low-cal snack ideas

[Tinijocaro]

I just started dieting (counting calories) this week, trying to eat healthily but feel like I'm starving. I'm 45 and have always ate whatever I pleased without gaining weight. Gallbladder surgery changed that and I've gained 15 pounds since the surgery in January.

PLEASE share some of the foods you eat when you are HUNGRY!! I could eat my fist I get so hungry and no, a rice cake is not going to cut it!

I read today someone who eats no fat cottage cheese with hot sauce mixed in, and dips veggies in. That sounded like it could fill me up a bit.

I really want to be skinny again!

 

[redlight]

Low-fat yogurt. I think yoplait is 100 calories a serving, and not bad.

Good luck with your weight loss. I lost 30 last year and am struggling with the last 10.

 

[autumnpalm]

Veggies are a great option. You can eat a lot of them for very few calories and they have a good amount of fiber to keep you full. I like to keep cut up veggies (peppers, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, snap peas, etc) in the fridge just in plastic containers so it is super easy to just grab and snack on. If you don't want to eat them raw, you can steam them in the microwave, add a little olive oil, pepper and garlic- pretty good!

Low fat yogurt is another good option! You can layer it in with fresh fruit and Special K cereal and you have a nice little parfait. You can also make smoothies with lots of frozen fruit, ice, and low fat yogurt. Pretty filling, too!

Even though it doesn't really seem like snack food, sometimes just a chicken breast and some chick peas or something will fill you up nicely and for under 200 calories. Grill them and keep them in the fridge. You can pop them in the microwave and top them with whatever you like! Like I mentioned, I like to add chick peas to them but you can add veggies, salsas... whatever you want!

Make sure you're getting complex carbs and lots of fiber and protein in the foods you eat during meals too. And drink LOTS of water. I bring a refillable bottle with me everywhere and try to drink 3 bottles per day while I'm out.

 

[redlight]

Canned fish, like sardines or tuna, is also full of protein and relatively low in calories.

 

[ilovejack02]

http://www.eatcleandiet.com/

I love Tosca Reno's books. I wouldn't call it a diet, just a healthy way to eat. Pounds drop off quickly.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

I second veggies. Aside from starchy items like potatoes, you should really be able to as much as you want to. After that, anything low fat, low sodium, high fiber or high protein is good. Yogurt falls well into this category.

 

[LadyZolt]

Orville Redenbacher's 100 calorie microwave popcorn bags. I love these and have them as an afternoon snack, or sometimes after dinner as dessert. You get a lot of popcorn for the 100 calories, so it takes a while to eat it and I like that about it.

 

[Handbag Lady]

I've been dieting for a while now and have lost just about 30 pounds. Here are some of the items I eat:

Pita chips and low-fat sour cream. (I count out 9 chips and measure a tablespoon of sour cream)
Skinny cow ice cream (they come in a single serving with 140 cals.)
Whole fruit. I LOVE tangerines and those little "cuties" that are easy to peel. I eat as many as I like.
A bowl of cereal. I try to do a cup and a splash of non-fat milk. I even add sugar!
Air-popped pop corn. I add flavorings to make it interesting.
Water and then water with those flavor packets. I enjoy flavor so I try to get it whenever I can.


And when I just HAVE to have candy (I am a candy fiend) I take three Jolly Ranchers and enjoy them slowly.

 

[Angelhalo]

Orville Redenbacher's 100 calorie microwave popcorn bags. I love these and have them as an afternoon snack, or sometimes after dinner as dessert. You get a lot of popcorn for the 100 calories, so it takes a while to eat it and I like that about it.

Phew! Thank you! I was beginning to think there weren't going to be any suggestions that sound good. DH and I have been dieting as well. We HATE yogurt, Hate plain veggies, Hate rice cakes, DH Hates cottage cheese.....why is it so hard to find something that is GOOD but healthy? I mean we all KNOW we can eat veggies but yuck! In a thread like this, I'm looking for tasty ideas, not the same old ideas that I already know but don't like!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I just started dieting (counting calories) this week, trying to eat healthily but feel like I'm starving. I'm 45 and have always ate whatever I pleased without gaining weight. Gallbladder surgery changed that and I've gained 15 pounds since the surgery in January.

PLEASE share some of the foods you eat when you are HUNGRY!! I could eat my fist I get so hungry and no, a rice cake is not going to cut it!

I read today someone who eats no fat cottage cheese with hot sauce mixed in, and dips veggies in. That sounded like it could fill me up a bit.

I really want to be skinny again!

You have to eat breakfast with protein, then protein snack, protein in your lunch, etc...

How much protein are you getting per day? That stops the "eating your fist" feeling.

Nuts
Cottage cheese
cheese
chicken breast (for low fat)
Beans with your lunch and dinner as a side. Very low fat and high protein.

I am eating about 10 small meals a day to stave off the hungry factor. Now the meal are more like "snacks". I eat very very very small portions at each sitting.

Also have to cut down on the sugar. That really ramps up the "starving" feeling.

Drink water instead of soda or juices.

Also you can go to "fast food" however just get the kids meal or better yet, get the small burger, no fries and water. DH and I have been doing that for a few weeks and while hard at first it is becoming the "new normal".

