...To Stick With You...

I've found recently that I eat less, and eat better, when I have appropriate snacks around. I can easily avoid eating the Pop Tarts, chips, ice cream, and cookies that Dave always has in the house, as long as I have red and green bell peppers, cucumbers, Hidden Valley Ranch Non-fat Dressing, low calorie protein bars, Dannon Light and Fit Yogurt, and/or bananas to eat instead. The 100 calorie packs that are out there sound great for snacks, but it's very little food for what turns out to be quite a few calories. I can have a big bowl of raw sliced peppers or cucumbers with two tablespoons of ranch dressing in a cup to dip in for about 50 calories. Dannon Light and Fit yogurt is made with Splenda, and each container is 80 calories. A banana is 100 calories, and definitely better for you than three mini twinkies. I've found that eating unprocessed, healthy food (not that Splenda is in that category, but still...) makes me pay closer attention to how things taste, and I no longer enjoy overly-sweet chemical concoctions.

I also happen to love cheese, though it is high in calories, and it's so easy to eat more than I should. I don't eat a whole lot of meat either, so I have to be mindful of getting enough protein from other sources. I recently found Sorrento Sticksters, which are single servings of Mozzarella, Cheddar, Pepper Jack, or (my favorite) Colby Jack cheese. They range in calories per stick from 70 to 110, which isn't bad at all. I eat one for a snack between breakfast and lunch, or have one later in the evening with a big glass of water.