When we do live events one of the most common things we hear from people is, “You’re gonna think I’m crazy, but I totally feel like we’re BFF’s!!” And no, it’s not crazy- because we love you, too! In fact, when we find and fall in love with new things; whether it be a fun new foodie idea, an awesome cleaning product, a delicious restaurant, or a great movie (Hotel Transylvania- see it!) the first people we want to tell about it is YOU all! We do kinda feel like when we’re typing stuff out here, we’re actually sitting at our kitchen tables chit-chatting over a cup of lemonade. We’re all friends here.
Which is kind of what prompted a new feature we’re starting called “Friday Faves.” It’s not something we’ll do every Friday, but occasionally when we have something worth sharing. So here’s the deal, and we want to be very clear about what this is. Friday Faves posts are never sponsored. Ever. It’s simply a little glimpse into our pantries, or our DVR’s, or our brains, or whatever. Things we love, that we think you might love too. That’s it. Maybe if you love it a lot we’ll give some of our Friday Faves away. For fun. Because we’re cool like that.
Which brings me to our first installment. I’ve been working hard and have lost quite a bit of weight in the last few months. It’s at the point where most people who know me have noticed and everyone’s first question is immediately, “What are you doing??” Often with an undertone of “What are you taking” “What program did you start?” etc. Well let me answer that right now. It’s groundbreaking, actually. Get ready for this one; I’ve unearthed the secret to effective weight-loss. Ready?
Burn more than you consume.
Or consume less than you burn.
I know. It’s shocking that crap actually works. In reality I have some not-so-secret weapons, like my beloved BodyBugg and a fantastic trainer who puts me through the ringer a couple times a week and makes me lift heavy stuff, but there’s no getting around the fact that good nutrition makes all the difference in the world. For the most part, I eat clean. Meaning good, well-rounded meals. Nothing is off limits, I just try to keep my calorie count in check. I can’t do the whole eat-steamed-broccoli-and-a-filet-of-fish for every meal thing. Or the no carbs thing. And certainly the no sugar thing. I’m a food blogger for Pete’s sake! I just try to do the “moderation in all things” thing. Which means that while I try to mostly eat healthy, whole-food snacks like fruit and vegetables, sometimes I want chips. Sometimes I want chocolate. Most of the time I want ice cream. Plus I’m a crazy busy Mom and I always have to have things I can grab and stash in my bag for later. So I wanted to share some things that I’m obsessed with these days. As in- I have industrial sized cases of every one of these things in my pantry or freezer. Fo’ real. These are all store-bought things that I certainly don’t eat all the time and I’m not touting as “health food”, but I really like having in my kitchen for when they’re convenient. And I’m all about portion control. As in, I have no willpower so I need forced portion control. So if you’re looking for some munchy snacks and treats to fit into a healthy lifestyle, here’s some things that won’t totally destroy your diet.
Pop Chips– 100 Calories
I love that ad. I buy these in the individual bags for portion control, they are my absolute favorite savory snack. The day I saw the “Sea Salt and Vinegar” flavor at the store, I literally yelped out loud and for the very first time ever got the “look” from my 1st grader. The look that immediately communicated without words feelings of, “Oh my gosh I am so embarrassed to be seen next to you right now.” I really hate baked potato chips, I think they’re a total waste of calories because they aren’t even good. These are light and crispy and crunchy and totally satisfy the crunchy-salty craving without the fat and calories of normal chips. They’re not baked, and they’re not fried, they are quite literally “popped”. They come in tortilla chip varieties too, and all of them are gluten free (and many flavors vegan, too). And since this is the only savory snack on the list (Hi, my name is Sara and I have a sweet tooth.) I should mention that one of my kids’ snacks isn’t half-bad calorie wise either: Pirate’s Booty. My only problem is that I like to buy it in giant bags from Costco and I can’t stop eating it. but if you do really weigh out a serving size (1 ounce) you’ll be amazed at how much it is, and for only about 100 calories.
