Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Snacking: Diva Style


I think my profile description says it all ... or at least it says what used to be. Prior to becoming a Diva on a Diet - I was a Diva with orange encrusted fingers. Doritos, Cheetos, Jax, even the inferior brands - if it was crisp and covered with day-glow orange cheese powder then we were going to get it on. Snacking is the one area of my food life where I am not a snob. I've been shopping the organic produce, seeking out grass-fed beef, and eating whole grains for years now ... but when it came to getting my snack on, I was all about the processed foods. Weird. And, truth be told, even now I'd probably sell a limb for a calorie-free rendezvous with a bag of Cheetos. But no one's made me such an offer - and its probably not forthcoming either.

Bottom line, I'm a girl who likes to get her snack on. No diet is going to change that. But, sad as it may seem, I've broken up with the Cheetos and I'm not returning their calls. I'm still all about the cheese, but these days its in the form of low-fat string cheese. While they're lacking in crunch, they definitely satisfy my salt-tooth. Awhile back there was a question about snacking in the comments and I thought it would be a good idea to give you all a window into my snacking habits. Most of these come straight from the South Beach Diet recommendations, and all of them have been delicious.

My New Favorite Snacks -

  • 1 low-fat string cheese stick with a cup of raw red and yellow bell pepper strips for crunch
  • Any kind of nuts, as long as they're salted. Pistachios, cashews, almonds and pecans are particular favorites. I don't worry about the fat content because they're high in protein and heart-healthy fats ... just be careful not to over indulge.
  • 1/2 cup of low-fat, as in 1%, cottage cheese, mixed with some lemon juice, minced chives, and as much freshly ground black pepper as you can handle. I like to use it as a dip for either raw veggies or Multigrain Finn Crisp crackers.
  • 1/4 cup of good quality hummus, again, served with raw veggies - usually the bell peppers.
  • And this last one is a South Beach classic ... dole out your serving of turkey pepperoni, place it on a micro-wave safe plate and wave it up, on high, until its crisp and chip-like. In my wave it takes about 2 to 2.5 minutes. Use the pepperoni chips as a dipper for hummus and OMG you've got an amazing snack! I want this every day ... but, sadly, none of my supermarkets carry the turkey pepperoni. Waaah!
*There is a theme here: the pairing of a protein with some kind of vegetable. This is the very best way to snack. You're munching on high-quality fuel and the combination of protein and veg helps to keep you satisfied far longer than any snack chip would. Its a winning combination and its definitely working for me.

These tasty little bites have been my version of a 12 step program for my Cheeto/Dorito addiction. There are certainly other healthy snack combinations ... this is just a little taste to get you started. An amuse bouche of sorts.

So, how do you get your snack on?

8 comments:

JAMJARSUPERSTAR said...

Snacking Scarlet style:

1.) Cashew muts
2.) Salted peanuts
3.) Bags and bags and bags of raisins
4.) choccy digestive biscuits
5.) thai sweet chilli crsips

We differ? I would never have guessed. But doesn't snacking on cheese make you ill? Or give you nightmares?
Ciao

Scarlet x

JAMJARSUPERSTAR said...

Whoops - forgot to say that I love those cheesy puff things that you have in the picture. You're right that if you see them you have to claw the bag open and stuff a great big handful in your mouth. I don't know how I stay slim...
Ciao again

Scarlet x

The Diva on a Diet said...

Mmm, I think I could get behind those thai sweet chilli crisps. You guys have the best flavors of crisps over there, Scarlet! Love the digestive biscuits too.

LOL about the cheese ... nope, its all good for me. I love any and every kind of cheese and would snack endlessly on it if possible. ;)

Anonymous said...

OMG! I will eat anything with a cheese powder--orange or white. I have a non-discriminatory palette when it comes to cheese powders. I like white cheddar Cheez Its and white cheddar popcorn, in addition to the traditional orange snack foods.

But alas, those can’t be everyday snacks. ~sigh~ So mostly I eat mini carrots, my weight in watermelon (LOL), grapes, berries, or homemade hummus with homemade pita chips. I’m also a big fan of string cheese and Laughing Cow. Mmmmm. I like to put Laughing Cow on those big puffed wheat Wasa crackers. You can do one cheese on two crackers for 1 Weight Watchers point.

I really need to give that pepperoni chip thing a try.

Anonymous said...

You and I snack in a very similar way Diva - love that cheese and nuts. Also make low fat cottage cheese whirred up in the food processor with Hidden Valley ranch dressing mix, use to dip veggies - yummy. I'm a Cheese that goes crunch girl as opposed to the cheesy poofs variety though but I would give anything for a bagful binge with no repercussions weight wise!
Thanks for reminding me about Turkey pepperoni!

Deb

Ski Goddess said...

I'm dating myself, but back in the day I loved LIPTON CALIFORNIA ONION DIP! Of late I've ripped open a pkg of the dry mix and added it to plain yougurt--no fat, low fat, etc.--and served w/ veggies. It still evokes memories of the kid party when the folks went out for the night!

do you think you have it? said...

ughh I'm trying NOT to snack. At work, I'm fine; I think I've compartmentalized my hunger so that I'm not hungry when I'm out and doing things. It's at night, after dinner, when I get screwed. I have to either have celery and carrots or nothing at all. If I HAVE to eat, I'll have some plain cooked chicken breast with light dressing.

Love the blog!

The Diva on a Diet said...

Jeanie, I think you'd like the pepperoni chips. They're nice and spicy. I like the Hormel brand, but there are others out there.

Mmm, good idea about the cottage cheese and ranch mix as a dip, Deb. Love anything ranch flavored!

I'm with you on the onion dip too, Penelope. That was the always the best part of the "grown up" parties. Still love the stuff.

Hello and welcome - do you think you have it! I don't think I could manage without some kind of snack. I really prefer eating several small meals - just works better for me - so healthy snack are key. Can never go wrong with the celery and carrots ... but I like to enhance them with some form of cheese! LOL