Healthy Snack Ideas (W.W. Friendly)

My girlfriend asked me for healthy snack ideas, so I quickly threw together this list… and I thought you all might find it helpful too! (Well… do you? Please pin it, share it, and leave a comment below!)

Remember the old diet myth that you should have three meals a day and no snacks in-between? Well, that is total and absolute nonsense! You should make sure to eat something every two to three hours and NEVER let yourself get to that point of being so hungry that the best goals and intentions fly out the window.

The key is to learn the difference between a snack and a “treat”. A snack tides you over to the next meal and is healthy and balanced. A treat is… well, you know… a “treat”.

When you have a choice, always choose fresh, natural, unprocessed snacks (and food)… but I’m including other options for when you can’t get to fresh. And always try to include some protein which will keep you feeling satisfied for longer.

Check labels for sugar and avoid ingredients that you can’t read or understand.

If you’re following Weight Watchers, use the (new and improved) handy-dandy app to calculate the points.

FYI: SmartPoints are now calculated by calories, SUGAR, protein, and saturated fat. (They used to be calculated by fat, fiber and protein) So some bars that were a good choice before aren’t the best choice now.

Here are some of my go-to snacks—hope you find them helpful. And please tell me yours! Just add them to the comments section below, or on my OrnaBakes Facebook post  >>

(you ARE already following me on FB, right?)

Remember—don’t leave your house without arming yourself with some healthy snacks!

Many of these items are available on Amazon Prime—I’ve linked to them when possible. (I LOVE Amazon Prime!!!)

Click here for info on 30-day FREE trial for Amazon Prime >>

Look out for part two COMING SOON: Favorite Night Time Snacks

xoxo

Yogurt

I always have tons of different yogurts in my fridge. The best choice is a plain, fat free or low fat Greek yogurt and add your own fresh fruit, but when I don’t have time for that…

• I love Dannon Light & Fit (My fav flavor is Coconut)
• I heart Eli Quark (which, believe-it-or-not, actually isn’t yogurt – it’s German-style cheese!) (WW Simply Filling) Add some sliced bananas to the Caramel one for a delicious treat. Or bulk up the Strawberry (my fav) with fresh strawberries. You get the idea.
• Lovin’ thick and creamy Icelandic yogurt which seems to be popping up everywhere. My favs are Siggi’s Acai and Mixed Berries – very low sugar (3 WW SmartPoints per container) The plain is a power food. And surprisingly so is the vanilla. (haven’t tried it yet) Good choice for kids too. And Smari Icelandic Yogurt (only seen it at Gelsons so far) – verrrry thick and creamy.
• And then there’s good ol’ Fage Nonfat Greek Yogurt. (WW Simply Filling) Best price at TJ’s.  Sprinkle on a little Fiber One Original Bran Cereal (WW Simply Filling) for crunch, and frozen blueberries or raspberries. Yum!

On to cheese…

• When I need a quick protein fix (like when I’m rushing out the door to get my little one—panicking that she’s already walking toward the gate and feeling abandoned—and I realize I haven’t eaten for hours, I’ll grab a couple of Babybel Light Cheeses (1 WW SmartPoint each) (best price at Costco, second best at Trader Joe’s)
• I also like Laughing Cow Light Cheese straight up! (1 Weight Watchers SmartPoints for 1 wedge) Great price at Costco, second best at Trader Joe’s. But if you’re a cracker or rice cake gal (or guy)—go for it!
• Half a cup of low fat ricotta or cottage cheese (get the cute Knudsen to-go ones). All you need is a spoon!

