Low calorie candy/snack substitutes!

hey! so, i just started grad school this year and i've gained ten pounds so far! i want to get back to my old weight/stop school-related bad habits (sedentary/constant stress snacking).

my big problem is i have a HUGE sweet tooth. i am always eating candy or cookies. i just moved from super vegetarian friendly texas to way non-veg-friendly connecticut (i know, not what you would think), so it's not as easy to find quick meals that i can eat on the go. i keep just grabbing a cookie (or 3). anyone know good low-cal candy or better yet, alternatives that will curb the cravings for sugar?

thanks!

maybe try eating sweet fruits or plan a time to have a snack find something low calorie (or high but watch your portion) and sit down eat it and enjoy it maybe if you take the time to pay attention to eating the treats youll crave them less. I could probably eat a whole pizza if i really wanted to but when i pay attention to how it tastes, the texture, all that i feel full faster. other than that all i can say is will power.

that's really smart, thanks!

i don't know if this is exactly what you're looking for.... but i just came up with the recipe today, and i'm very excited because of it! lol.

get a cup of plan fat free yogurt (should be around 110 calories), then mix in 2 packets of mocha flavored splenda (it's supposed to go in coffee, but oh well :P ).

then top with 1/4 - 1/2 cup raspberries, and then freeze! 

it

is

so

GOOD!

plus it's only about 125 - 140 calories, depending on how many raspberries you put in, AND since it's frozen, it takes quite a bit of time to eat.

also... when yogurt freezes it gets pretty hard.... i've found that it's easier to eat it with a fork instead of a spoon. XD

One thing that I find fantastic is pitted dates. You can have three dates, six bites (savour each bite like you would a sweet and take your time), and they are incredibly sweet. Total calorie count, roughly 35!

I've found kashi TLC bars to be the perfect candy bar substitute.  They are about 120 calories each but very filling and full of lots of great whole grains, fiber, protien, fruit, the works!  The new pumkin pie ones are especially good.

Fruit!  Green grapes and apples do it for me but when I really need a chocolate kick---------------

Fat free, sugar free, Jello chocolate pudding with light whipped cream.  Pretty dang good BUT make sure you only eat one serving, not the whole dang bowl!  LOL! 

I like buying the snickers protein bars (or any for that matter). I feel like they are pretty healthy, help keep me full and taste very much like a snickers candy bar. Saves you quite a few calories and should certainly help with your sweet tooth. Of course, their are many healthy alternatives like fruits and yogurt, but I doubt they would satisfy a candy craving like these would.

Cheers!

Try Quaker bars, Skinny Cow (ice cream sandwiches generally have chocolate cookies). Kashi, cereal bars (healthier ones like Nutigrain or Special K) are also good. If you look around your grocery store in that cereal or cookie section (I know it's hard to go there without trying to buy cookies), there are usually tons of different kinds of healthy bars whether you want low fat, no carb, high protien, low calorie, or whatever.

Someone in a chat recommended before Black Bean Brownies!  I have been hook ever since.  First off they are easy to make and cheaper than any box stuff and way more healthy!  I have shared this with so many friends and when they taste them they are shocked how good they are and it really helps curb my sweet tooth.  Go on line and find a recipe, but in general here you go: (I have made mine with less egg and oil to cut cal's and they are still awesome) one can of black beans in your blender, add at least on egg and some olive oil blend til smooth, put in bowl add cocoa powder, pitch of salt, some sugar (1/2 cup) and any added flavoring: vanilla, cinnamon, whatever. And bake like brownie....they smell like them baking too!  Give it a try you will be pleasantly surprised!

It is also worth pointing out that if you really feel like something sweet, sugar itself is not that bad in terms of calorie. A 5g sugar lump is only 19 calories!

like suggested, whenever I crave sugar I eat fruit! It's tasty and full of fiber and other good nutrients that help keep you full. My favorite right now is cantalope. c:

you could make a parfait with some berries and yogurt and even a little granola (check what kind of granola you're getting first!). I also find no harm in 100 calorie snack packs. They have the right portion of cookies for you to eat. Just remember, you can only eat one. They ARE a 100 calories afterall.

