Most of us only have to look at our own waistline or hips to know that there is an epidemic of obesity in America, and much of the developed world. Yet we have at our disposal all the diet foods and reduced calorie foods we can imagine. There has also been a boom in the production and sales of 100 calorie snack packages of foods.
There are a few problems with these foods.
- They are expensive per serving.
- They tend to be highly processed.
- If they are a low-fat refined wheat product, such as most of the ones in the pic above, there is a good chance there is actually an increased amount of sugar over the “regular fat” product.
- There is a lot of extra packaging involved.
As a busy society, we like the convenience of the 100 calorie packs, so how to we overcome the negatives listed up above?
By making your OWN 100 calorie packs at home!
You can be very rigid about the 100 calories if you are adamently trying to lose weight. If, however, you just want some healthier snacks for you and your family that are convenient, you can choose to not be so stringent about counting and weighing the foods you choose.
Below are 25 options for your own 100 calorie snack packs:
25- 100 calorie snack packs made at home
First of all, you may want a supply of small, snack-size zipper bags or small, 1 cup size disposable plasticware (even though considered disposable, these can be reused again and again!) Many of these snacks can be made up for the week in advance, although some may need to be assembled shortly before eating.
- 29 pistachios
- 1 cup cantaloupe
- 1 hard-boiled egg
- 1 cup of blueberries
- 15 strawberries and spoonful Cool Whip
- 3/4 cup fruit cocktail (in lite syrup or juice)
- 2 cups of microwave popcorn (check the calorie count on the brand you get)
- 1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese and 6 cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup lowfat yogurt with a sprinkling of nuts or granola
- 2 graham cracker squares with a teaspoon of peanut butter
- apple slices and 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 2 kiwi sliced into circles
- 1/2 cup slow-churned ice cream
- 7 animal crackers
- 1 cup of canned mandarin oranges
- fresh veggies and 2 tablespoons lowfat ranch dressing
- 1/2 small bagel with teaspoon peanut butter
- 1 lite string cheese stick and 2 wheat crackers
- 3 tablespoons hummus with veggies
- 1 slice lowfat swiss cheese with3 whole wheat crackers
- 14 almonds
- 1/3 cup edamame sprinkled with salt
- 1/2 cup dry oat squares cereal
- 40 mini pretzel sticks
- 1 Tbs peanuts & 2 Tbs dried cranberries
Making a supply of these and having them in the cabinet or fridge will help you snack healthier, help provide your children with healthier snacks, and save you money!
What other “100 calorie snacks” do you like to eat?
Most of us only have to look at our own waistline or hips to know that there is an epidemic of obesity in America, and much of the developed world. Yet we have at our disposal all the diet foods and reduced calorie foods we can imagine. There has also been a boom in the production and sales of 100 calorie snack packages of foods.
Thanks! I’m headed to Trader Joe’s today and actually needed some new snack ideas for our family, so thank you!
There are many diet foods that we can choose from. I usually choose diet foods that are tasty but rich in vitamins and minerals.^
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I love the ideas, thanks. Another negative is that a lot of those diet foods and 100 calorie snacks are loaded with artificial sweeteners. My family steers clear of those, the children are physically affected by these ingredients. There attitudes change and they don’t seem satisfied after the snack. I was so happy to see quite a few of our current snacks on your list.