Skinny Cow Candy – 110/120 Calories
Another awesome moment was finding out my favorite Skinny Cow Candy is now sold in big variety packs at Costco- woo hoo! Granted you can definitely have half a snicker’s bar for this same calorie count, these are still a good bet. They’re great for portion control, and at just over 100 calories, they’re actually good sized. The peanutbutter crisp bars are my favorites, with the dark chocolate caramel crispy cluster thingies coming in a close second.
Clif Mojo Sweet and Salty Trail Mix bar – 190 Calories
{Peanut Butter Pretzel}
Have you ever been to the energy-bar section at the grocery store? It’s completely overwhelming. There are SO many different kind of bars. A few months ago I just decided to go bonkers and buy one of almost everything and figure out what I liked. These came out on the top of the pack.They’re low glycemic and have 9 grams of protein. Once you jump up to the high-protein bars you’re into that chewy-gummy-protein-y tasting stuff. These fit into the more granola-barish genre and they’re awesome. They’re suuuper crunchy and have lots of peanut butter flavor in there too. Great for an afternoon snack between meals. I almost always have one of these, or the Luna Bars below, in my purse.
Luna Bar – 190 Calories
{Chocolate Dipped Coconut and Peanut Honey Pretzel}
I’ve been a long-time fan of Luna Bars. When I was a freshman in college my Mom would mail me big boxes of the Chocolate Peppermint Stick ones (still a fave). But they keep coming out with new flavors that knock my socks off. This Chocolate Dipped Coconut reminds me of Samoa cookies, and the Peanut Honey Pretzel is fantastic too (it’s softer than the super crunchy Clif Bar of a similar flavor).
Skinny Cow Ice Cream – 100/150 Calories
Not too much to say here, other than I love every single ice cream product Skinny Cow makes. That’s about it. I keep track of the calories I eat and I almost always save 100-200 calories so at the end of the say after my kids are in bed I can plop on the couch and eat ice cream while I catch up with the hubby and the DVR.
Weight Watchers Ice Cream Candy Bars- 140 Calories
Okay, I honestly hate mentioning the word “Weight Watchers” because every time I do we suddenly get comments and emails with “Oh my gosh! Awesome! We all do Weight Watchers!! Let’s be WW buddies!! Send me the WW points for ALL of the recipes on your site!!!” So. For the record. I’ve never done WW in my life. I don’t use points. I don’t even know what those are. I just like the ice cream. Got it? These Ice Cream Candy Bars are my fave. Peanut Butter Ice Cream, caramel layer, chunky peanuts, and completely covered in chocolate. How can that not be good?
Weight Watchers– Strawberry Smoothie Pops 60 Calories
These babies have only 60 calories and I totally expected them to taste like artificial fake-sugary stuff. But no- they taste just like a fresh strawberry smoothie. Really great flavor and only 60 calories. Can’t go wrong! My other favorite fruity bar are the WW Dark Chocolate Covered Raspberry Pops. They taste like raspberry truffles, soooo good.
Snackwells Fudge-Drizzled Caramel Corn – 130 Calories
Lastly, SnackWell’s makes these yummy chocolate covered caramel corn packs. Perfect for taking to a movie, or munching while watching tv or to curb a late-afternoon sweet tooth. Love these. The only problem is only eating one!
I hope that’s helpful for anyone out there needing some not-so-naughty treats. Feel free to share your own ideas in the comments- I love discovering new yummies!
Totally unrelated to healthy snacking…
1. If you missed our fun news on Facebook, our newly released book, Savoring the Seasons with Our Best Bites just landed its pretty little self on the National Bestseller List. The Best Seller List for all non-fiction hardbacks (not just cook books). For this, all we can say is, thank you thank you thank you thank you. {Repeat 5 million times.} We’re still in a state of shock and feel immensely grateful to all of YOU out there who support what we do!
2. Very late notice, but Boise folks, I’ll be at the Deseret Book on Eagle Road (by Babies R Us, Pier 1, Old Navy, etc.) tomorrow (Saturday 10/6) from 6:30-7:30 for their “Ladies Night” event. Bring a book and say hello!
I can’t wait to try the Snackwell’s popcorn…looks yummy!
