lowfat

healthy snacks

Snack Attack: Spice Up Your Cottage Cheese

Some people have a serious hankering for cottage cheese.

Some people have a serious hankering for cottage cheese. I like the white stuff alright, but it's the fixins that really make me crave the lowfat snack. Apples and oats are always a delicious addition, and avocado cups make me happy, but the easiest and perhaps tastiest treat I've found so far comes in the form of a cinnamon stick.


When your sweet tooth attacks, satiate it with a few sprinkles of cinnamon on a small bowl of lowfat or nonfat cottage cheese. The combination of the natural spice and cottage cheese will add just the right amount of kick to your taste buds while providing the benefits of calcium, vitamin D, and keeping your blood sugar levels in check. You'll be surprised you're not lapping up dessert!

Flickr user S. Diddy

healthy snacks

Snack Attack: Hot Chocolate Gets Cold

About this time of year, there may be nothing better than sitting in front of the fire with a cup of hot chocolate.

About this time of year, there may be nothing better than sitting in front of the fire with a cup of hot chocolate. But, when you're at your desk and the afternoon sweet craving hits you, a hearth and a cup of marshmallows may not be too easy to find. Have no fear, a cup of yogurt is here. Instead of cozying up to a toasty mug, satiate your sweet tooth with a no-fat treat that will bring images of the flames to your mind sans the fat and calories that accompany most cocoa filled snacks.

All you need is a cup of fat free vanilla (or plain) yogurt and a packet of fat free Swiss Miss hot chocolate mix. As simple as can be, just pour the dry ingredients into the yogurt container and swirl it up. You won't believe the flavorful snack is fat-free and chock full of protein and calcium. You just may find yourself scooping this up in front of the fire!

Nutritional value hot chocolate and yogurt: 160 calories, 0 g fat, 29 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 22 g sugar, 10 g protein

Diet

Do You Eat Low-Fat Treats?

By the 1990s, being on a low-fat diet was all the rage: for every full-fat product available, there seemed to be a low-fat alternative.

By the 1990s, being on a low-fat diet was all the rage: for every full-fat product available, there seemed to be a low-fat alternative. Low-fat branding meant that all those forbidden foods like ice cream and cookies could now be enjoyed without guilt. While the low-fat push worked for some, it caused others to simply eat more than they normally would, making their calorie and sugar intake shoot through the roof.

While I tend to only buy whole, natural foods, I do buy low-fat and nonfat dairy products (except for cheese). But I stay away from sweets and savory treats that are branded "low-fat." I'd rather have a naturally sweet or salty treat, or enjoy a smaller serving of a full-fat sweet. Part of me is worried that I'll overindulge; plus I just don't think low-fat cookies taste as good. How about you?

recipes

Reader's Recipe: Hearty "Cleaned Up" Chicken Pot Pie

For some reason, I have been craving chicken pot pie for the past few weeks.

Light Chicken Pot PieFor some reason, I have been craving chicken pot pie for the past few weeks. I'm not sure where the craving came from, or why, but I do know that I need to make one sooner than later. I've got a few recipes in my repertoire, but I decided to see if there were any great recipes online. Lucky for me, I didn't have to look too hard. My first stop was TeamSugar and reader suzanne has provided a great looking chicken pot pie that's she's altered from The Best Light Recipes cookbook. To check out what suzanne has come up with, read more