Top Favorite Snacks I Sacrificed to lose Weight!
For years, I chowed down on whatever and whenever. No thought about calories and fat content. But now, as I get older, my weight has become more difficult to keep down. I have forced my thought process into thinking about what foods should be rearranged.
It was a definite eye-opener after reviewing nutrition facts on the foods and beverages that I love to eat.
- Starbucks Frappuccino: After reviewing Starbucks’ website for calories, astonished at even for a tall size! Menu: Starbucks Coffee Company. Even when I chose nonfat milk instead of whole milk, the calories still hovered around 300 for the smallest Frappuccino. Drinking one per day does not seem like much but adds up in the long run.
Substitute:
Espresso Con Panna. 35 calories and 2.5 grams total fat.
- Friday Night Happy Hour! I always have drunk a wide variety of mixed drinks. My drinks entailed delicious mixers such as (orange or cranberry juices, regular soda, and whole milk) adding in at least an additional 80–100 calories per drink.
Substitute:
A dry cabernet sauvignon or chardonnay. Approximately 100 calories per 5 oz serving.
- Cheesecake. Totally yum, but way too high-fat dessert. My favorite slice of Dulce de Leche Carmel is from the Cheesecake Factory. https://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/menu/ was a whopping 1390 calories and 110 grams of fat. Some of the other flavors were even higher!
Substitute:
Just about anything else! I now avoid eating cheesecake, even homemade. A plain 2-inch white slice of cake with icing is 150 calories and 7 to 10 grams of fat calories.
- Ice cream. Another high-fat dessert that I avoid.
The average serving size of ice cream is 2/3 of a cup supplying 100 calories.
I’m sure my bowl of ice cream contains more.
Substitute:
Popsicle. Three popsicles provide 45 calories and no fat.
- Guacamole and Sour Cream. Yum, for Mexican food! But no for sour cream and guacamole. Usually, the serving sizes look to be approximately three tablespoons. One tablespoon of sour cream is 100 calories. Positive I am eating more than that.
Substitute:
Salsa! I can eat as much salsa as I like with my meals and dip tortilla chips. Salsa is considered a vegetable and calorie-free.
- Cheese and Crackers! I have had many middle-of-night snack attacks from not eating enough in the day or a sleepless night! Approximately 320 calories and 22 grams of fat. (Six crackers with added fat and 2 oz cheddar cheese.)
Substitute:
Graham crackers. (Honey, chocolate, and cinnamon are all addicting flavors.) Two full Honey cracker sheets are approximately 130 calories and three grams of fat.
- Jalapeno and Cheese Flavored Popcorn. In the past, at one sitting I have eaten a large bag of each providing 900 calories and 6o grams of fat per bag.
Substitute:
I bought an air popper. One teaspoon of melted butter drizzled on with a sprinkle of salt gives me approximately 120 calories and 5 to 7 grams of fat for three cups of popcorn.
- Spicy Hot Peanuts. Even though peanuts are monounsaturated fat, healthy fat is still fat providing 1.5 oz bag provides 270 calories and 24 grams of fat.
Substitute:
Pretzels. 1 oz bag of hot mustard and cheese flavored is 110 calories and one gram of fat.
Regular Soda. I cannot have any regular Coke, 7UP, and Squirt products in the house. I will drink them all! One can of Coke is 145 calories. Coca-Cola® Original | Coca-Cola®
Substitute:
Iced tea and water. I drink iced tea with no added sugar and fresh filtered or bottled water. Zero calories!
Changing my snacking habits was a huge change but has been worth the effort. I’ve noticed as I get older; it is harder to keep weight off but, I am putting up a fight for as long as possible.
Now, what are you willing to give up?
Disclaimer: My food and nutrition articles are for informational purposes only. Always follow your healthcare provider’s guidance and orders.
Thank you for reading. :-)
