I Get By with A Little Help from My Snacks

By , SparkPeople Blogger
by SparkPeople member Kristina, aka KARVY09

Since the beginning of 2009, I've lost 52 pounds, 45 of those on SparkPeople in the last 5 months. I credit many people in my life for helping me get this far, including my awesome husband and friends, and my incredible friends on SparkPeople. (Man, does this sound like an acceptance speech or what?)

I also got a lot of help from some awesome snack foods along the way...

Yes, snack food.

There are some foods that I do not think I would have gotten this far without, and for that reason, I just have to pay tribute to my Top Five in blog form to give them the recognition that they deserve. So here they are, in no particular order.

1. THE STRING CHEESE



Oh, String Cheese. I remember you being the snack of choice in the 80s, and we would battle on to see who could eat you the slowest. Yes, the slowest. The only food I know that has a slow-eating component to it, unlike your hot dog- and pie-eating contests and whatnot. Take a tiny string of that cheese stick, savor it, and see if you can get a smaller string than your friend.

That spirit of competition lives on. And the reduced fat version costs me only 70 calories and 4 grams of fat and packs 8 grams of protein. So, I slowly tip my hat to you, String Cheese. Thank you for being such a great snack.

2. THE KETTLE CORN MINI-BAG



How can you not salute a food that satisfies both your salt and sugar cravings in one luscious air-popped bite? I cannot, so I must applaud heartily for this warm treat with only 100 calories and 1.5 grams of fat. The bag almost seems endless, which is another plus. You kind of FEEL like you're binging. It also has the ability to annoy every single other person in the office, as its captivating aroma wafts across each and every cubicle, which is great if you don't particularly care for your coworkers.

3. THE COCOA DUSTED ALMOND



For every salt and sugar craving, there is a more specific craving for chocolate. While chocolate often has you jonesing for yes, more chocolate, I like to get my chocolate in nut form. These treats are only 75 calories for 14 almonds and gives you that burst of protein too for added fullness. You simply cannot beat it. [Editor's note: Find a recipe here.]

4. THE APPLE



Doctors are evil, poking you with things, treating you with derision and scorn, making you feel better and stuff... OK, well maybe they aren't that bad, but who wants to go to the doctor? I sure don't. And we all know that apples are to doctors as garlic is to vampires, right?

We all have our favorite variety. I'm a tart Macintosh girl and the husband prefers a sweeter Gala or Braeburn. But whatever your pleasure, there's such satisfaction in chomping on an apple and getting that little dribble of juice down your chin. Yum. Apples!

5. THE GREEK YOGURT



Go Greek. You haven't had yogurt until you've had Greek yogurt. And yogurt isn't yogurt if it has aspartame in it. It's just aftertaste-y. So do yourself a favor, and grab some of this stuff. It is tasty and filling and ranges from 100-160 calories, with tons of protein and calcium. And it has wonderful flavors such as pomegranate, pineapple, and honey! Yes, we Greeks invented both democracy and the combination of yogurt and honey, both which have left this world a much yummier place.

SO....WHAT SNACKS DO YOU THINK DESERVE A TRIBUTE?

Kristina is 28, hails from the Boston area, and has been "sparked" since June 2009, when she couldn't run a minute, nevermind a 5K. Since then, her cause has been to convince larger runners that they don't have to wait until they lose more weight to start running! She co-leads two SparkTeams, Half Marathoners and the Couch to 5K Group. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling locally and abroad and writing fiction and commentary. Her favorite outdoor activities are kayaking, swimming, hiking, and running.