[mom2kennadi]

What are some good snacks that you all have found that work?

Also, any kind of sample breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes would be wonderful! I am a terrible cook - so my dinners always consisted of pizza, hamburger helper, speghetti or fast food - which is probably what got me to where I am right now! So, if you all can give me some ideas on how to cook healthier for not only myself, but my family I would really appreciate it~

[Ian]

Welcome to the forums
Some healthy snacks would be:

- Apple with a handful of almonds
- Zone Perfect meal bar
- Turkey breast wrap with wheat tortilla
- Whole wheat pita bread with hummus
- Protein shake (whey protein only, not the muscle building kind with millions of carbs) with an apple

I'll try to get some more examples to you later today.

[skinnyminny5]

I can't cook either..so don't feel bad...if my kids could have nuggets and pizza ever day, they would...I have never liked pasta, rice, bread or even meat (you are probably wondering what I eat then..ha ha) since I was a kid...so I make dinner for my family and I eat whatever I want...I try to make their food as interesting as I can even if I have to make up names for things (spaghetti with secret sauce is a favorite one) or create smiley faces with their food...we eat in comboa...so we have a protein w/ a starch...etc. Good snacks...are apples/peanut butter or a string cheese (melted in the microwave..tastes just like pizza cheese..yum)...graham crackers and peanut butter...you can make lasagna and add a lot of veggies..they don't know..and use turkey meat instead of beef...I believe that anything is OKAY..if used in moderation...if we have cookies..we have milk..and only one. Sorry that I didn't have that much to offer..

[alikatz69]

Good snacks for me are: FiberOne Bars (140 cal, 4.5g fat and 9gm of protien) and are excellent, hard-boiled egg, string cheese, DanActiv drinkable yogurt. Sometimes I eat a 1/2 of a PB sandwich on whole grain bread, too. You can go to Weight Watchers website and look for recipes there. And I think if you do a search for weight watchers recipes, there is a site called angelfire.com that has them, too. All the best to you, I hope this helps.

[krisd32]

For me I like the 100 calorie snacks. It helps curve some of the junk food craving. The small snack 100 cal bags of popcorn is good and most all of the boxes of 100 cal cookies are good. I love the grasshopper, chocolate and mint ones. Also, fruit and veggies make excellent snacks.
Kris

[susanpesek]

From the posts of our members, those with young families enjoy eating the 3 meals and 2 or 3- 100 calorie snacks in between. Snacks: boiled egg, no-fat string cheese or no-fat cottage cheese(with Equal and a few blueberries tossed in) fat -free hot dogs with mustard, sliced turkey, 1/2 protein bars, skim milk, tuna, a few walnuts or almonds, 1 T peanut butter, etc.

For 200 calorie super snacks, fill in the proteins' volume with 1/2 baked sweet potato, home-made soups, salads, steamed or baked veges, oranges, apples, berries and whole grains (rye, wheat, oat, buckwheat, etc). Proteins, multi-grains and vegetables equalize our blood sugars and help us stay satisfied for 2-4 hours. Simple sugars..candy, colas, cookies, cakes, pies, white potatoes, white breads, etc last about 15 minutes, E-eeeww!!

[rebeleagle1965]

Fruit is ALWAYS good to keep in the house. It's an easy snack that's guilt free.
I like sugar free pudding that comes in the individual snack packs....with a little dollop of low fat whipped cream...cures my chocolate fix. Blue Bunny also makes fat free low cal fudgecicles.
I also keep the vaccuum sealed packs of tuna in the cupboard for a quick lunch when the kids are having something delicious (but off limits) No draining or mess, and I can add a sprinkle of cheese and a little low fat mayo-good source of protein and not high in calories. Keep it all in the pack and there's not even an extra dish to wash
I also keep thin sliced deli meats to add to a salad for something different for lunch. It keeps me from wanting to throw on a ton of croutons or bacon bits, and it adds protein to the meal without a whole lot of calories. Just be sure to be conscious of dressing-it's easy to add enough to totally defeat the purpose of having a salad instead of a cheeseburger I actually use a low cal/fat dressing, and when I buy the bottle I pour out about 1/3, replace it with water, and shake it to remix. Doesn't make a big difference in taste, but cuts way down on the calories and it coats the salad better.

As far as cooking healthier, you really have to just read labels. Instead of pizza- make pizza pasta.....use whole wheat pasta, reduced fat pepperoni and cheese, and some spaghetti sauce-a no fuss casserole that's way healthier than domino's. And everyone will like it, so it's not a "diet" meal you have to make separate for yourself.
Take the things you already like and just try to find a way to make them healthier. You can find a million recipes for a healthy cauliflower and broccoli salad-but it will do you no good if you would never eat that.
Another go-to meal of mine is mediterranean chicken, because everyone likes it and it's easy to make.
Take boneless skinless chicken breasts, and season with salt, garlic powder and pepper in a baking dish at 350. Pour a can of Italian style diced tomatos over the top and bake until done, about 45 minutes. It keeps the chicken juicy and adds a nice flavor, and for the kids I usually even sprinkle a little cheese on top-and I serve it with pasta tossed in a little olive oil and toasted garlic, or some brown rice cooked in chicken broth instead of water.