Cleaning up my diet...

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Hey all I have been making some changes to my diet lately and am really trying to eat more fruits and veggies as well as cutting back on my dark chocolate addiction and cutting out diet soda completely. I feel really good so far, but I need help on figuring out more snacks. Right now I am eating Greek yogurt, fruits (mainly bananas, strawberries, and grapes), hard boiled eggs, granola bars, string cheese, and oatmeal. I would love more suggestions to broaden my horizons so to speak and switch up what I am eating so I don't get bored with eating the same things each day. Also I have Cheerios every morning for breakfast and would love some better breakfast ideas! Thanks in advance for suggestions/help :)

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  • IveLanded
    IveLanded Posts: 797 Member
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    my go to snacks are apples with almond butter or Larabars.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    Apples & almond butter is one of my favorite snacks, too. Hummus & veggies is yummy & filling - I like to dip baby carrots, sugar snap peas, red or orange bell peppers, cherry tomatoes.

    For breakfast, whole eggs & toast, or oatmeal with greek yogurt, fruit, maybe a handful of walnuts & a little honey.

    And a little dark chocolate is good for you! I get the 72% cacao bar from Trader Joe's & break off 3 squares (1/4 of the bar). I eat each square slowly, letting it melt and savoring the flavor. Satisfies my chocolate cravings without devouring a bowl of ice cream. :tongue:
  • Krys_140
    Krys_140 Posts: 648 Member
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    I love the suggestions on this thread - GREAT topic!!

    My really sinful snack is apples with Nutella. The discovery of this combination has changed my life for the better!

    I also made up a trail mix of walnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, dried cherries and a few M&Ms and butterscotch chips. I got the idea from a Costco ready-made mix, and tweaked it a bit. It makes an excellent post-workout snack. I mix up a huge batch, and portion it out so I don't mindlessly eat a ton of it, because although it's healthy, it's also pretty high in calories and fat (good fat, but still fat).

    ETA: For breakfast, my favorite quick breakfast is Kellogg's FiberPlus Bars in Dark Chocolate Almond. YUM!
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
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    I'm a big fan of Emerald Dark Chocolate Roasted Almonds - you get the chocolate to curb a craving, and almonds are a great snack! I've also started putting some Laughing Cow cheese on Kashi Pita Crackers and then topping with a little spinach. It's a good way to get some extra veggies in and it's pretty filling.
  • betteringmyselfeachday
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    *popcorn with little butter or no butter ( best if you homemake it with no toppings!)
    *rice cakes from Quaker, some are only 50 calories for a cake patty thing
    *grapes
    *apples
    *pineapple
    *banana
    *watermelon
    *cantelope
    *zucchini with parmesan cheese then stick it in the microwave for a few minutes
    *spaghetti squash instead of regular pasta
    *turkey burger with mrs. dash
    *low cal bread or can do no breads
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    How could I forget popcorn! I eat it almost every day. I pop my own in a brown paper bag in my microwave - much cheaper than the store bought microwave stuff, and none of the junk they put in it! I top it with coconut oil instead of butter - delicious!
  • TONYAGOOCH
    TONYAGOOCH Posts: 470 Member
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    How could I forget popcorn! I eat it almost every day. I pop my own in a brown paper bag in my microwave - much cheaper than the store bought microwave stuff, and none of the junk they put in it! I top it with coconut oil instead of butter - delicious!

    Do you just put the kernnels in the bag and pop or do you have to add some sort of oil as well?
  • Krys_140
    Krys_140 Posts: 648 Member
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    How could I forget popcorn! I eat it almost every day. I pop my own in a brown paper bag in my microwave - much cheaper than the store bought microwave stuff, and none of the junk they put in it! I top it with coconut oil instead of butter - delicious!

    Do you just put the kernnels in the bag and pop or do you have to add some sort of oil as well?

    Yes! I want to know, too! Do you have to buy special popcorn, or will the stuff they sell in the jar at the grocery store work?
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    Regular old popcorn, plain paper bag and nothing else - it's like air popping it in your micro Fold the top down twice and put it upright in the microwave. I use my microwave's popcorn setting but stick close by and listen to the pops, just like with the store bought microwave stuff, and stop it when there's more than a second or two between pops. A serving size of the popcorn I buy is 1/4 cup of kernels, and that makes a nice size bowl full.

    My hubby and kiddo usually make theirs with a 1/3 cup of kernels and it still fits in the bag - we just buy the regular sized lunch bags at Target or the grocery store. The bag is good for about 3 or 4 uses, then it usually gets a hole in the corner. :tongue:
  • rosiecotton24
    rosiecotton24 Posts: 81 Member
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    Regular old popcorn, plain paper bag and nothing else - it's like air popping it in your micro Fold the top down twice and put it upright in the microwave. I use my microwave's popcorn setting but stick close by and listen to the pops, just like with the store bought microwave stuff, and stop it when there's more than a second or two between pops. A serving size of the popcorn I buy is 1/4 cup of kernels, and that makes a nice size bowl full.

    My hubby and kiddo usually make theirs with a 1/3 cup of kernels and it still fits in the bag - we just buy the regular sized lunch bags at Target or the grocery store. The bag is good for about 3 or 4 uses, then it usually gets a hole in the corner. :tongue:

    I'm going to have to try that!
  • kristinL16
    kristinL16 Posts: 401 Member
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    I don't eat popcorn often but do make it in the microwave. The recipe I use says to put some oil, popcorn and salt in the brown bag and microwave. I didn't know you could do it without the oil, so that is good to know!
  • mjsunshine16
    mjsunshine16 Posts: 251 Member
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    Hummus, peanut butter, carrots, apples, pita chips, bananas, real fruit strips (archer farms), honey wheat pretzels
  • rebmaaaaa
    rebmaaaaa Posts: 2
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    For breakfast I really like cutting up fruits and mixing them up in some non-fat vanilla yogurt. MMM! It's really filling too.
  • halceion
    halceion Posts: 11
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    Regular old popcorn, plain paper bag and nothing else - it's like air popping it in your micro Fold the top down twice and put it upright in the microwave. I use my microwave's popcorn setting but stick close by and listen to the pops, just like with the store bought microwave stuff, and stop it when there's more than a second or two between pops. A serving size of the popcorn I buy is 1/4 cup of kernels, and that makes a nice size bowl full.

    My hubby and kiddo usually make theirs with a 1/3 cup of kernels and it still fits in the bag - we just buy the regular sized lunch bags at Target or the grocery store. The bag is good for about 3 or 4 uses, then it usually gets a hole in the corner. :tongue:

    thank you! this may have just changed my life...
  • Krys_140
    Krys_140 Posts: 648 Member
    Options
    Regular old popcorn, plain paper bag and nothing else - it's like air popping it in your micro Fold the top down twice and put it upright in the microwave. I use my microwave's popcorn setting but stick close by and listen to the pops, just like with the store bought microwave stuff, and stop it when there's more than a second or two between pops. A serving size of the popcorn I buy is 1/4 cup of kernels, and that makes a nice size bowl full.

    My hubby and kiddo usually make theirs with a 1/3 cup of kernels and it still fits in the bag - we just buy the regular sized lunch bags at Target or the grocery store. The bag is good for about 3 or 4 uses, then it usually gets a hole in the corner. :tongue:

    thank you! this may have just changed my life...

    Mine, too!! Thanks!
  • girlznme
    girlznme Posts: 28
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    Thanks!