Here is a list of snacks I have thought of and have used a bunch over the years to keep my hunger at bay til dinner! I know there is a lot of talk right now about snacks, so I thought this might be useful! Sorry, there is no calorie count per snack but generally all these are around 150-200 calories. Enjoy!!
Starbucks tall skim milk latte with a kashi chewy granola bar
Starbucks tall soy milk latte with an apple
Apple with 1 tbsp peanut butter
10 Kashi crackers with 1 tbsp peanut butter and raspberry jam (YUM!)
1/2 cup cottage cheese with half a serving of nature’s path (or homemade) granola mixed in
12 almonds and an orange
a 5 ounce fage container with .5 tbsp of almond slivers and some pear slices
a low fat or non fat organic yogurt with a banana
a kashi crunchy bar
100 calorie pack popcorn with a glass of skim milk
1/2 cup cottage cheese with 1 tbsp jam and 8 kashi crackers
2 tbsp hummus and 10 kashi crackers
small cup of soup with crackers
banana with 1 tbsp peanut butter (great wrapped in wax paper and taken on the run!)
glass of low fat chocolate silk soymilk
1 serving of kashi go lean cereal
1 serving of kashi heart to heart cereal with about 5 almonds and some raisins mixed in
KIND: fruit and nut bars (i love the fruit delight or nut delight variety)
smoothie made with 6 ounces skim milk, 2 ounces yogurt, 1/2 banana and about 5 strawberries
a half serving of oatmeal made with water and added almond slivers on top (.5 tbsp)
1/2 a zone perfect bar (this was my everyday morning snack for about 1.5 years then I burned myself out on it. I love the chocolate peanut butter one!)
1/2 a clif bar…my pick for a pre-workout snack!
Fruit and yogurt parfait from mcdonalds, when you are on the run
1 string cheese and 10 kashi crackers
Serving of graham sticks or half a serving with a glass of skim milk
If anyone has anymore snack ideas, I know I would love to hear about them (always looking for variety!) and I know other readers would benefit as well! Thanks, guys!!!!! 🙂
Lynn
January 24, 2008 at 7:16 pmWow Jenna, that was so nice of you! I’ll have to try the bora bars, I’ve never seen them before.
I have two questions, if you get a chance. I can’t make an omelet for the life of me. I always just end up with scrambled eggs 🙁
How do you make your omelet- I get so confused are you supposed to push the cooked parts to the center?
Second, ocassionally you will go to the gym and do weights. About how often do you do this? And is this because yogas not enough? What exercises or machines do you do?
By the way, the advice you give is so great- you are really mature for your age (thats not supposed to sound weird, I mean it as a compliment, its just most 20 year olds aren’t so grounded).
jenna
January 24, 2008 at 7:41 pmLynn,
To make a classical omelet you need a really really REALLY hot pan. First, whip 2 eggs together in a small bowl until they are frothy. Preheat a skillet on max high heat. Coat with cooking spray. When its really hot, pour the eggs in. Immediately take the skillet off the heat. The whole process of making an omelet should only take 30 seconds. When its about done fold it over and put it on a plate. It will carry over cook on the plate..you dont want it overdone. A french omelet should be juicy..not dry. Seriously, the whole process takes 30 seconds. you might have to practice for awhile first…just get that pan really hot before putting the eggs in it!
I actually just got back from the gym! I try to work out (yoga, running or gym) 6 times a week. I usually go to yoga twice a week, lift weights once a week and run two or three times a week. Monday=run, tuesday=yoga, wed=run, thurs=weights, fri=off, saturday=run, sunday=yoga. It varies, but generally that’s the routine. What I would like to do, but can’t right now because of my schedule, is do yoga 4 times a week and run 2 times a week. When I was in college I just did yoga 6 times a week and that was it. I was in the best shape of my life!
When I do weights at the gym I start with 2 sets of pushups (not the girly kind). I do two sets of 15 pushups then I do triceps, biceps and back. I like to use free weights a lot and I also do lunges and squats..but not the day before I go running because that’s too much for my legs. Just now at the gym I switched up my schedule a bit and did 10 minutes on the elliptical, 10 minutes walking fast on an incline on the treadmill, 4 sets of lunges and 2 sets of squats. Now it’s snacktime!!