 

[Christine]

While this is not completely low cal, it did make a good substitute for my evening bowl of ice cream. It was not nearly as good but I found it was the only thing that filled me up.

I took one sheet of graham cracker and broke it in half so I had two pieces. I think took about a tablespoon of the Archer Farms (Target) brand of chunky, natural peanut butter (this brand is good). Spread it between and had my peanut butter and graham cracker sandwich. Because of the tough graham cracker (I bought the Low Fat once which were not lower in calories but they were less airy) and the difficulty in getting the peanut butter down, it took me awhile to eat this as opposed to other things I could just quickly throw down my throat!!!

It seemed to keep the hunger at bay in the evenings.

 

[bookgirl]

One container of (thawed) frozen spinach chopped fine
One large container of fat free sour cream
One envelope of ranch dressing mix


Add, stir, refridgerate.

I'ts really good and if you don't like spinach you can cut down the amount, so it tastes more like ranch then greens. I usually eat this with Triscuits, or with carrots/celery but it's good with any cracker and I've had it on bagels or baked potatoes as well.


Hummus, usually in the refridgerated section, lots of protien, good fats, and fiber, yummy on crackers, veggies or spread on bread with sliced cucumbers. Its pureed chick peas with garlic or lemon or roasted red peppers. The oil used is generally olive oil which is actually good for you when dieting.

I like the one hundred calorie packs, expensive but a really nice treat a few times a week.

I also try to have at least on WHOLE fruit a day, either after lunch or afternoon snack. It does help you feel full.

 

[flrose]

Take a chocolate graham cracker (or regular) break in half and add a Tbs of Fat Free cool whip. Freeze and you have a delish ice cream sandwich.

 

[mster425]

Low fat string cheese w/ tomato sauce
Almond butter w/ banana, apple, or grapes
Laughing Cow cheese spread w/ veggies or whole grain crackers
Freeze bananas
Nuts (besides peanuts)
Dried fruit (in moderation, no sugar added)
Those real fruit no sugar added ice pops are good. Even the ones with sugar are only like 40-60 calories.
Hummus w/ veggies


You can use cottage cheese on anything you can put sourcream- as a dip, on a baked potato, etc. I put lots of garlic salt in it.

 

[minniecarousel]

Have you ever tried Laughing Cow cheese? It's sold in a round container and there are individually wrapped wedges inside. They're creamy - you can spread that on whole wheat high fiber crackers. It can be quite satisfying.

Also - low-fat string cheese.

 

[barkley]

pretzles (i like the smaller size)-put them in a microwavable bowl, spoon some fat free cream cheese on it and microwave for about a minute. top with salsa, and it's a fat free psudo "nachos".

the south beach diet recipie books have some great snack ideas in them-and great easy recipies for stuff to premake in order to do quick snacks.

a couple of my favs are-grilled tomato with pesto (if the pesto is pre-made it takes less than 5 minutes start to finish), and the lettuce wraps (lettuce leaves, either lean ham, turkey or roast beef, red bell pepper spears, green onion, with s.b. cilantro mayo-recipie in book).

 

[minniebeth]

the south beach diet recipie books have some great snack ideas in them-and great easy recipies for stuff to premake in order to do quick snacks.

a couple of my favs are-grilled tomato with pesto (if the pesto is pre-made it takes less than 5 minutes start to finish), and the lettuce wraps (lettuce leaves, either lean ham, turkey or roast beef, red bell pepper spears, green onion, with s.b. cilantro mayo-recipie in book).

I love the South Beach diet snack ideas. Also, the websites on Weight Watchers has some great suggstions.

A no fat homemade vegetable soup can be satisfying. Especially when the weather gets cooler. It's 0 WW points and you can eat as much of it as you want.

Fiber One yogurts are really good for the fiber and low fat.
Greek yogurts with some fresh fruit and flax seeds or chopped nuts has a great amount of protein to fill you up.
Low fat string cheese and a handful of nuts will fill you up too.

Best wishes to find something you enjoy!

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I like cherry tomatoes stuffed with cottage cheese about 5 of them fill me up for a snack. Celery stuffed with peanut butter or a wedge of laughing cow cheese is good.

I also like to get big romaine or bibb lettuce leaves, put a slice or 2 of turkey breast lunch meat, whatever condiment I like, a bit of tomato, bell pepper, mushroom (basically whatever you want) and roll it up. I find 2 of those curbs my hunger well and they are actually considered a snack on South Beach Diet.

I'm still looking for other low cal snacks since I discovered that I don't like the little yogurt cups. They just aren't filling enough for me.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Look for low density foods (ie, a food that you can eat a lot of and not get a lot of calories).

Carrots, peppers, or other raw vegetables. Something you enjoy eating without dip. Or salad with a no or low cal dressing.

Raw fruit. But fruit is denser than veggies. Still very nutritious, though.

Water.

String cheese.

Pretzels

Pop corn.

Beef jerky.

 

[Amelia Peabody]

I'm using Weight Watchers so only know the points but:

fat free refried beans - 1/2 can - 2 point
peach/mango salsa - 2 T - 0 points!
fat free sour cream - 1/4 C - 1 point

Very filling!