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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.  You will earn 5 SparkPoints
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are good, but
i like the
sugar free-Fat free
Jell-o Pudding cups
the dark chocolate & regular chocolate
get me through. it does me good
when I have a chocolate
craving. Report
congrats on your loss and thanks for sharing with us. Report
We just saw that COSTCO carries greek yogurt - we need to try it out! Report
Mixed nuts, apples, yogurt, natural PB on Arnold sandwich thins are my favorites. Report
How does that Greek yogurt taste? I have seen it used on a few cooking shows I watch, but I am a picky eater and don't want to buy it if I won't like it. Report
Daily I have an apple - Pink Lady for me w/ 1 T of reduced fat peanut butter for my mid-morning snack. I agree - what would we be without our snacks - That was one of the best things to find out fat people can snack and in doing so become thin! Who would have thunk it????? Report
Susan Report
I love all the choices, but my go-to snack is air-popped popcorn.
YUM!
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The one missing from my list was the kettle corn popcorn. Please share what brand you use as I have yet to find one that doesn't tastes like fake sugar when popped! I love kettlecorn and was so excited when I first saw it in the stores, but I've tried various brands with no success.
My addition to the list would be frozen bananas. They have kept me many a night from running to our local ice creamery for a fix. One whole frozen banana in the blender with a splash of FF milk, blended to creamy goodness is the best ice cream substitute ever!
It's great to see that so many of use Report
Popcorn however, I could definitely go without. Instead I would probably add in carrots and yogurt. :-) Report
Don't worry so much about the fats in nuts. They are good fats that your body can actually use. About 3 ozs of nuts is a good serving. Report