afternoon snacks

[LisaSue]

I've been reading this board for a few months now, and, at the risk of becoming completely addicted to it, have finally decided to join the fun.
So, I'm sitting here in the mid-afternoon at my desk - hungry - and was wondering if anyone has suggestions for portable, healthy afternoon snacks to eat while I'm working. I've gone through phases over the years -- instant oatmeal, graham crackers, cottage cheese, etc. -- and I'd love some new ideas!

[ewatkins]

Hummus with carrots and red pepper sticks!

[ama47369]

Hi LisaSue!

Here are some ideas...

Vegetable sticks with a small container of salad dressing for dipping, Trail mix,cheese sticks, fortune cookies, dried fruit, fruit leather, nuts, tortillas chips with a small jar of salsa, small bags of popcorn, pudding
fruit yogurt, sunflower seeds, celery sticks filled with cream cheese or peanut butter and raisins, fresh fruit, pretzels, crackers-plain or sandwiched with peanut butter or cheese, yogurt-covered or carob-coated raisins, granola bars, baby dill pickles, bagels w/cream cheese, pita pizzas

http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif Amanda

[rinsav]

Hi Lisa Sue,

I go through phases too. Right now I'm on a kick where I crumble up a graham cracker into some type of fruit yogurt. Sometimes, I dip pretzels in the yogurt. I also like to eat Cottage Doubles (cottage cheese and fruit packaged together). I'm addicted to these!

Rindi

[Peeps]

Rindi - I always eat cottage cheese with jam, can hardly have it any other way and when I told someone this recently they thought it was the strangest thing ever - then I tried one of those Cottage Doubles and that's exactly what they are - cottage cheese and jam, only much more expensive! So blob some jam onto some regular cottage cheese and save yourself some money (and fat since Cottage Doubles are not fat free cottage cheese)!

[AD]

For years, I snacked on Cheerios. I kept them by me all the time. I ate the plain and honey nut. I'll have nuts occasionally. Also, you might want to try some baked potato or tortilla chips. Popcorn may be another alternative.

[elnant]

I've been through different "phases" with my afternoon snacks. Lately, I've been having yogurt with grape-nuts cereal. I have also made my own "granola" -- using a combination of two CL recipes, which was delicious! Other than that -- fruit is what I usually have in the afternoon.

[kwormann]

I like a hard boiled egg. I alos like to save part of my lunch to eat later as a snack http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[LisaSue]

Thanks for all the great ideas! I'm about to go grocery shopping on WebVan and you've given me lots of new things to add to my list.

[Jewel]

Get a little Booty Baby!!! I snack on Pirate's Booty in the afternoon! Perfect for satisfying the 'crunch' urge, the 'taste' factor and it's light enough to not spoil my dinner...(Mom made sure I remembered that!) http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[kentgirl]

One of my favorite snacks is to spread 1 tsp peanut butter on a rice cake, then drizzle about 1 tsp of chocolate syrup over it. It's so light, I usually fix myself two of these---they're just sweet enough to satisfy my sweet tooth, and I just love the taste of choclate and peanut butter.

Also, I highly recommend the Crunch Master crackers that I've only been able to find at Costco. These are exactly what they say--very crunchy! And very low fat - 11 crackers equals 80 calories and 1 gram of fat. These are especially good with the tzaziki dip that is also available at Costco.

[Rae]

Right now I'm on a snack kick with animal crackers and low-fat granola bars. Probably because I bought huge boxes of each at Sam's Club!

I've also had really good luck with freezing muffins. If I put one in my bag in the morning, it has thawed by the time I want it in the afternoon. I've made CL's Carrot Cake Bars a couple of times and froze them in individual portions to bring to work for snacks. These have worked out very well.

I find that I lean more heavily on convenience foods for snacks than I do for meals. I just can't resist those big boxes of treats at Sam's!

[aggie94]

Lately, my afternoon (and sometimes, mid-morning) snack is baby carrots and Toby's Tofu Pate. It's made in Eugene, so I'm not sure how wide the distribution is, but it's delicious! It's described as a "delicious bagel spread and dip" made from organically grown soy beans. I get the "lite & spicy" version -- it's also great on other veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, green peppers, celery, etc.) and on bread/crackers. Kinda tastes like egg salad, but with tofu instead.

I also keep fruit (dried or fresh) and goldfish crackers on hand for afternoon snacking.

[This message has been edited by aggie94 (edited 06-22-2001).]

[Lynne1975]

I am glad I'm not the only one who gets on a "kick" with one or two snack foods! I have been snacking on plain yogurt w/ all-fruit jam mixed in. I also just discovered soy chips, which are like mini rice cakes. They may sound gross but they are really good. If you want something sweet, Fudgecicles only have 60 calories each (so I eat two of them!)

[Lynne1975]

I am glad I'm not the only one who gets on a "kick" with one or two snack foods! I have been snacking on plain yogurt w/ all-fruit jam mixed in. I also just discovered soy chips, which are like mini rice cakes. They may sound gross but they are really good. If you want something sweet, Fudgecicles only have 60 calories each (so I eat two of them!)

[Chefmom]

Oh, fruit!! I love sitting down with a perfect piece of fruit! I'm such a fussy-pants too, so I only indulge in fruit when it's at its peak.

Another healthy fave is sunflower seeds and orange juice. The vitamin C in the juice assures that the iron in the seeds is absorbed properly. It's tasty, crunchy and the juice curbs my constant craving for soda in the afternoon! My favorite juice is Pineapple Orange juice by Dole.

Also, something bready hits the spot in the afternoon. Scones (I love them with dried cherries and walnuts) or day old cheddar herb biscuits (they are always better the next day!!). Those aren't in the healthy range, but they hit the spot with a tall glass of milk.

Tami