A healthy snack!
By katsmeow1213
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
United States
January 21, 2010 10:56am CST
One of the biggest challenges of weight loss is to find healthy replacements for your usual snacks.
I personally am not a huge fan of snacking solely on fruits and veggies. I can eat them with a meal no problem, but alone as a snack is not something I can do often. If I tried, I'd burn out on the dieting plan and fall right back into old habits of eating junk when I have the munchies.
About a week ago I was in need of something to snack on. I keep a few healthy things on hand for such occasions, but none of them sounded appetizing at that moment. I looked in the fridge to see what I had and noticed a jar of salsa left over from taco night. It sounded like a good idea, but what to dip in it? That's when I came up with a great idea!
I took a whole wheat soft tortilla, also left over from taco night, and cut it up into little triangles. I laid them out on a baking sheet, sprayed a little 0 calorie butter spray over the top of them (this is necessary to make them crispy) and popped them in the oven for about 10-15 minutes.
I've had this snack 3 or 4 times since, and it's a snack you can feel good about. The salsa is mainly veggies, like tomatoes, onions, peppers... whatever else. It's like 10 calories per serving, no fat, and only 2 grams of sugar (which is naturally in the veggies, no added sugars). The whole wheat tortillas are maybe 100 calories, with maybe 1 gram of fat, and it's all good carbs because it's whole wheat. Plus as a bonus, just think, you're avoiding the deep fried nasty tortilla chips that you'd normally dip in salsa!!
What sorts of things do you do for guilt free snacking?
4 people like this
24 responses
@thedailyclick (3017)
•
21 Jan 10
My biggest problem when trying to eat healthily is I get major chocolate cravings and nothing but chocolate will stop them. So I found a trick of when those cravings hit to make a realy weak hot chocolate using that low cal instant chocolate powder but only putting in one measure that all four. It's be no means a nice hot chocolate drink being mainly water, but it gives me just enough of my chocolate fix to knock the cravings on the head, and it's only a quarter of the calorie intake a normal serving would be.
1 person likes this
@Lindalinda (4111)
• Canada
22 Jan 10
I too get chocolate cravings. Since I am a diabetic regular hot chocolate or even low cal chocolate is out because of the sugar. So I make my own hot chocolate one mug at a time. I heat skim milk with a tablespoon of cocoa powder 1/4 tsp. of cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. of nutmeg and a little bit of Splenda to sweeten it. It satisfies my cravings for quite a while. I think it is also low cal since 1 cup of skim milk only has 90 cals, so I figure this 8 oz drink has no more than 100 cals.
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
21 Jan 10
I too get chocolate cravings quite often. Early in the day I'll have a cup of coffee with a fat free flavored creamer to take away my sweet tooth, but I can't do caffeine in the evening or I'll be up all night. I was thinking of looking into a low cal, fat free type of chocolate pudding or something. Maybe I'll try your idea.
@lilybug (21107)
• United States
21 Jan 10
Salsa is a good low cal snack. I have never toasted my own chips in the oven, but I have gotten the baked tortilla chips to go along with the salsa before. I am not too good at snacking on fruits and veggies either. I will sometimes snack on fried fruit, but that is not necessarily good either as most of them have added sugar. Hot air popped popcorn is practically fat free as long as you don't go pouring butter on it.
1 person likes this
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
21 Jan 10
The baked chips still aren't that good. They're still pretty high in fat, and they certainly aren't whole wheat, which means you're getting simple carbs which are just as bad as eating loads of fat!
My hubby is a popcorn junkie... I just can't stand the stuff, no matter how you flavor it. I don't like the little bits of kernels that get stuck in my teeth.
@p3ks626 (6538)
• Philippines
22 Jan 10
I agree with salsa. Especially if you make it yourself. I used to buy salsa in the store but I was thinking of the preservatives in there that will also cause harm to my body so I experimented on making my own salsa. I use fresh tomatoes, onions, chili sauce and a little bit of mustard. You might wanna try it. Just careful with the mustard, if its a little bit, it should be a little bit 'cause it will over-power the flavors from the other ingredients.
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
21 Jan 10
My fav snacks are fruit usually. Only problem like anything is keeping enough on hand for you to snack on and for a growing family that can inhale the fruit as fast as you can buy it!
Usually I like oranges, grapes or apples.
I've heard of using tortillas and doing that. Usually though I like my salsa on a baked potato w/ low fat sour cream! But that's more like lunch to me than a snack.
1 person likes this
@CJscott (4187)
• Portage La Prairie, Manitoba
21 Jan 10
That sounds super tasty. For a healthy snack I choose the Appetizer Diet Cookies, 8g of fibre, 5g of protein, low fat, and a lot of your daily required nutrients, they tastes super good too.
