The shelves in the grocery are full of 100-calorie snack packs. Presented six to a box, they sell for $1.69 to $4.75 a box. These little treats are barely a mouthful, but they make your body want more of these bite-sized cookies, crackers, and muffins. If your goal is to lose weight, there's a better solution.
Save Money While Packing Your Own Snacks
If your goal is to change your eating habits while losing weight, and still enjoy great taste treats, read on. These treats save money and calories while satisfying your tummy and taming cravings.
- Whip together a cup of unsweetened applesauce with 3 tablespoons of a non-fat whipped topping; sprinkle with cinnamon. Pack in small covered containers.
- Gourmet coffee to go. Fill a travel mug 3/4 of the way up; stir in a packet of no-sugar hot cocoa mix. Make sure to choose one that is sweetened with Equal or Splenda. Sprinkle on some cinnamon and stir. You've saved hundreds of calories over your coffee-shop drink, and about $3!
- Craving chips? Slice parsnips and sweet potatoes ultra thin. Toss a tablespoon of olive oil with 2 cups of the sliced veggies and sprinkle on the Mrs. Dash. Avoid salt if you can. Spray a cookie sheet with a non-stick spray, spread out the veggies, and bake about 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Split this recipe up into 6 ziploc bags for a hundred calorie servings.
- Microwave a packet of instant oatmeal, flavored with Splenda or Equal.
- Microwave a half a potato; scoop out the inside and mash. Put it back in the potato skin and add 2 tablespoons salsa on top. Salsa is a great calorie bargain and a real boon to dieters!
- Try a small can of V-8 or tomato juice. Sprinkle in the hot sauce, and serve with a stick of celery. Another wake-me-upper snack with well less than 100 calories. Plus, you'll get a daily dose of lycopene, so recommended by doctors as being essential to health.
- Microwave a veggie-burger or a veggie-sausage patty; Plop on some mustard, a slice of tomato and pickle, and roll it in a lettuce leaf. At just a bit over 100 calories, this snack will easily tide you over till dinner without splurging on carbohydrates. Filling and fun!
There's Always the Original Snack to-go
There's always the original snack-to-go. Instead of indulging in tiny graham crackers shaped like teddy bears, bring along a medium piece of fruit. Terribly convenient in its own wrapper.
Snacks can be Fun
Snacks can be fun, and don't always involve a box and a bunch of little foil packets. Try looking "outside the packet" for great tastes at little price and fewer calories.
