low cal snacks?

Ick! No, I haven't tried them. Happy, is it worth it? Are you worried about your weight? Don't you think there are snacks out there that are better for you, even if they aren't under 100 calories?

Anyone who eats food made by Hostess needs to read this book:

Twinkie, Deconstructed: My Journey to Discover How the Ingredients Found in Processed Foods Are Grown, Mined (Yes, Mined), and Manipulated Into What America Eats



Here's the Amazon link:Twinkies

WOW, we dont have anything like that in the UK...sounds good!

Actually, littlek, they taste really good. I definitely have a sweet tooth and need a chocolate fix every once in a while. I love that I can throw a package into my lunch on the way to work...Sometimes you just need something chocolatey, and if you're at all watching your calories, these have been a good solution for me.

Personally, I think all those lo-cal, under 100 calories stuff is just a teaser.

Someone had one of those 100 calorie products at a meeting, I ate one and thought, "well, that's a start" and ended up eating one or 2 more to feel like I ate anything at all.

I think they market those products because they know people will eat more than 1, and they make a lot more money per overpriced unit.

happytaffy, have you looked at products that will not only satisfy your sweet tooth, but will nourish you as well?

If you really need something sweet, look for Luna Bars, they are in the nutrition bar section. They are all kinds of flavors, and although I'm not a chocoholic, there's one called chocolate peppermint stick that is very tasty. My favorites are the Lemon Zest, and of course, Chai Tea :wink:

For less than 200 calories, you get something that not only tastes good but provides 100% of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, B1, B2, B3, B6, Folate, B12, Biotin, Pantohenic Acid......and 35% of your Calcium, Iron, Phosphorous, Magnesium, Zinc, Selenium and lesser amounts of other nutrients.

When you eat one, you're satisfied for a few hours, since you aren't going to get a refined sugar rush, it tastes good, and you've done something good for yourself.

Don't put junk in your body happytaffy, you're worth more than that.

Have you ever eaten one of the little South Beach Diet breakfast bars? They're low carb, but very high protein and have about 140
cal/bar. The best thing about them is they're filling, but the bad part is they do contain some saturated fat.

I like them, myself.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 bar (48g)
Servings Per Container: 15
Amount per serving
Calories Total 180
from Fat 40
% Daily Value+
Total Fat 4.5 g 7%
Saturated Fat 3 g 15%
Polyunsaturated fat 0 g
Monounsaturated fat 0 g

Total Carbohydrate 24 g 8%
Dietary fiber 3 g 11%
Insoluble fiber 1 g
Sugars 8 g
Other carbohydrate 13 g
Protein 10 g

The above is part of the summary of fat, protein and carbohydrate content of a Luna bar. ( See their website)

The problem with this bar, is the high fat content ( heavily sat'd fat ) and the high calorie content ( 180 cal/bar).

As far as vitamin content, the bar seems to be loaded with various vitamins but lacks vitamin D.

More than 50% of the bar's calories come from carbohydrate, not a good thing ( as far as I'm concerned ).

Excuse me miller, I'm sure people have to try things and decide what tastes good to them, and figure out if it meets their nutritional needs, but I'm not really sure what point you are getting at comparing the 2 products.

In fact, fat/saturated fat wish, the 2 products are quite comparable.

Luna bars, depending on the flavor, run anywhere between 3.5 and 6 grams of total fat, and 2 and 3 grams of saturated fat.

Looking at the SB site, most of their flavors run around 5 grams total fat and 2 grams saturated fat.

Not enough of a difference to get your knickers in a twist IMO.

The protein content is the same, 10%...which I think is funny when people bring up protein in a single product, since it would depend on the mixture of grains as to whether the protein was complete or incomplete....remember your coursework on amino acids?

Actually, I was shocked at the poor nutrition of the SB Bar, 15 of A, calcium 15%, ZERO % vitamin C, 10% of iron....sniff.

In addition, eating organic when possible is important to me, I don't know what % is organic in SB.

Carbohydrates? Luna bar has a low glycemic index, which is why it satisfies for a long time...slow release of natural grain sugar. Can't speak to SB bars.

