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No problem. With just about every bit of processed and package food labeled with calorie count, as well as a list of other ingredients, it isn't at all difficult to find something sweet containing 100 calories or less. Whether you're a one-hour hiker, long-distance backpacker or cross-ocean airline passenger, there are many small packages of naturally sweet, low-calorie, highly-nutritious dried nuts and fruits you should take along.

Just be sure you don't wait till you get to the airport to buy them. For a two-ounce bag you'd pay 75 cents for at the local supermarket, you'll pay $5 at the airport shop. Not that I recommend it for a healthful, low-calorie food, the same goes for candy items. I like to take Jelly Belly beans on long flights. I rarely eat them at any other time, but they seem to provide some sort of calming, almost medicinal and sugar-craving satisfaction when I eat them one or two at a time. I can get ten-ounce bags at Walgreen's for a buck that cost $2.50 in the airport.

A jelly bean comes in at about ten calories, but except for the sugar, has absolutely no nutritional value. Same applies to one-bite cookies and candy pieces. If you want nutrition with your low-calorie sweet treats, you'll never go wrong eating the fresh fruits.

For example, for medium sized fresh fruits, a couple of fresh apricots is 40, banana 55, peach 40, kiwi 45, apple 80, a cup of red cherries 90, cantaloupe 55 and honeydew 60. The dried versions of the fruits, for those who need them for long trips, are just as nutritious, and are much better for your health than the typical sugar-loaded candy bars and so-called diet grain bars.
My favorite sweet snack is a fresh celery stick with peanut butter smeared into its groove. It is not only tasty and healthful, but it is very filling.

For an after-meal sweet treat, I enjoy sorbet. Unlike its sister icie, sherbet, it has no milk in it. A nice half-cut serving is 90 calories, while the same amount of sherbet is 120. Most ice creams in the same amount have twice the calories. I enjoy Jello with sliced fresh bananas. A cup of Jello alone has less than 20 calories, but a lot of processed sugar.

I prefer fresh or dried fruit for most any occasion for eating sweets, but please don't take away my traveling jelly beans.

Learn more about this author, Ted Sherman.
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