I *am* doing Weight Watchers, so I am always on the look out for new low-cal/low-fat snacks like these to add to my arsenal to help fight off my sweet tooth (and the salty one, too!) I was actually eating my Sugar free Jello cup in orange as I read this. They only have 10 calories each and are great if you like Jello. I like to top them with some fat free Cool Whip, too, and that adds all of 15 calories! It is a great way to combat a sweet tooth! My other new favorite is the Special K Pastry Crisps. Brown sugar cinnamon is my favorite (tastes like a PopTart!) but the chocolate one is great, too, and only 100 calories a package (2 to a package.)
Awesome post! Right now I am loving pretzel thins (a few brands make them) with hummus. My kids actually love the combo too.
Yummy! Where do you find the POP chips??
this may sound crazy- but when I’m on my post baby crackdowns I eat pickles 🙂 lots of pickles 🙂 yes- high in sodium- but no fat or calories! and I love pickles! plus- for a snack as my ice cream- I do that crazy pureed frozen ripe bananas with some cocoa powder and a little splenda if my bananas aren’t sweet enough. those two things can almost always satisfy my sweet tooth or me salty cravings!!
LOVE the Skinny Cow snacks!! I was actually eating one while I read this! 🙂
My husband and I have the same night time ritual! We love having one of those skinny cow or ww icecream treats at the end of the day while we watch stuff from our DVR! I am an avid calorie counter and my newest love is those dryers slow churned 1/2 the fat icecreams. Cookie dough, cookies and cream and S’mores are my favorite!
Funny, I decided to go back to the gym last night and see this post today. 😉 The WW ice cream candy bars are the best. I have a stash in my freezer and it hits the spot! Love this post.
I need to find the POP chips – for the taste and portion control…
I have noticed how awesome you look. And I’m soooo glad you’re pushing the burn more than you consume so people can know it’s the only way!
Great post!! I have lost 50 pounds this year with the same type of thinking. Burn more than you consume and eat in moderation. I have chocolate every single day, but good quality chocolate so I am satisfied with just a little bit. Wholly Guacamole is another great find for me, with 100 calorie packs. Champion Cobani Greek Yogurt, frozen and slightly thawed, great dessert. So many great ways to enjoy food without huge restrictions. Great job on your weight loss. Continued success and thanks for your great cookbooks. Keep it up!!
This is exactly what I need right now. EXACTLY! I’m trying to lose weight after baby #5 and I am NOT willing to give up snacking. The sad thing is that most of these things aren’t sold in Canada. Maybe I need to make a snack run to the US!
So helpful! Thanks!
I adore the new Healthy choice frozen greek yogurt. Find it by the Healthy Choice frozen dinners. Vanilla, Blueberry, Strawberry and Raspberry…yum! 100 calories of creamy deliciousness…add a little chocolate syrup and heaven isn’t far off! lol
Chocolate Peppermint Luna bars are key to my survival 🙂 I need to try some of the others you’ve posted, they sound yummy! Low Cal snacks have come a long way since rice cakes!
Great ideas! I will have to go stock up. One of my favorite go to snacks are fiber one bars. I love the oats and chocolate! I’ve also tried the ‘generic’ version at both walmart and smiths/kroger. They are pretty good as well.
On a not so healthy side note ~ off to try making my own Dulche de Leche for the first time! I’m giving it out in cute little mason jars with a green apple (see, a little healthy!) on top for gifts. Loving the new cookbook! Wish me luck!
I am in agreement with everyone else. And am grateful for the tips. I’m sad that watching calories is part of weight loss, because I can do the workout part easier. Oh well, I love rice cakes for a snack, but am excited to try these too!
Im a sucker for sweet things also but I recently discovered Wholly Guacamole’s 100 calorie packs. They are perfect to pair with a few tortilla chips (baked or not) and they satisfy any salty craving I might have. Also, yogurt, cottage cheese and fruit have always been a go to dessert for me. The Light ‘n’ Fit yogurt is super yum! Good job to you though! I know losing weight is a struggle for many (including myself) so kiddos to you!
I love the peanut butter skinny cow bars – so yummy! I have such an issue with snacking – its bad. I need to figure it out and get it under control before I hit 30 (which is when everyone says your metabolism stops haha). I also keep swans chocolate chip cookie dough in the freezer and eat 1 (or maybe several) for 130 calories.