Thanks for the compliment, age-wise! I’ll be 23 in June 🙂
Sarah
January 24, 2008 at 7:56 pmthis may sound weird, but one of my favorite snacks is about a cup of melon with goat cheese sprinkles, toated almonds, and dried cranberries! yum! also, a great post workout snack is a “froggy in the hole” Use a cup to cut out a circle from a piece of bread, put it in the skillet and crack the egg in and let it fry. (the extra circle is great for dunking)
jenna
January 24, 2008 at 8:02 pmJust the name “froggy in the hole” makes me want to try that right now!!! 🙂
Lynn
January 24, 2008 at 8:08 pmThanks Jenna, that was helpful to see. I have tried yoga a few times, but I feel like alot of the positions I can’t do and don’t get the benefits from because I am not strong enough yet. Since you prefer yoga, is there a reason you don’t do it 6 days a week now? I am new to the fitness world- its hard for me to motivate myself to go.
jenna
January 24, 2008 at 8:10 pmI WISH I could…but I go to school 5 hours a day and go to work about 5 hours a night, four times a week. In the meantime, I’m doing this (answering questions and posting meals) along with cooking, reading and studying….oh and visiting home and spending time with my boyfriend and family! ah! There’s just not enough hours in the day and the yoga studio is 20 minutes away 🙁 When I was in college I walked to my yoga studio, which was only a couple blocks from my house. I miss it!
Laura
January 24, 2008 at 8:35 pmJenna,
I saw another reader ask Kath this, but since you are also an oatmeal expert I wanted to hear your take. Are there any multigrain hot cereals that you eat- and how do you like them compared to oatmeal?
Do you read Kath’s and eat like me blogs and comments to? I find that reading the comments is becoming too time consuming! To think this all started just a few months ago. Very impressive!
Mallory
January 24, 2008 at 8:52 pmGraham crackers with peanut butter is also delicious! It always holds me over really well!
Beth
January 24, 2008 at 8:55 pmHave you seen the kid-sized Clif bars – called Z Bars, I think? If you usually eat only 1/2 a regular Clif you might like these, as they are only 130 cals but still totally natural and organic!
I also love 1 string cheese, 6 almonds and a serving of dried apricots – sweet salty and cheesy all in one!
jenn
January 24, 2008 at 9:10 pmbeth, we have similar tastes! i try to get a pretty good balance of protein, carbs, and fat; or else pair a fruit (carb) with a protein and i love string cheese, almonds, and dried apricots. it’s fairly portable too, because string cheese doesn’t go bad in a few hours. also, i looove clif zbars. the brownie is my favorite (120kcal/3g pro/3g fat), and the pb is pretty good too– but doesn’t really taste like pb (140kcal/3g pro/5g fat).
linds
January 24, 2008 at 9:12 pmOh my goodness Jenna you’re so sweet to post that… I just love how invested you are in this blog and the time you put into it, makes this such a pleasure to read… I have a question about steel cut oats- I have never made them before but I have cooked rolled oats on the stove and I will just make one serving. It seems that whenever you make steel cut oats, you make several servings- is this just because you like having pre-made breakfasts ready in the morning, or because making one serving just doesn’t work out that well? This may be a silly question lol but you’re always so quick to respond and give great answers so I figured I’d ask 🙂 Hope that your test went well!!!
jenna
January 24, 2008 at 9:22 pmLaura,
Sometimes I buy the quaker multigrain blend…but I usually just stick to oats. I like multigrain hot cereals a lot…I just seem to eat oats more often because they are more of a routine for me. But when I feel like switching it up I’ll eat that instead!
I read Kath’s blog and love it! We have very similar ideas about food and health and she’s such a nice person and a great example of going after what you are passionate about! I don’t really read “eat like me” that much..I used to..but its all so time consuming and it seems the comments for that blog have gotten a little too heated for my taste.
jenna
January 24, 2008 at 9:23 pmBeth,
I used to buy those all the time! They are also a great snack. I burned myself out of them though so I stopped eating them for awhile but I might pick up some next time I’m looking for a snack!
jenna
January 24, 2008 at 9:24 pmLinds,
I make more than one portion size at a time when making steel cut oats because if I take the time to do it..why not make a bunch? Its easy to make 2 or 3 portion sizes and that way my breakfasts in the morning are even faster! 🙂
Tina
January 24, 2008 at 9:56 pmMy latest favorite snack is: Wasa crisp N light 7 grain, whipped cottage cheese (my new love) and honey or jelly. I don’t know if you have ever heard of wasas, but you should check them out. I LOVE them and even my kids like them. And their only 20 calories per crisp!
