every pound of lean body mass.. go here to calculate that. http://www.freedieting.com/tools/body_fat_calculator.htm

    Eat small satisfying meals that deliver nutrients. You can check out the diaries of others who are active and eating sensibly.