My mom and I both love Hungry Girl. She put out a cookbook full of lower calorie alternatives for fast food and a bunch of new recipies that have a ton of nutrients in them. At least half of it is sweet deserts! One of our favorites out of it are pumpkin chocolate muffins. They're only about 100 caloires a muffin (I think. I might want to check that... later). She even has a chapter on what to do when you eat out a certain kinds of resteraunts. Check out her website for even more good healthy eating ideas.

I also love skinny cow ice cream! They have all sorts of yummy low-calorie ice cream treats. It's normally found near the popsicles in your frozen foods ailse. I also love the frozen fruit popsicles (I think they're put out by Dryers?), they are also way low in calories and super yummy.

And if all else fails, you CAN have a chocolate bar or a real cookie, but in moderation! I allow myself to indulge in a cookies and creme bar once every two weeks. They are simple too good to give up, and it's totally okay to have one every once in a while. Just eat it slowly and enjoy.

(I also have a huge sweet tooth, can you tell? haha. good luck!)

Try frozen grapes. They take a while to eat and fruit tastes delicious frozen.

You could also try flavoured rice cakes, Clif ZBars, fruit leathers, cereal, freeze-dried fruit, Jell-o pudding/jello, 120 calorie boxes of Cracker Jack, etc.

Cherries! They're super sweet and candy sized. Frozen cherries are good as well...De-pit them and throw them in the freezer overnight. For a special treat, put frozen ones in yogourt, it tastes like ice cream :)

id try the baskin robin sugar free hard candies

they taste just like ice cream and theres plenty of flavors

I try and substitute fruit when I need something sweet. But when I need a chocolate fix, I'll buy a few individual Tootsie Roll minis (about 5-10 cents each) and put them in the freezer. They get hard as rocks, so I'll grab one and suck on it like a mint. Lasts a long time. :)

Watermelon is great for a sweet tooth. I just bought some today. :)

For me, fruit does the trick, especially frozen fruit because you have to suck on it, so your forced to eat it slow & savor every bite.  

If you're looking for substitutions for your bad habits you might want to look at Hungry-girl.com  She has lots of low-calorie substitutions for desserts and candy and all kinds of foods.  Try using the search engine to look for candy, desserts, cookies, etc.

My only other tip would be buy "fun size" or "mini" candy and have one each day.  Eat it very, very slowly and savor every bite.  Think of it as your treat to yourself.  1 hershey's kiss is a great one (about 25 calories, i think).  Also, if you know you can't control yourself around sweets, don't buy any!  You can't eat what you don't have!

wow! thank you so much! plus it's good to know i'm not the only candy monster around!

Original Post by mars_0112:

Try frozen grapes. They take a while to eat and fruit tastes delicious frozen.

You could also try flavoured rice cakes, Clif ZBars, fruit leathers, cereal, freeze-dried fruit, Jell-o pudding/jello, 120 calorie boxes of Cracker Jack, etc.

MMMMM! I looove frozen grapes!

Also, Haagendaz Raspberry Sorbet is only 120 cal. and fa free for a 1/2 cup. It's very sweet and that causes me to take smaller bites which, in turn, causes me to believe I'm getting more than a 1/2 cup.

Also, Jelly Bellys are only 140 cal. for 35 beans! Tropical Mix = heaven.

These aren't everyday treats, of course, but they sure are a great pick me up every once and a while!

I'm a complete ice cream addict, and I used to down pints of ice cream in one sitting.  Now I budget my calories and every other day (or every day haha), I let myself have 2 servings of Dreyer's (Edy's) slow churned, no sugar added ice cream (only 100 calories in 1/2 a cup for most flavors).  Surprisingly, it is REALLY good.  If I have enough calories left for the day, I'll add 10 or so grams of super dark chocolate pieces and sugar free caramel syrup.  Just make sure you actually measure out the ice cream servings... looks can be deceiving :) 

That is exactly what I do....but I put it on top of one of my bean brownies!  I love that slow chuned no sugar ice cream!