If you would like to try one let me know. I will send you one in the post.
Cheers.
1 person likes this
@TAZNEM (656)
• Philippines
26 Feb 10
well if i am ever on a diet i wouldn't be looking for replacement for my usual snacks because i know that whatever you eat healthy or not if you eat more than the recommended amount you' get fat just the same. just crash diet and assign someone a friend to keep you from trying to binge eat.
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
22 Jan 10
That sounds good..I will have to try that. I usually grab a lowfat yogurt but your right it gets old after awhile..I have baked a small potato..then cut it up into thin wedges and sprayed with Pam olive oil spray and sprinkle with salt pepper and garlic and bake a few minutes each side, add to a small plate(preferably in a circle) then sprinkle with fat free shredded cheddar(very little) then add some salsa in the center and a little bit of shredded lettuce and a dollop of fat free sour cream..I only do this one once in awhile..
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
22 Jan 10
Popcorn with a variety of spices, greens with carrots and hidden valley peppercorn ranch dressing, celery and peanut butter or cream cheese.
@dorisday1971 (5657)
• Philippines
22 Jan 10
Your snack food seems delicious and healthy too.
I enjoy the salsa with tacos. You give me a new idea and that's something I can expirement on.
Our snack food should not contain much calories so we won't get excess pounds in our body.
@ersmommy1 (12588)
• United States
23 Jan 10
Sounds delish! But I tend to be a lazy snacker. Take last night for instance. I wanted a snack. I could have made those chips. We have the tortillas in the fridge. Nope not me. I shoved a handful of fresh blueberries in my mouth and got out of the kitchen fast. I know there are Pringles around! Lol
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
23 Jan 10
That certainly does sound really, really good for a healthy snack. We have always got salsa in our house and my husband snacks on it on a nearly nightly basis. One of the options that I will use in lieu of the tortilla chips that people typically eat with salsa is to eat them with rice cakes. I can't stand the flavor of rice cakes on their own, but they taste really good when you combine them with some good salsa.
@MrKennedy (1978)
•
22 Jan 10
At the moment, I am really digging red grapes. They are both healthy AND delicious
Another healthy alternative I enjoy are Snack a Jacks. Can't get enough of 'em!
Another healthy alternative I enjoy are Snack a Jacks. Can't get enough of 'em!
@megamatt (14292)
• United States
22 Jan 10
I eat raisins quite a lot actually. I always keep a couple of boxes handy. They are something nice to snack on. It also gets my daily dose of fruit, so that is a nice bonus. Raisins are one of the healthy foods that I do snack on, after the chocolate, cookies, and other goodies. In fact, a bit more often with raisins then I have been in the past.
@ashishp2c (286)
• India
22 Jan 10
I really dont care while eating but do exercise regularly to balance the things. I think one should enjoy everything but exercise regularly.
@naka75 (795)
• Singapore
22 Jan 10
Hey katsmeow glad that you've found a healthy snack! I love to snack on raisins and unsalted tortilla chips with home-made chilli and garlic dip sauce, complete a small dash of lime juice and vinegar. I think thet's perfect when I'm watching movies on TV or typing away at the computer.
@jambi462 (4576)
• United States
22 Jan 10
My girlfriend and I recently started this get in shape program that she read about in a magazine. I'm doing it with her because it sounds like fun and I want to help encourage her. She definitely doesn't need to lose any weight but it's always good to try and make better choices for your health.
Our first part is to not eat any grains, eggs, or cheese and no sugar for seven days. So far today I've been doing good except I guess I'm not supposed to have salad dressing either. I've had steamed broccoli, a pear, some bananas, brown rice, and some chicken so far today. It hasn't been to bad but maybe further down the line I'll have a tougher time with it.
It will definitely be nice to be able to have cheese and eggs again once I'm done with the seven days.
@jzumari (101)
• Philippines
22 Jan 10
A guilt-free snack is having a vegetable crunch. It is not tasty though, but with the help of savory dippings, you can enjoy it somehow. Peanuts is also good, but better take it in moderation. On the other hand, drinking a lot of natural and freshly juiced fruits will aid in losing weight furthermore. :)
@shuyin101 (206)
• Philippines
22 Jan 10
every time that I overeat I make sure I drink lots of water and do lots of exercises later. Ever since the year started I've been consistently following my new year's resolution, to lose some weight and ever since I started doing it I feel much more fit and happier and I get satisfied / full easily compared to last year. I hate hamburgers! they're so yummy and nasty! hahaha
