Trying to change to healthier snacks that keep me feeling satisfied

[Night Elf]

I need an afternoon snack and I'm used to picking at low calorie snacks every 30 minutes or so. My nutritionist said I'd be better off eating one snack that would be more nutrient dense that would last me until dinner. She suggested hummus and raw veggies if I don't want the calories of pretzel or pita chips, or a Kashi granola bar, or a full fat yogurt. These are all things I wouldn't normally choose because they are what I consider to be higher calorie. I'm trying to change my thinking to accept that some foods take longer to digest and will keep me feeling fuller than a low calorie carb sweet snack that leaves me wanting more. So what do you eat that keeps you happy for a while?

 

Also, what do you look for in a granola bar? I was buying Fiber One bars and she suggested Kashi bars. But what about Kind bars? Would they be even better? Or other recommendations?

 

Oh, and I eat lunch around 2:00pm most days and dinner around 6:00pm. Going 4 hours without eating anything doesn't work for me. That's why I need a snack for halfway through.

[Pawz4me]

I think you have to find what satisfies you personally, which regardless of what any expert says may not be what is supposed to work.

 

I consider granola bars and protein bars to be total wastes of calories. They do nothing at all for me. My appetite is much better satisfied with a small handful of Wheat Thins or other crackers (half an ounce or so) and an ounce of cheese. DH likes yogurt (full fat) but again -- for me it's like eating nothing.

 

So my advice (as always when it comes to diet) is to try a bunch of different things and really pay attention to how your own body reacts.

[Zinnia]

The perfect snack for me is a good apple. Luckily, we are in apple season right now, because I can't do bad apples. I slice it super thin, and I eat it from a bowl.

 

Another I like is a pickle and sharp cheddar. A boiled egg. Or cheese and crackers.

[Jen500]

I will often have an afternoon snack of

cheese

almonds or other nuts

hummus

[Guest]

I don't do granola bars and yogurt because of the high sugar content..that's what makes me want more. Whole foods is the key.

 

snacks if dinner will be late:

apple and about 10 almonds

hard boiled egg

green pepper and cream cheese

lettuce and turkey slice

 

The key though is to make lunch nutritious and satiating.  Whole foods. No sugar. Limited processed carb, carbs should be veggies.

[marbel]

I try very hard to avoid snacks but I can't manage without something in the afternoon. The most satisfying things for me are celery with cheese, a hard boiled egg, sliced and salted, or a bowl of buttered popcorn with cheese or nutritional yeast.   But a key component for me is to put my food on a plate, sit down at an uncluttered table, and read while I have the snack.  If I'm just munching as I do chores or something, it doesn't satisfy.  I could eat all day long, nonstop, that way. 

[Cosmos]

An apple and a few nuts (soaked and roasted pecans are my favorite). If I eat just the apple, I feel full at first but I'm hungry again soon. If I eat just the nuts, it's easy to have too many before I realize I feel satisfied. The combination seems to work great for me.

[HomeAgain]

Most granola bars have too much added sugar for me to feel full long. It's like it speeds up the digestion of the protein that it's with.

 

Instead, I'd rather a handful of nuts, a piece of cheese, and probably some tea.  If I feel like something sweet, I'll pick an apple with peanut butter or whole milk greek yogurt with jam or honey.  Yesterday snack was sauteed spinach and a piece of homemade bread w/butter.  Just enough fat along with some fiber.  But it always has to have fat or protein.  Going lean makes me hungry.

[mmasc]

My favorite is a string cheese, cutie orange, and a few almonds. (Eaten together as one snack)

[Selkie]

I like the Kind Nut and Spice bars because they have 5 grams or less of sugar and are pretty filling.

[Carrie12345]

My personal favorites:

 

Hummus with whatever strikes my fancy at the time

Hard boiled egg

String cheese

Beef jerky

Tuna fish with a touch of mayo and a fork!

 

I love thinly sliced apples with thinly sliced sharp cheddar, but I'm usually too lazy to make it.

 

If I'm running around all day, I will buy a protein Naked Juice, but only for a few sips, or maybe half a bottle if I'm not going to get a meal for a while. Those things are very calorie dense!

[tdbates78]

I always make sure my snacks are packed with protein and some healthy fats, which fills me up. I have hypoglycemia and can't go hours without eating so I definitely need a snack in the afternoon. You want to avoid empty calorie snacks like crackers, chips etc. I like a small handful of nuts, grapes and a piece of cheese or a Lara bar, the only "granola" bar I eat. I also make my own peanut or almond butter protein balls. They are super easy, no-bake and you can find tons of recipes on Pinterest. I can't eat yogurt anymore, but when I did I always made sure it was plain full fat Greek and I would add my own fruit (usually strawberries). 

Edited September 21, 2017 by tdbates78

[Lizzie in Ma]

The detoxinista web site has some fantastic recipes.  I make her raw brownie bites all the time for snacks.  I add dried cherries to mine, divine!

Cheaper than buying granola bars.

 

I was always a huge fan of cheese and crackers, now I do cheese and cucumber slices and some fig paste.

Edited September 21, 2017 by Lizzie in Ma

[Night Elf]

For those who don't remember, I have a disordered eating pattern that I'm trying to fix. So I'm working with a counselor and nutritionist. I'm a work in progress. I can't make huge changes at one time but I have made some good progress over the past couple of months.

 

Thanks for the ideas. I do like granola bars but I want one with more substance. The Kashi one tastes okay. I've had a Kind bar and it was all nuts and tasted really good. It took me 3 days to eat that Kind bar because that was before I was trying to add more calories to my day. I've been eating more fruit and I'm working on getting in more veggies. I really like yogurt and usually have it with lunch. Yesterday I tried a greek yogurt but it was flavored. I prefer regular yogurt but the stores seem to be having less and less of it. The shelves are like 85% greek and 15% non-greek. I have the 100 calorie packs of Emerald almonds and walnuts but my nutritionist wants me to consider buying a jar of almonds and just getting a few at a time. Our current goal is for me not to write down everything I put in my mouth. It's so hard!! I'm used to weighing and measuring everything. 

 

I think I'll make some hard boiled eggs to keep in the refrigerator. I like that idea. I also have cheese sticks. I also like cottage cheese and have some of that every day. I still eat more starch than anything else but I'm getting better.

[prairiewindmomma]

I find that my body feels much happier if I eat a high fat/low carb snack.  I'm satisfied for much longer, and my blood sugars are more stable.  I understand your nutritionist's point about not weighing/measuring everything and about not dragging out grazing over an afternoon.

 

Nutritionally, nuts are pretty good for you.  Yesterday I had a handful of cashews with a pinch of craisins for my mid-morning snack.  I think this afternoon I am going to have a small bowl full of sugar snap peas with roasted red pepper hummus.

[Night Elf]

I bought some roasted red pepper hummus but haven't tried it yet. The flavor I did try and liked was roasted garlic but the store didn't have that flavor in the single serving cups which I wanted to buy. Now I realize I should have gotten the larger container and just took out what I wanted. If I don't like this red pepper flavoring, I'm going to do that.

 

I love raw yellow squash and zucchini. Would those be good with hummus? I'm out of carrots and celery.

[Selkie]

I bought some roasted red pepper hummus but haven't tried it yet. The flavor I did try and liked was roasted garlic but the store didn't have that flavor in the single serving cups which I wanted to buy. Now I realize I should have gotten the larger container and just took out what I wanted. If I don't like this red pepper flavoring, I'm going to do that.

 

I love raw yellow squash and zucchini. Would those be good with hummus? I'm out of carrots and celery.

 

Definitely! I like bell peppers with hummus, too.