The site is http://www.wasa-usa.com.
It has a list of all of their products, snack ideas & healthy tips. Seriously, you have to try them-I really hope your store carries them!
Tina
January 24, 2008 at 9:57 pmI meant THEY’RE only 20 calories, sorry, distracted by the kids! duh!
Katie
January 24, 2008 at 10:04 pmJenna,
What day in June is your birthday??? I’ll be 23 on June 5th! 🙂
jenna
January 24, 2008 at 10:11 pmMy birthday is June 11! Yay for geminis 🙂
Tina,
I have tried wasa crackers and really like them! I havent had them for awhile–thanks for the reminder!
ashley
January 24, 2008 at 10:35 pmHey Jenna!
I love your blog! I have a couple quick questions for you, sorry if someone else has asked them and you have answered them in the past:
1. do you eat a set amount of calories every day or aim for a set amount?
2. how accurate are bmr calculators such as the harris-benedict equation?
3. does it matter what time of day i eat or just total calories i take in? you seem to always or often eat a dessert after dinner so it seems you don’t follow a dont eat after 7 rule
4. lets say I work out 5 days a week and burn 250 extra calories per day but still eat at just my bmr levels but them on the weekend overeat by those amounts or around , does this balance out in the end or does it screw up my bmr to ever eat below the maintenance level?
5. also, dont know if you know the answer to this one but I’ve been eating under my bmr level so i’m trying to get healthier and eat back at my maintenance level (Which is why i asked how accurate those equations are) should i just bump my eating right back up to the bmr level for me or slowly increase it? i dont want to gain weight but i want to make sure im getting enough calories too.
sorry for the long post, i recognize you’re not a licensed nutritionist yet but i’d really appreciate your input thanks!
Laura
January 24, 2008 at 10:56 pmHey Jenna! Finally just caught up on Kath’s blog. A reader asked her about drinking when out. Could you give your thoughts on how you handle nights out. For example, if I order a glass of wine, I typically have no desire to even finish the whole thing (I’m Kath’s size, and really really smalled framed), but I feel like such a dork since its SO obvious.
Also, what is your fav. type wine or drink. Thanks. As always your the best!
Moe
January 24, 2008 at 10:58 pmHello Jenna! I have been following your blog for awhile, and I absolutely love it! You have such a healthy, fun relationship with food and life, it is very admirable. And I have tried many of your recipes-turkey walnut loaf, foccacia, maple-oatmeal bread- and they are all so delicious and healthy! Thank you for the time and dedication you put into this!
I do have one question, though, about how much water do you consume in a day? I have heard many different amounts one should have, and in the past I have actually been told I am drinking too much liquid and rinsing my system of electrolytes and such. So just curious if you know about how much liquid you drink or a good amount one should intake in a day. Thanks!
Moe.
ana
January 24, 2008 at 11:04 pmyour post this morning made me so happy b/c i had to get up early too to take a makeup test (anatomy) and was definitely sipping my jumbo coffee while i read that post! ^_^
ana
January 24, 2008 at 11:11 pmabout being hungry-when your body is low on sleep, it automatically increases signals that cause your body to crave food (for fuel!) that replaces the energy sleep would give you. it’s important to get those zzz’s! even tiny naps can be beneficial! hope this helps!
jenna
January 24, 2008 at 11:24 pmHi Ashley 🙂
First of all, I actually am a licensed nutritionist. There’s no legality for the term “nutritionist” and I have completed a certification program that makes me an official nutritional and wellness consultant, aka “nutritionist”…not to be mistaken with an RD, but I could potentially open up my own business/practice counseling people on their nutritional intakes and so forth.
I do not set a certain number of calories for myself per day. I find that too restricting for my active lifestyle. A trend in my life/diet has shown that I intake about 1800 calories or so a day and that’s fine with me. It just seems to usually be within that amount without me regulating it…it just comes naturally I guess–that’s what my body wants.
BMR calculators are accurate to an extent. They can show you a general bmr for others with your same measurements. This is on average though and is not as precise as going to a nutritionist and having THEM take your exact measurements…only then can you get a real, exact number. Online calculators cannot do that for you.
