My Favorite Diet Treats

I've done posts on my favorite junk food, I've mentioned cold cereals and goodness knows I post plenty of fattening, luscious, straight-to-your-hips recipes during the year so maybe guilt is catching up with me. Maybe it's the fact that I'm facing Florida beaches, the Blogher 2008 conference and my 20th high school reunion this year that's got me fearing my scales each morning.

But whatever the reason this week I'm posting my favorite diet treats--the things I can snack on without guilt or trauma that actually still taste pretty good (you'll notice there isn't a rice cake to be found). Right about now I'm stocking the cupboards with these little guys so I can make it from that deadly 2-6pm period that is typically my downfall.

So here goes . . .

1. Yoplait light yogurt. The little blue cans? Only 100 calories and they keep me away from my first and greatest love--ice cream (or is it donuts? I can never decide which I love more). When I was pregnant I got these horrible cravings for ice cream, I think it was something about the cold and the texture and having everything else smell horrible that did it but I tried to channel it as best I could into these guys and it worked pretty well. Some times. Favorite flavors are cherry, raspberry or boysenberry, though hats off to key lime.

2. Shrimp. I keep a bag of frozen Costco shrimp (pre-cooked, peeled and ready for smacking) with a bottle of cocktail sauce in the freezer and when I get frantic for something I can drop a handful of these little guys in a bowl of water to thaw and five minutes later I'm happy and content slurping down some protein--call it krill to kill. Sixty calories never tasted so good! Scallops are nearly as good, though check out this recipe here that is my absolutely favorite way to eat them.

3. Tiny cheeses. You know those little wax-wrapped rounds of cheese from Babybel? They make a low-fat variety with 50 calories that I love to munch on. The biggest trick is sticking with just one. Only one, darn it!

4. Popcorn. Now of course it's best with real butter drizzled all over it, enough to stick your fingers together, but when I'm being good I can survive with a couple cups and some fakey sprayed butter to flavor it. In a pinch. When I have to.

5. Applesauce. Those little cups of applesauce that Motts and Seneca make are only 80 calories and the cinnamon or berry flavors are tasty--especially when I'm looking for a bit of something sweet. I can do 80.

6. Mandarin oranges. While I LIVE for the fresh ones that come out at the holidays (they are seriously the best thing to eat at Christmas) I'll settle for the canned ones in a pinch. An 11-ounce can has 150 calories--but that includes the syrup. Tasty and good for you when you've got to have some sugar.

7. Mushrooms. And while we're on the subject of canned foods (which normally are not my thing I'm afraid) give me a jar of button mushrooms. Though slices are fine too now that I think about it. No, I take that back because the buttons are more fun to eat than just a plain old slice of mushroom. At any rate, a 4.5-ounce jar is 75 calories and that's completely doable. If I'm feeling really crazy I might even pour a couple tablespoons of marinara sauce over the top before snarfing them down. I get my thrills where I can apparently.

8. Scrambled eggs. For some reason (and maybe one of you can explain it to me) but I feel I'm getting more to eat when my eggs are scrambled rather than hard-boiled. Two large scrambled eggs are only 160 calories which makes for a smallish but satisfying snack when I'm trying to be good. Throw some dill or basil in there and it's even better.

9. Hot chocolate. Now I know this sounds fattening but if you fix a mug of the low-cal powdered variety it's only 50 calories. Now stick with me on this one because I know you're thinking, "Yea, Michell but that low-cal stuff tastes like shoe lint--who'd drink it?" Well I've got a secret: syrup. I buy the flavored syrups like the kinds they have at espresso stands: caramel, hazelnut, almond, raspberry, coconut . . . and I pour a shot of that in with the low-cal hot chocolate and it makes all the difference.

What about the calories from the syrup you say? Well have I got news for you because Walmart sells brands like Torani and DaVinci which make sugar-free varieties with zero calories. Yes, zero calories. So when I've got to have some chocolaty dessert after dinner, if I can go for a cup of the low-calorie hot chocolate I'm living high for only 50 calories. I had some tonight in fact.

10. Sparkling water. Likewise, if we're talking beverages here I can't forget to mention Sam's Clear American sparkling water. Again at Walmart, it's inexpensive and sugar-free so there are no calories and lots of fruity flavors to choose from (I like peach myself). It's marketed as a carbonated water drink, not a soft drink, and there aren't any carbs or sodium in it but I'm unclear what the final judgment on the nutritional aspect of the drink would be. I try to not drink pop--it's really not very good for you and our water here tastes so amazingly wonderful that it's not like we need to find a substitute--but sometimes I can mistake hunger for thirst and just drinking a big glass of something will help me not feel so peckish. Also, it's flavored and it's sweet so I feel like I'm getting a bit of a treat when I have one of these. So in summary, I wouldn't really drink these every day or in place of the good stuff (water) but as a treat here and there they help me keep away from the real fatty stuff. And that's a good thing.

11. Pudding. When I want a dessert or a treat chocolate pudding is a luxury like no other so sometimes when I'm trying to watch what I'm eating I'll have pudding for dessert while the rest of the crowd eats their cookies or cake. Warm pudding is comfort food and (to me) is actually even better than a cookie or cake and if I buy the sugar-free Jello brand pudding it's only 60 calories a serving which makes it even more attractive. Lots more. The only caution I have is that I can't stand the taste of the instant stuff, it has to be the cook-and-serve variety or it tastes too powdery-fake to me. Go with the cooked stuff and maybe a splurge of light whipped cream on top if you're really going for broke. Sugar-free Jello gelatin isn't a bad treat either, pudding is just better.

12. Soup. If you're really starving, I mean really starving, try a can of Campbell's soup. It's not fancy--certainly not gourmet--but a can of chicken noodle only has something like 140 calories which is completely easy on the hips plus it has the added benefit of really filling you up and making you feel like you've had a meal. It's not bad for you either.

13. Chocolate. Gasp! Chocolate? Well under certain qualifications. I like having a box of large fancy chocolate truffles around, the richer the better, because (for me) it's nice to have a little bit of sweet after a meal and a good quality dark chocolate truffle is pure heaven. The richness of one chocolate truffle is enough to satisfy me where with a cookie it's hard to stop, a piece of cake is a killer and don't even bring up ice cream or cheesecake. One 70-calorie truffle is satisfying, fairly healthy with all those anti-oxidents in the dark chocolate and should help you top off the meal without toppling over the edge. If you're careful. So bring on the Godiva!

Any treats you have to see you through to a slimmer, fitter you? I'm always up for ideas.

Technorati tags: Thursday Thirteen, New Year's resolutions, dieting, food