Snacks in Under 100 Calories

Snacks are a great way to insure you get enough calories in a day, a problem many of us do not have. However, snacking also helps keep our blood sugars even and metabolism going. Choosing healthful snacks are much more beneficial than those that are less than so. Monitoring the calories you take in from snacks can be an important part of any diet. Too much snacking can lead to eating excess calories and cause unwanted weight gain.

One way to control snacking is to know how many calories are in a serving of your favorite healthful snacks. Great snacks under 100 calories are listed below for your convenience:

1 cup blueberries= 85 cal

1 medium apple= 70 cal

1 small banana= 60 cal

2 cups popcorn= 95 cal

1/2 cup oatmeal= 75 cal

1 sheet graham crackers= 55 cal

1 cup carrots= 25 cal

1/2 medium cucumber= 20 cal

1/2 cup fat free fruit yogurt=85 cal

1 oz reduced fat cheese= 80 cal

3/4 oz sharp cheddar= 90 cal

1.5 oz chicken breast without skin= 70 cal

1 oz deli turkey breast= 30 cal

1 large egg= 75 cal

13 almonds= 90 cal

1 Tbsp peanut butter= 95 cal

Healthy Tailgating Snacks

Tailgating is one of the great parts of college football games. While it is associated with unhealthful snacks, there are ways to make those high calorie and high fat foods we love so much lighter and healthier.

Traditional snack: Nachos & Cheese

Swap the fried tortilla chips for baked lentil chips to save you total fat, trans fat, and calories. Replace the processed cheese for a tomato-based salsa. You will be surprised at how satisfied this snack will leave you feeling, with fewer calories and grams of fat.

Traditional snack: Pizza

Swap the deep dish takeout pizza for a homemade pizza. Use a whole wheat tortilla or pita bread to save calories. Replacing a thick crust with a thin one goes a long way. Use part-skim mozzarella cheese to cut down on fat, and load up on veggie toppings.

Traditional snack: Buffalo Wings

Instead of frying chicken wings, try baking or broiling. You use less butter and add less fat when you bake rather than fry. Add cayenne or crushed red pepper and any other spices for taste.

Next time you tailgate, bring a more health conscious snack. Small changes in your diet can make a big impact on weight and health in the long-run.

Smart Snacking

Snacking is often seen as a bad thing, but it really isn't when you choose the right foods to munch on.  Snacks are needed if our meals are lacking in calories, if our stomachs are growling between meals, or if our bodies need energy to make it through our day. 

Generally, I try to stick to 2 rules when I choose a snack.  1. Eat a high fiber food. 2. Eat a high protein food.  Both fiber and protein are important in helping us feel full.  By choosing a snack with fiber or protein, you will be less likely to continue to snack on other foods and take in excess calories.  Chips and cookies usually have neither fiber nor protein so you can take in more calories than you intended, and they will leave you wanting more. 

Snack Fiber Foods:

• piece of fruit, with peel or seeds, such as apples, apricots, pear, raspberries, strawberries
• vegetables, such as asparagus, broccoli, carrots
• whole grain products, such as cereals, breads

Snack Protein Foods:

• yogurt, light or fat-free
• milk, skim or 1%
• peanut or almond butter on whole wheat crackers or bread (has fiber too!)
• nuts, such as pistachios, almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts (fiber here too!)