by Lisa Parris

Created on: January 09, 2009   Last Updated: April 06, 2011

Snack your way Skinny

Snacks are important. They help keep your blood sugar from dropping into the basement, keep your energy up, and can keep you from overeating at meal times. But if you don't watch out, snacking can get the best of you. When the munchies hit you between meals or late at night, it's too easy to grab a bag of chips or a bar of chocolate. No denying these choices taste good, but are they good for you? Not if you're watching your waistline.

There are dozens of healthier options. Snacks containing 100 calories or less are a guilt free way to fill the between meal void. No need to walk around miserable and hungry. Have a snack, but be smart about it.

When the urge to grab a quick bite hits, try one of the options on this list:

1 pudding cup - fat free is better, sugar free is best, but even without those options a pudding cup is a satisfying, delicious choice.

1 Fudgecicle

3 graham crackers (2 inch squares)

1 hard boiled egg

1 mug sugar free hot chocolate

3 cups of air popped popcorn or 3 cups of fat free microwave popcorn (such as Smart Pop)

5 Vanilla Wafers

9 Tootsie Roll midges

cup Lemon Sorbet with cup blueberries

cup dried apricots

50 small pretzel sticks

15 chocolate covered raisins

1 2-inch slice of angel food cake

1 Butterfinger Stixx

2/3 cup Cheerios with cup skimmed milk

1 slice of cinnamon raisin toast with 1 teaspoon of honey

an apple with 2 teaspoons of peanut butter

29 pistachios

60 baby goldfish crackers

12 Quaker Quakes Cheddar Cheese Rice Snacks

1 string cheese

1 Kraft Superlong Twistums Cheese stick

1 Yoplait light smoothie

cup cottage cheese with cup of pineapple chunks or 5 strawberries

cup fat free ice cream

1 cup V8 juice

1 medium ear of corn on the cob with teaspoon of butter or copious amounts of zero calorie butter spray.

1 small banana

of a mini bagel with 1 tablespoon reduced fat chive and onion cream cheese or 1 ounce of smoked salmon.

cup minestrone soup

an English muffin topped with 1 slice of tomato and 1 tablespoon shredded mozzarella, broiled.

4 slices of honey ham spread with 2 teaspoons of honey mustard, rolled in lettuce leaves.

cup of blueberries

28 grapes

cup unsweetened applesauce

2 cups of raspberries

2 stalks of celery with 1tablspoon of reduced fat cream cheese

cup sliced strawberries with 2 tablespoons of reduced fat cool whip

1 orange

cup fruit cocktail

of a medium cantaloupe

45 steamed edamame (soybeans)

2 tablespoons of mashed avocado mixed with cup chopped tomato, stuffed into a mini pita

1 kudos granola bar

1 handful of your favourite breakfast cereal, 2 if your cereal is low sugar or sugar free

With all these options, there is no reason you can't be on the winning end of a snack attack. If you find that one snack just doesn't quite do it. Wait at least 30 minutes before having another. Sometimes it takes a while for messages to travel from your stomach to your brain.

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