Other Quick Protein Fixes

• Hard cooked eggs. I usually cook up a batch on a Monday (there’s nothing like a warm, medium-hard cooked egg… you know, when it’s still a little mushy but not runny… sprinkled with a little salt – mmmm), but if you don’t have time there’s no shame in buying the ready cooked ones from TJs or Costco. (But they of course won’t taste as good)
• Turkey Pickle Rollups —There are soooo many creative ways of making these. Get all-natural, low sodium turkey (or chicken) (I like Applegate Farms—which happily TJ’s now carries) and Boar’s Head All Natural Roasted Turkey Breast (Gelsons/Ralphs) and spread with your favorite low cal dressing or hummus—or TJ’s Carolina BBQ sauce works great too. Roll up around a pickle spear and voila, you have a yummy snack!

Fun Veggies

Feeling peckish? Grab some veggies! They ARE your best friend.

• Hearts of Palm LOVE these! (I like the ones from TJS because they’re in a jar. And you get a workout trying to get the darn lid off!)
• Artichoke Hearts—fantastic price at Costco for two huge jars. There’s nothing wrong with eating a few of these at night when carrots won’t cut it and you don’t think a bag of popcorn will fill your stomach (or your head) up enough!
• TJ’s Frozen Green Beans or a can of French Green Beans warmed up and drizzled with Kraft Fat Free Thousand Island Dressing
• Asparagus Cuts—with Kraft Fat Free Thousand Island Dressing or low cal Italian dressing
• Jicama Sticks (don’t be afraid of cutting your own jicama. Lmk if you are and I’ll post a quick tutorial!)
• Soy Beans (keep some in the freezer so you can quickly make up a bag for when you’re going to be on the go)
• Peas in their pod—hard to find but when they’re in season they’re the best snack
• Cherry tomatoes/Sugar snap peas/Celery and carrots (of course!)

Dip Em!

Everything tastes better when it’s dipped. But make sure to measure out your portion and put the rest away so you don’t overdo it.

• Have you tried TJ’s Beet Hummus? Yummmm! (Great for entertaining) (2 Weight Watchers SmartPoints for 2 tablespoons) Their Eggplant Hummus is also delish and is only 1 Weight Watchers SmartPoint for 2 tablespoons.
• Microwave two Laughing cow Light Queso Fresco Chipotle wedges (1 WW Smartpoints each) for 20 seconds; add two chopped pearl tomatoes on the vine with their juices, salt and pepper, and scoop up with veggies or corn thins. (see pic above) Yummy instant high-protein Mexican Cheese Dip.

Fun Fruits

• Banana—I eat a banana every single day for a mid-morning snack.
• Mango slices—TJ’s or Costco
• Don’t wait for a party to get a Costco fruit plate—you wouldn’t think twice about spending $8 on baked goods, right?
• Persimmons slice them up like apple and they won’t turn brown
• Tangerines are great to keep in the car
• Kumquats
• Gooseberries
• Frozen Blueberries and Grapes—I freeze them in bags of ten and when I’m craving a sweet treat I bust one out. And I sprinkle frozen blueberries on my cereal every morning.
• TJ’s frozen Pineapple Tidbits
• TJ’s frozen figs—sweet and delicious
• Make a baked apple for a fun night-time sweet treat!
• Unsweetened applesauce is also a good choice (WW Simply Filling food)

