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.

• one package of Orville Redenbacher's 100 Calorie Smart Pops ... which, incidentally, has 110 calories. Go figure.
  

• one wedge of Laughing Cow Light Swiss cheese, served with raw veggies. Are you sensing a theme here?*
  

• 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?