I fully believe that our bodies have the natural tendencies to balance themselves out if we generally eat well. By burning more calories on the weekdays than the weekends you aren’t “messing up” your bmr…it will self regulate. I don’t think you should be worrying about gaining weight because of this because it sounds like you are very healthy and work out intensely during the week. Don’t go on an all out junk food/beer binge on friday and sat. but if you eat nutritionally on the weekend, but don’t workout you should be fine, so to speak. On the days that I don’t exercise I don’t adjust my food intake…I eat the same amount, not less to “make up for not exercising”.
Since I really don’t use an exact bmr to dictate my food intake and calories, this is a tough question for me to answer without actually meeting with you personally and performing your measurements. If you are looking to slowly gain a bit of weight back to be more at a healthy level, I would gradually increase your food intake by using more healthy fats (olive oil, nuts, salmon) in your meals and snacks. Also you might want to increase the size of your snacks and eat more frequently.
Whew! Hope that helped a bit!
jenna
January 24, 2008 at 11:25 pmAna,
that’s exactly why I’ve been so starving all day! I’m running on about 5.5 hours of sleep! Thank you! 🙂
jenna
January 24, 2008 at 11:29 pmLaura,
Good question and a fun one to answer! I have never been a big partier….in college, when I was a freshman, I went through that little fraternity party-mommys-not-around stage and quickly gained the freshman 15 because of it! Yuck! I’m much more of a homebody and would actually rather hang out and read or watch a movie than go get crazy at a club. I do enjoy wine though and have a glass every night usually with my dinner. I love red wine and it has a lot of health benefits as well so you needn’t feel guilty having a small glass. It IS hard when you are out with a group of people and you really don’t feel like drinking very much. I deal with these situations by ordering a glass of wine, nursing it for about an hour, then ordering a club soda with a lime (looks like a vodka tonic) and slowly drink that. Or I have 2 glasses of wine (which is my limit–I’m a lightweight!) throughout the night..I space them out so I don’t get a little too tipsy! On special occasions I love to order a cosmo or a mojito…but that’s really not often that i do that because they are loaded with sugar. I much prefer to have my one or two glasses of wine and call it a night. You could always offer to be the driver when you are out as well to take the pressure off drinking!! 🙂
jenna
January 24, 2008 at 11:31 pmMoe,
I drink a ton of water….probably about 70-80 ounces per day? At least that’s what I aim for. I’m very physically active–on my feet all day + exercising (mostly involving cardio) so I need that water!! When I was training for a half marathon and other various road races I would drink SO MUCH water! Probably about 100 ounces a day! Also, I practice bikram yoga (hot yoga in 100 degree heat) and when I do that I always drink a ton more to make up for the sweat my body gives off! A lot of times when you THINK you are hungry, you are actually thirsty so I advise to always drink a full glass of water prior to a snack. 🙂
jenna
January 24, 2008 at 11:32 pmand oh yes, I also drink about 4 cups of herbal tea as well a day!
Laura
January 24, 2008 at 11:36 pmYour club soda lime idea is great!
ashley
January 24, 2008 at 11:52 pmthank you so much for your answers jenna! I really appreciate the information, as I said before I love your blog. I don’t go out on an all out binge on the weekend if anything I overrestrict myself for fear of gaining weight so i’m trying to learn to be more lax so that i’m at a healthier balance without being too crazy about nutrition and letting myself live a little. you seem to be great at this, so i’m using you as a role model in a way although i recognize everyone is different. once again, thanks for the info, keep up the good work!
melissa
January 25, 2008 at 12:55 amHey, if you’ve never tried it before, almond butter is absolutly delicious. My favorite is on a waffle, rice cake or on a banana. it’s a great alternative to peanut butter. Also, to cure my sweet tooth i LOVE nutella. It’s a chocolate hazlenut spread thats delicious on waffles, whole wheat english muffins, and a varity of fruits.
jenna
January 25, 2008 at 1:55 amOh my gosh…nutella…….LOVE it! on toast, on graham crackers, on my fingers…..mmmmmMMMMMmm
Katie
January 25, 2008 at 3:13 amMy favorite snack ever is fat free cream cheese with kashi honey grain crackers! I love love love fat free cream cheese, it is hardly any calories and has a reasonable amount of protein. It gives me the cream cheese flavor without the fat!! FF cream cheese is definitley not good with an actual meal though, since it’s fat free! But it works really well paired with something for a snack!