…roughly 200 calories, and that’s a lot of melon! Cut a quarter of a melon into cubes, and you’ll have eaten just 50 calories.
Do you crave something…SALTY?
Then try:
1. Pretzel sticks. If you must have a classic American crunch, go for thin pretzel sticks over potato chips. Why? Pretzels are baked, and have next to no fat; potato chips are fried, making them far more calorie dense. A single thin pretzel stick is around 2 calories; eat 50 for a filling snack that’s just over 100 calories. Just be sure to check the package; pretzel size can vary by company.
2. Dry roasted peanuts. An ounce of peanuts has about the same calories as an ounce of potato chips — around 160 calories — but the similarities end there. Delicious peanuts are packed with healthy nutrition, including the type of monounsaturated fat that is so heart-healthy.
3. Baked Cheetos Crunchy 100 Calorie Mini Bites. What you want when you eat Cheetos is that salty cheddar-cheese flavor, and their low-calorie, low-fat version makes good on that promise. No fiber, and 35 per cent of calories still come from fat, but far healthier than the original.
Do you crave something…SWEET?
Then try:
1. Chocolate-covered raisins. Two-dozen of them is just 96 calories. And talk about sweet: Raisins are naturally rich in sugar…and then there’s that luscious milk chocolate.
2. Orville Redenbacher’s 100 Calorie Kettle Corn. The kings of microwave popcorn have come up a version that is lightly sugared, as well as salted, to satisfy multiple taste buds. No transfats either.
3. Cooked fruit. Cooking fruit brings out its sweetness and amplifies its flavors. Yet relatively few people give it a try. So grill pineapple slices or fruit kabobs; broil mango slices; sauté peach slices; roast pear or apple slices — the possibilities are endless! Serve as dessert or seal in a ziplock bag, and take along a few slices or chunks for a snack.
Do crave something…SAVORY?
Then try:
1. Muffin pizza. Spread 1 tablespoon marinara sauce and 2 tablespoons of grated cheese onto half an English muffin, sprinkle with a little oregano and/or basil, and bake in a toaster oven at 350°F until the cheese bubbles. A real treat at just 120 calories!
2. Amy’s Kitchen Mexican Tamale Pie. You’d never guess that this frozen pot pie is a mere 150 calories. The pie is made of pinto beans, corn, zucchini, and crushed tomatoes, topped with polenta.
3. Garden Fresh Gourmet Mild Guacamole. This nationally distributed dip is made from just six natural ingredients, and tastes homemade…and is only 45 calories for two tablespoons. Just don’t sabotage your efforts; eat with baked chips or fresh veggies.
Do you crave something…FILLING?
Then try:
1. Peanut butter and celery. A tablespoon of smooth peanut butter is around 95 calories. That’s all you’ll need to fill a long stalk of celery, which has barely 10 calories. Crunchy, yummy, and very satisfying.
2. Hummus and pita. Hummus is the peanut butter of the Mediterranean region, but much lower in calories. A tablespoon of this creamy golden spread made from chickpeas is around 26 calories. Have four tablespoons with unlimited raw veggies, or two tablespoons with half a pita bread cut into wedges.
3. Fruit smoothie. They’re so easy to make, so delicious to drink, and so thoroughly filling. Improvise with a banana, a cup of berries, a spoonful of low-fat yogurt, a splash of orange juice, and ice. Blend until smooth. A typical smoothie is around 150-200 calories, but you’ll feel like you just had a big meal. You’ll also have consumed two or three servings of fruit.
Do you crave something…HOT?
1. Baked apple with cinnamon. Core a Granny Smith apple, put a sprinkling of brown sugar and a little margarine in the center, sprinkle the whole thing with cinnamon, and microwave, covered, for 3 minutes, or until the apple is soft. Truly delicious, lots of food, and a mere 120 calories.
2. Homemade “ramen.” Most people don’t know that instant ramen noodles are often fried in palm oil before being packaged, or that the spice packs are packed with sugar and salt. Make your own healthy alternative at home: Boil roughly one-twelfth of a pound of angel hair pasta strands in low-sodium chicken broth, chop in some carrots and celery, and add a touch of soy sauce and sesame oil for an extraordinary bowl of snack noodles for roughly 200 calories.
3. Banana Foster. Another warm dessert that makes a great snack. Slice a small banana into 1-inch pieces and place in a microwavable bowl. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar and add 1/2 teaspoon butter. Microwave until bubbly, about 1 minute. Hot, sweet pleasure, at just 115 calories.
Do you crave something…COLD?
Then try:
1. Frozen blueberries. A cup of blueberries is around 80 calories, and so full of nutrients. Frozen, they are wonderful to crunch on…or just let them melt in your mouth.
2. Chunks O’Fruti Frozen Fruit Bars. Taste testers often put this brand at the top of the list, thanks to its generous amount of real fruit chunks, sweetness, and natural flavor. No fat, no preservatives, and just 90 calories per bar.
3. McDonald’s Fruit ‘n Yogurt Parfait. This parfait, which is layered with low-fat yogurt, low-fat granola, strawberries and blueberries, is a reasonable and healthy 160 calories.
Visit the BlackDoctor.org Food center for more articles and tips.