I had a hankering for a snack today at work and I made two choices. I thought they would be decent choices, without knowing the nutrition facts.
So lets see...
Quaker Popped Caramel Corn
Calories: 100
Total Fat: 0.5g
Total Carbs: 23g
Fiber: 1g
Protein: 1g
WW Points Plus: 3
Overall assessment: Airy and un-fulfilling....But low points!
Lightly Salted Peanuts
Calories: 340
Total Fat: 29g
Total Carbs: 9g
Fiber: 5g
Protein: 15g
WW Points Plus: 9!!!
Overall assessment: Good source of protein, but high points!!
I actually ate both snacks because a) I worked out today so I earned some activity points and b) I ate my lunch at 10:30 this morning and didn't bring in an afternoon snack and was STARVED!!
I think my choices were decent, considering I could have bought Oreo Cookies, or Cheetos, or something else deliciously sinful.
Once I calculated the points, I did ask myself, "Is this worth the points?" And my answer is no and yes. No on the Popped Caramel Corn, Yes on the Peanuts. There were literally like 13 little rice cakes, which is like a big tease. I mean, why bother? The peanuts, however, were jam packed into the package, and afterwards, I actually felt full!
So lesson learned!
What's in the vending machines where you are? And what do their nutrition facts say??
I've recently switched over from Weight Watchers to Calorie Counting. In essence, it's the same thing....I mean, the last version of Weight Watchers was based on calories. I've just found myself "cheating" a lot with Weight Watchers - They make it so easy to follow, you get your daily points, and your weekly points, but I always found myself underestimating on how many points I was actually eating. I also was always dipping into my weekly quota, and then going way over how many points I should be having in one week.
My friend Kate and I decided that we both needed a break from WW, but we needed to try something else - Kate found out about www.myfitnesspal.com, and I decided to jump on the bandwagon. You put in your current weight, what you would like your eventual weight to be, and how much you would like to lose (realistically) per week. It then calculates how many calories you should be eating per day.
I've been trying to search around for low-calorie snacks that are filling. The stores are full of 100-calorie snack packs that are not filling (although they may be delicious little knock-offs of the delicious original versions). And honestly, if I want Chips Ahoy Cookies, I'd rather have the real thing then the "healthy version" - but one cookie is probably 100 calories. But I digress.
My friend at work suggested a snack that I have been eating since Saturday - and it really is great! It's a combination of Greek yogurt, honey, and granola.
3/4 cup (6 oz) Fage 2% Plain Greek Yogurt (My friend actually said she likes the 0% better, but when I tried a few different kinds at the market to see which I liked best, they didn't have the 0% available, and I liked the 2% when I tried it, so I stuck with that)
1 1/2 teaspoons of Honey (I estimate it as 1 1/2 teaspoons - I used the small spoon that I use to scoop out the yogurt)
1/2 cup Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal (My friend suggested granola, but I didn't have any at home. I supplemented with Kashi, and it's delicious!!!)
And that's it. Mix it all together and enjoy!!! I honestly and NOT a fan of Greek Yogurt. It's very tart, and the kind with the fruit at the bottom has TONS of sugar. So with this, you get to control how much sugar you put into it! The total snack is 256 calories. 4 Chips Ahoy Cookies are 220 calories, 1 mini bag of Lays Potato Chips is 240 calories - but the yogurt snack goes MUCH further. It's something you can have for a snack, or even lunch! The Greek yogurt has a lot of protein in it, so it's definitely filling!! And moderately low calorie!!
Enjoy!!
