Looking for not unhealthy, low calorie, fillings snacks

[rorich]

I eat the Kashi bars. They are packed with protein and has no High Fructose Corn Syrup — a cheap sweetener.

[Milehimama]

Have you tried edamame? You can get it at health food stores, or Sam's Club sells some that is prepackaged into serving sized bowls (just nuke and go).

I like the Laughing Cow cheese with Wasa crispbread. Wasa has tons of fiber in it.

Another snack (especially in summer) is get a bag of frozen peas in pods (like for stir fries). Dump in a bowl and eat raw and still half-frozen. You can also do this with frozen green beans.

I make waffles, but healthy them up by substituting applesauce for the butter, whole wheat flour for half the AP flour, and adding fruit - apple bits, smushy bananas, etc. You could make pancakes this way too. They freeze well, and just pop in the toaster. I eat mine plain or maybe with some peanut butter. Or make up and freeze a batch of healthy, yummy muffins. Again, they freeze extremely well, and muffins are so easy to make up!

I like hummus as a dip - poor man's hummus is basically white bean dip. Get a can of garbanzo beans, put it in a food processor with a little olive oil and garlic. Save the bean juice from the can and add it to the beans while processing until it is the consistency you like.

You could also take boiled eggs, or make them deviled using low fat mayo and mustard. You basically just boil the egg, take the yolk out, smush it up with mayo, mustard, and whatever spices you like, and put the filling back in the whites. Simple, simple. Put the two halves together and it's portable, too.

You might like to snack on radishes, raw asparagus, or zucchini sticks. Raw zucchini tastes almost buttery, and raw asparagus has a great crunchy mouth feel.

I also have made pita chips by cutting up whole wheat pitas or tortillas with a pizza cutter and baking them in the oven. Spray with vegetable spray or water with a little lime juice and sprinkle with salt, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder... whatever floats your boat. Cutting up ONE pita and baking it really helps with the portion control.

HTH!

[Thursday Bram]

I'm a big fan of beef jerky for a quick pick-me-up. It can get pretty expensive, but if you're interested in making it yourself, it's super easy:

1. Cut up meat.
2. Dry meat.

That's it. If you want to buy a dehydrator, garage sales are a great bet. Otherwise, there's a DIY option involving a box fan and a couple of air filters.

[cheapskate]

Yo, rorich. I can totally get behind you with the Kashi bars. My roommate is a huge fan, and always brings home other products by them (ie crackers, cookies, other high-fibery goodness). But I have to admit, I have my share of hfcs every once in a while. Not the devil in my book, as long as you maintain an otherwise healthy lifestyle.

[Solinvicta]

I eat peanut butter granola bars, because they tide me over and they're individually wrapped (so I can stash them in the car). If you're near a fridge, some over ideas are:

* Hard-boiled eggs. Just boil a bunch, and refrigerate them, then peel them and eat with a little salt or other seasoning. If you're concerned about the health aspects, cut down the salt, and just eat the white.

* Banana with peanut butter - or, sometimes, I'll have a banana with tahini. That REALLY fills you up

* Someone did mention ramen, and yes, they are ridiculously unhealthy for you. But sometimes, if you look around, you can find BAKED ramen noodles. They taste pretty much the same, and are a little more expensive. But, still ridiculously cheap.

* The classic British meal - baked beans on toast - takes very little time to prepare, generates few dishes, and is quite filling and nutritious.

[GOTO Fashion]

If you find yourself constantly hungry, I'd try adding a multivitamin to your diet if you aren't taking one already. If you're female, I'd also add a calcium supplement with vitamin D so that you're getting a full 100% of the USRDA of calcium.

I would also try drinking a full glass of water before eating a snack - it helps you to feel fuller than you would with snacking alone.

Some lower-calorie snacks that tame my cravings are:
1) a handful of raisins and raw almonds
2) an apple
3) a couple of teaspoons of peanut butter (toast/crackers optional)
4) 1 cup of fat free cottage cheese + 2 tablespoons pineapple tidbits

All of these are generally also low-cost and healthy, too.

[redsoxmaniac]

Not sure of when you like to snack and if you need portability. If you need to take with you I like the Kashi bars they are really so good. I also like hard boiled eggs. If I am home I usually have some non-fat plain yogurt in the fridge...I add frozen blueberries or pineapple stir it in and wait about 20 minutes (for the fruit to thaw a little) if you need it a little sweeter add some honey. Also when the munchies get me at night and I need comfort food I take a 1/3 cup of quick outs, some pumpkin pie spice and 1/3 cup of water, 1/3 cup of non-fat milk and a tbsp. of raisins, I zap it in the micro. When it comes out I add just a sprinkle of brown sugar. It is the closest thing I can get to a hot oatmeal cookie without the guilt...its pretty damn good and will fill you up and prevent crazy cravings for probably under a couple hundred calories.

[cheapskate]

These are all such great suggestions -- especially the hard-boiled eggs and nut butters. Two major staples in my diet. But somebody please make me feel better. A few junk food snacks with fat, hfcs and the works isn't a sin, right? Eh? (fingers crossed)

[gt0163c]

Originally Posted by cheapskate

But somebody please make me feel better. A few junk food snacks with fat, hfcs and the works isn't a sin, right? Eh? (fingers crossed)

Nope. I'm a big fan of the "everything in moderation" method of eating. Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream, triple chocolate brownies, Crunch and Munch and Cadbury Eggs are some of my favorite treats. The key is having them occasionally and really enjoying them. While really enjoying the carrots, apples, whole grain breads and other good for you stuff the rest of the time.

[Solinvicta]

Originally Posted by cheapskate

These are all such great suggestions -- especially the hard-boiled eggs and nut butters. Two major staples in my diet. But somebody please make me feel better. A few junk food snacks with fat, hfcs and the works isn't a sin, right? Eh? (fingers crossed)

Oh no, definitely not! I think the biggest thing about eating junk food is to be conscious about what you're eating, and actually savor them instead of just wolfing them down. I've had some cheese and gravy fries that I wouldn't want to give up, ever, but I don't have them all the time, I enjoy them when I do have them, and I relish the experience of having them, rather than just munching on them while I'm watching a movie.

Although, if it is a sin, maybe we could set up a confessional booth with a nutritionist. You'd tell them what you've eaten, and they could assign you a penance of carrot sticks and push-ups.