Smart snacking is an important part of a healthy diet and should be incorporated into your daily meal plan. Adding a few 100-calorie, nutrient-dense snacks to your day may offer health benefits, such as increasing your metabolism, filling nutrient gaps, enhancing energy, staving off overeating and helping maintain mental function and blood sugar levels.
Filling Fruit Snacks
When you only have 100 calories to spare, think in terms of volume. The goal is to fuel and fill up. Certain fruits can be eaten in large quantities, offering loads of vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber, but few calories. Whole fruits are less calorie-dense than juice or dried fruit. Some 100-calorie snack ideas: 1/2 banana spread with 2 tsp. peanut butter, 1/2 small apple drizzled with 1 tbsp. caramel topping, 1 large grapefruit, 25 seedless grapes, 2 cups mango chunks or raw raspberries, 1/2 cantaloupe or 1 cup fresh strawberries topped with a large dollop of light whipped topping.
Veggies With Pizzaz
Most vegetables are extremely low in calories (1 broccoli or cauliflower floret offers only 3 calories). Serve 10 of each with 2 tbsp. of light, creamy salad dressing (for dipping). Or try these other tasty combinations: 1/2 sweet red bell pepper slices with 3 tbsp. hummus, approximately 45 steamed edamame (green soybeans) topped with a pinch of salt or 1/2 cooked sweet potato (about 2 inches in diameter, 5 inches long) topped with 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce.
Heartier Snacks
Contrary to popular belief, you can still have cheese and crackers. Spread 1 wedge of Laughing Cow creamy Garlic and Herb cheese on 2 Ry Krisp crackers. Eggs are low in calories, but provide quality protein. Eat a hard-boiled egg with 1 slice of Melba toast. Tuna comes in snack-sized cans. Stuff 1 oz. of water-packed chunk light tuna in 1/2 whole-wheat mini pita, with a few fresh spinach leaves. For another low-calorie savory snack, wrap 1 small cheddar cheese stick with 5 slices of shaved ham. Prefer something hot? One cup of minestrone soup or 1 packet of plain oatmeal (prepared with water) offers approximately 100 calories.
A Little Treat
Not all 100-calorie snacks have to be "nutritious." While the serving size is smaller, you can enjoy a treat now and then, while keeping calories in check. If only candy or cookies will do, enjoy 2 Oreo cookies, 2 Twizzlers, 10 peanut M & M's, 1 oz. of fruit leather, 20 mini jelly beans or a fun-sized (Halloween) candy bar for about 100 calories. Other treats that offer about 100 calories include 2/3 a cup of Cocoa Puffs, 4 oz. of fat-free pudding or a frozen fudge bar.
References
- Nutrition for Foodservice and Culinary Professionals. 6th Ed; Karen Drummond and Lisa Brefere; 2007.
- United States Department of Agriculture Nutrient Data Laboratory
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