Everyone has different food cravings, but one of my weaknesses is that I like to crunch. Just like with all other aspects of my healthy "NMP" eating style, instead of trying to deny myself these snack foods, I learned to make healthy substitutions so that when I crave something crunchy, I can do so without harming my waistline.
Many of these items will be found in the health food section of your local supermarket if they are far-sighted enough, or you can certainly find them in your local natural foods store. Try to keep some of these items on-hand, so when you get that urge to crunch, you're prepared.
1. MJ's Healthy Snack Mix (CLICK HERE for the recipe) I also sometimes just have one of the cereals mentioned by itself. Want a delicious barbecue flavor mix? Try Nature's Path organic variety.
2. Popcorn--light, organic microwave brands that do not contain hydrogenated oil like Bearitos brand and Newman's Own Organics (not the standard one you see in the store). If you have to watch your salt, Bearitos makes a no salt, no oil variety that actually tastes pretty good because of the quality of the organic corn used.
3. A small portion of nuts--I especially favor macadamias, walnuts and almonds as the first two are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids (the good fats that we look for in fish), and almonds are relatively high in vitamin E. Just be sure to have no more than an appropriate serving (usually an ounce); weigh the nuts on a food scale until you know what a portion looks like.
4. Pretzels--organic and ideally with whole wheat or oat bran-- Snyder's of Hanover Organic Oat Bran pretzels is a brand that fits this bill.
5. Carrot chips and low-fat or fat-free dip--I especially like to use carrot chips as opposed to standard baby carrots, because I can tell myself that I can basically have all the "chips" I want. One brand in my local area is Grimley's.
6. Skinny Chips from Cool Fruits, Inc.--they make an amazing barbecue flavor as well as nacho cheese and sour cream and onion. These are the typical fatty potato chip flavors you might crave, but in a much healthier version. Okay, they do resemble the little styrofoam peanuts that come in a mail order package, but you can crunch and they taste great, so who cares?
7. Salsa and chips--salsa is almost always naturally low-fat and the spice can help rev up your metabolism. As long as the chips you use are fat-free or low-fat, you can't get into too much trouble. Look for organic corn chips like Guiltless Gourmet.
8. Cheetos or Cheez Doodle substitute--Pirate Booty from Robert's American Gourmet. This white cheese snack also resembles packaging material (you wonder, did someone look into a package they received one day and said, "aha! I now know the perfect shape for a healthy snack food"?) But again, it is delicious and light. If you want to be more virtuous, the same company makes Veggie Booty which has some kale, spinach, cabbage, broccoli and carrot in it for some nutrition (but don't count this as having your veggies for the day).
9. Potato Chips--I buy Olive Oil Potato Chips from Good Health Natural Foods, Inc. and my husband and I especially enjoy their garlic flavor. Now these are not that light, so you have to watch the portion size--again weigh it if you must. But with the healthy olive oil used to make them and the thickness of the chips, they are very satisfying. You're probably wondering, where's the Baked Lays? They are unacceptable to me as they have hydrogenated oil in them.
10. Whole-grain crackers (such as Ry-Krisp natural fat-free) with a smear of either light cheese spread or peanut butter (try to get the peanut butter from your natural foods store to avoid hydrogenated oil once again).