Another yummy thing I discovered recently (I love chocolate) is taking a carnation instant breakfast, and blending it with 1/2 frozen banana, 3/4 cup skim milk, and 1/2 cup ice cubes. yummy
You made me laugh because I just joined Weight Watchers 🙂 I’ve been on it for a week and a half and then your cookbook arrived at my door yesterday afternoon. Kudos to you for losing weight having the knowledge of your amazing-looking recipes. Peppermint fudge cupcake jars? S’mores hot chocolate? So excited to try all of the recipes!! In moderation of course.
This is great! I’m just starting to try to lose weight again (I was trying over the summer, and then I got pregnant, but now I’m not pregnant anymore…okay, that was much heavier than I was going for…), and I’m on the hunt for things like this. Right now I’m pretty well addicted to that Stretch Island Fruit Leather than you can get at Costco; at about 50 calories each, they’re a fantastic in-between-meal snack!
You. Are. Too. Funny!!!!
This is exactly what I needed! I get intimidated because healthy snacks are so expensive and what happens if it takes like cardboard dipped in a brown, plastic, chocolate wannabe substitute? You’re out big bucks! And now you’re alsao hosed when it comes 3:00 and you need a snack!!! My hubby eats those gummy weird food-like things and I just can’t do it! Thank you so much for helping to sort through the options!!
Oh, we totally LOVE Blue Bunny’s BIG fudge bars…no fake sugar and they are 90 cal
Thanks for the suggestion- I’m going to try those ones out too!
Thanks for the suggestions! I hate to spend/waste money on diet food trying things that I might hate. This is so helpful. I’m not a peanut butter fan, but my husband (I won’t say “dear” because he’s losing weight at the speed of sound and gets to eat twice as many calories as me and weighs less than me now) LOVES peanut butter, and would appreciate the surprise… Again, thanks so much!!
Oh let’s not even get started on men losing weight. My husband can skip breakfast one day and lose 8 lbs…
My husband will eat a whole pan of brownies and still loose weight! Why is it that we have baby weight and THEY loose weight faster? GUH!
Thanks for the tips! I’m considering energy bars because I’m about to switch to the swing shift, but the section at the store is so daunting! I’ll definitely give Clif a try!
I know, and how is it that without working out men have nice, muscly arms and legs? And with working out I remain flabby? So not fair!
LOL!! There are perks to being women, right? grr..
I just went to Target and got the Clif bars, Luna bars and some Skinny Cow ice cream bars!! They should totally compensate you for advertising! 🙂 I’m trying to lose the last 10 pounds of baby weight from baby number 1. He’s four now…and I have another baby! LOL! I keep jumping on and falling off the bandwagon like it’s my job. Gotta stay motivated!! Thanks for this! I need stuff to keep me full between lunch and dinner…that’s the hard time for me!
Woo hoo! I hope you love them. That’s a super tricky time for me too. About 4pm I start getting crazy-munchies!
Thanks I love this post! Also are you going to be at desert book Friday night or Saturday night?
Oh my goodness, thank you for the catch- SATURDAY! I was writing this post on Thursday night so when I wrote “tomorrow” I automatically thought Friday, lol.
Fantastic post! I am working on losing some baby weight, and this is exactly what I needed to read. I will not be eating carrot sticks for snack, it just won’t happen for me. Have you tried the Pirate’s Booty snacks? I like the whit cheddar ones. They taste like cheese puffs. Yum!
Yes! In fact, I originally had Pirate’s Booty in this post and I took it out because my only problem is that I like to buy it in giant bags at Costco and I seriously have no portion control! lol. But a serving is an ounce, which is a LOT of Pirate’s Booty, so it’s a great one!
I love this. Thank you!
Fantastic Post Fantastic timing just getting ready to go to the store today, for some portion control snacks….because well my will power packed its bags and left about a year ago so I started packin me some bags too (the saddle kind 🙂 )
Thanks Sara! I really appreciate this type of post & can’t wait to try some of these suggestions. Let the weight loss begin!