Satuarated fat? If your paying attention to your diet, and exercising, having a snack with 15% sat fat is also no cause for alarm.

I believe a lot of people have gone crazy stupid with with anti-carb thing. If the carbs you eat the most of are unrefined, there's no reason to panic. Look at all those fat Italians and Chinese....they really need to stop it with that pasta and rice

It's a matter of balance (shrugs) I'm not going to obsess about a gram of this or that one way or the other. Life too short.

Oh, finally, I just have a gut adversion to buying products that say "South Beach Diet" or some other "popular" name. I think your just paying money for a name, and not for nutrition. But, that's me.

happytaffy, don't get scared off with all these %'s and grams and what not.

I was just pointing out, as long as your having a snack, why not make it work to your benefit?

Th SB bar contains 10 gm protein, or amounts to about 30% of total calories of the bar.

The Luna bar is 180 cal/bar while the SB bar is 140 cal/bar.
A significant difference.

As far as 100% daily requirement of Vit C is concerned, you can get this by drinking 100 cal of pineapple juice or 50 cal of reduced sugar orange juice.

Re: low cal snacks?


At my store, I discovered they have a whole area devoted to 100 cal packs of goodies. They aren't cheap though.

From the Kraft website:

Counting to 100 Has Never Been Easier

Many people cite between-meal snacks as the reason they can't maintain their weight. For most folks, though, moderation is the key. To take the guesswork out of determining what a portion size looks like, Kraft introduced Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs in 2004. These Sensible Solution single-serve snacks give consumers great-tasting, better-for-you treats to help them eat sensibly.

The response from consumers, industry and media has been very positive, and it took less than a year to reach $100 million in sales following its launch. Many news articles have attributed the origins of the now-widespread trend to Kraft's introduction of the Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs. And, while other companies have followed suit with their own version of the 100-calorie pack, Kraft is leading this category.

The number of pieces matter

Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs is a great example of a product that was driven by consumer input. During the development stage, Kraft tested with consumers a variety of different product forms and piece counts. We concluded the number of pieces was a key factor in consumer satisfaction. In subsequent research, they actually commented that having more pieces takes longer to eat, making the product last longer, adding to the satisfaction. Consumers also commented that they were surprised at how much they get for 100 calories, and indicated the amount they get as a key reason for purchasing in the future.

More 100 calorie options

In addition to the Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs, Balance Bar introduced 100 Calorie Nutrition Energy Snack Bars. South Beach Diet 100 Calorie Snack Bars and Jell-O 100 Calorie Packs also offer an easy, convenient and delicious snack for people on the go. And, General Foods International will soon offer a delicious cup of rich, sweet creamy cappuccino under the 100-calorie label.

There's an array of choices

Consumers have many choices from Kraft when selecting their favorite 100-calorie snack or beverage as part of an overall balanced and active lifestyle, including:

* Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs
o Lorna Doone Shortbread cookie Crisps -- new in January 2007
o Ritz Chips Minis
o Wheat Thins Multigrain Chips
o Planters Peanut Butter Cookie Crisps
o Oreo Thin Crisps
o Chips Ahoy! Thin Crisps
o Kraft Cheese Nips Thin Crisps
o Honey Maid Cinnamon Thin Crisps
o Ritz Snack Mix
* Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs Bars -- new in early 2007
o Oreo Chewy Granola Bars
o Chips Ahoy! Chewy Granola Bars
o Nutter Butter Chewy Granola Bars
* Balance Bar 100 Calories Nutrition Energy Snack Bars
o Chocolate Caramel Crisp
o Vanilla Caramel Crisp
o Peanut Butter Crisp
* South Beach Diet 100 Calorie Snack Bars
o Mixed Berry
o Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
o Chocolate Delight
* Jell-O 100 Calorie Packs
o Chocolate
o Chocolate Vanilla Swirls
o Devils Food
o Vanilla Caramel
o Tapioca
o Chocolate/Vanilla Variety Pack
* General Foods International 100 Calorie Pack Cappuccino -- new in early 2007
o French Vanilla
o Cafe Mocha

The 100 cal package offers the weight conscious individual a great variety, while at the same time keeping the cal input at a sensible level .