Bags

When you just can’t get fresh or to keep in your car for emergencies

• Apple chips (pick ones with skin)—I like TJ’s Freeze Dried Apple Slices (7 WW SmartPoints for the whole bag) or Bare Apple Chips, but BEWARE because a tiny, 50-calorie bag of Granny Smith Barefruit chips (at Target or Amazon) will cost you 3 WW SmartPoints. Probably better to pick up some fresh cut apples for zero. (I’ve been known to devour a Mickey Mouse Cheese and Fruit Plate while shopping at Target!)
• Costco carries small bags of freeze dried fruit. Only prob is my family only like the apple ones (the strawberry and banana ones aren’t great!) If I’m driving home and know I’m very close to my meal but have that nagging feeling in my stomach, a little bag of these is perfect to take the edge off.
• You can now find Crispy Green Crispy Fruit at Costco or on Amazon >>
• SkinnyPop Popcorn – 100 calorie bags (3 WW SmartPoints per bag)
• 94% Fat Free Popcorn or Kettle Corn—make sure to get the 100 calorie bags for portion control (even though they’re Weight Watchers Simply Filling foods—if you eat too much of them—or anything else—they are no longer Simply Filling, they’re “overfilled” {wink})
• Or even better, make your own fresh popcorn and spray with TJ’s Coconut Oil Spray and a sprinkle of salt. Portion it out in bags so you’re not tempted to overeat. (Too much of a good thing, ya know!)
• When chips are calling you (chips are my drug of choice)—pick the popcorn! Trust me, you’ll be much happier after. If you must go for chips, here are some good choices:
• ips Protein Chips—made with egg whites. In perfectly portioned bags.
• Soy Chips—Glenny’s Soy Crisps Cheddar (2 WW SmartPoints for 18g)
• Jerky—Costco carries small bags of Pacific Gold Beef Jerky (2 WW SmartPoints per 35g bag) which I keep on hand for emergencies. I also like TJ’s Turkey Jerky. (1 WW SmartPoint for 28 g) I always pack one when I travel
• I keep the little bags of raisins, cranberries and pepitas (pumpkin seeds) from the Minsley Oatmeal that I get at Costco (fab for a quick breakfast) in my car for when I need a quick energy boost. But you could easily make your own or buy all-natural trail mix and portion it out

Bars

Be very careful about getting in the habit of eating bars every day. Even Kind bars—which have all natural ingredients—still aren’t as good as eating fresh food (like a handful of almonds and blueberries).

Having said that—I have a selection of bars in my pantry and in my car for when I can’t get to real food, or I’m traveling/going to the mall, etc. And I always carry one in my purse.

• Some of my faves:
  Health Warrior Coconut Chia Bars (4 WW SmartPoints)
• TJ’s Coconut and Apple Bars (5 WW SmartPoints)
• That’s It Fruit Bars (5 – 6 WW SmartPoints) I recently discovered that these were developed by a fellow South African, so that of course makes me like them even more. And you realize that the TJ’s ones are manufactured by them too, right?
• Corazonas Heartbar Oatmeal Squares—sadly they stopped carrying these at Costco, but you can get the Blueberry Oatmeal bars on Amazon >> (great for kids)
• KIND Bars—my favorite are the Healthy Grains Oats & Honey with Toasted Coconut Bars (6 Weight Watchers SmartPoints) and then for traveling I LOVE the KIND Peanut Butter Breakfast bars (8 Weight Watchers SmartPoints for two bars which is pretty high—but you could share a pack and then it’s only 4) (I discovered them at Target)
  Freeze my Blueberry Oatbran Muffins for a fab all-natural portable breakfast or snack >>

Pre-workout snack

• Handful of almonds

Soup!

You already know that I’m obsessed with soup, but you know what? It works! A cup of soup an hour or so before a meal takes the edge off your hunger.

• Make my vegetable soup >>
• Or buy low sodium soups like Imagine Organic soups. (Many of them are WW Simply Filling)
• I also like TJ’s Miso Soup (bit salty though)
• And if I just feel like a cup of warm goodness, I simply mix a spoon of low sodium Better Than Bouillon or even Lipton or Telma Chicken powder for an instant cup-a-soup fix sans the noodles.
• Tabatchnik frozen Mushroom Barley Soup is great go-to. (Only 80 calories and a WW Simply Filling food) (Ralph’s Market or Amazon) The cabbage, vegetable, and minestrone are also WW Simply Filling.

Craving chocolate?

• Dole Chocolate Covered Strawberries—I like that they come in single serving bags
• Chocolate covered bananas (Trader Joe’s)—be careful, they can be “more-ish”
• I find Swiss Miss Diet Hot Chocolate very satisfying. (1 WW SmartPoint per envelope) Great price at Target

I hope you found this list helpful.

Please leave a comment below and tell me YOUR favorite healthy snacks!