Grab a funnel!
When user Wholesome_Douchebag took to Reddit in search of "healthy snack alternatives that can be consumed in large amounts," the community responded in droves. Here's a smattering of some of the most popular and unexpected answers.
1. You'd be shocked to find out how good cottage cheese mixed with "Everything but the Bagel" seasoning is.
Samantha Wieder / BuzzFeed
"I take cottage cheese and put a f*ck ton of 'Everything But the Bagel' seasoning. If you eat with rice crackers it’s extremely similar to chips with onion dip. Similar in taste and texture. The crackers are salty, the seasoning is salty. And if you let it sit in the fridge like you would with the Lipton's onion dip, it’s even better."
2. Snap peas are totally underrated.
"We’ve been getting them fresh from a farm stand, then cooking them for just a couple minutes in a pot with a splash of water and some garlic salt. They’re like CRACK. We fight over them and can’t seem to get enough. Toddler included. 10/10 underrated vegetable."
3. Put tajin on everything (but especially fruits and veggies).
Tajin is an addictive Mexican lime salt comprised of chili and lime powder that is especially delicious when added to fruits like melons, apples, and pineapple, as well as to vegetables like jicama and cucumber.
"Use it on fruit or popcorn or mix it with rim salt to make a delicious rim for Bloody Marys and micheladas. I also put it on my eggs in the morning."
4. Plain popcorn has only 31 calories per popped cup — and you need to try it with salt and nutritional yeast.
"That's the real tip. Nutritional yeast is something you would never think of — I didn't even know it existed, but it makes popcorn so good!"
5. Roasted chickpeas are dangerously addictive.
"It's so easy. I never thought it would be, but I tried it last week and it's literally just:
Preheat oven to 375ºF, drain a can (or two) of chickpeas. Pour out onto a pan. Pat dry with towel, or don't. It doesn't matter too much. Throw them in the oven for 30 minutes. (You'll want to take them out every 10 minutes or so to move them around a bit.) Remove from oven and pour into bowl. Toss with a spoon of vegetable oil, salt, thyme, and a good spoonful of chili powder.
Pop it back into the oven another 10-15 minutes. (I'm definitely going the full 15 minutes the next time I make these because holy hell they taste so good when they're just perfectly crispy.)
It's like popcorn, but nuts, but they're chickpeas, but they're spiced up, but they're magic."
7. Roasted dry seaweed packs will satisfy any salt cravings.
"Many people have been asking about specific brands. The one I get is a Korean brand called Gimme Organic. I personally like the sea salt. They have 25 calories a pack and only 65 mg of sodium. Just be careful with consuming large amounts due to iodine."
8. Craving salt and vinegar chips? Pickles might do the trick.
"My grocery store favorite is zesty dill. Every year my mother makes usually a solid 20 dozen jars of pickles and I claim about half of them. A lot of the ones I claim, I add pepper flakes and some garlic to. I usually eat one jar in one sitting, and try to set my my max at two jars a week for staying sodium-conscious."
9. Cutie oranges are the lower-calorie counterpart to bananas.
They're only 40 calories apiece, and the time it takes to peel one is a good time to pause and wonder if you really want another.
10. Make this healthy ranch dip and munch with sliced red and orange peppers.
Missing the ranch? "Get plain Greek yogurt and mix in a packet of the instant ranch dip. A lot of ranch for a lot less calories."
11. A few chocolate chips (the kind used for baking) are a good way to get your chocolate fill.
"I love the 60% baking chips; they’re the perfect size to pop in my mouth and savor."
12. Boar's Head makes a chocolate hummus that doesn't taste how you'd think it would taste.
"Boar's Head makes a chocolate hummus and it's f*cking delicious. 80 calories for 2 tbsp versus 200 calories for 2 tbsp of Nutella. Never going back."
Unconvinced? Smallekins adds, "It literally tastes like chocolate pudding. Not even a bit of that classic hummus flavor. It's very addictive. My husband swears it has a slightly 'grainy texture,' but I disagree. I hope you are able to find it and give it a try!"
13. Instead of peanut butter, try PB2, aka the powdered version that tastes just as good.
"I love peanut butter but I can't justify 190 calories for 2 tbsp. Go get some PB2. It's only 50 calories for 2 tbsp. Smear that stuff on apples, celery, bananas, bread, and everything else you own because it is miraculous."
14. Frozen peas (and corn, too).
"This comment will probably be buried, but frozen peas are the sh*t. My parents used to give them to us as babies and I recently started eating them again. They’re cold, crunchy, and sweet. I literally just buy the frozen steamable packs and eat them from the bag. They’re amazing. No one believes me IRL but maybe a Redditor will."
15. Homemade kale chips can be just as crunchy and satisfying as potato chips — just make sure they're completely dry before you eat 'em.
"Kale chips are the perfect potato chip diversion. I mix my torn kale leaves with olive oil and either sea salt or chopped garlic, or both. I cook at 250ºF until they look and feel crunchy, usually 45-60 minutes. Yummy!"
16. Always level-up your shelled edamame.
"If you add a little bit of sesame oil and salt, it will make edamame 10,000% better."
17. Frozen Greek yogurt bites are great if you're just in the mood for mindless eating.
"I love freezing bite-sized chunks of Greek yogurt. Using a piping bag makes it really fast. Just line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and toss it in the freezer. Keep them in a bag or container in the freezer once they’re frozen through. A handful will be equal to just a few tablespoons of yogurt, which is barely any calories (and sugar, even using a sweetened version), and sucking on them makes them last a while. Good for boredom eating. The banana & cream Chobani flavor is the best I’ve tried so far."
18. Ice pops — because it's summertime!
"Fla-vor-ice is my go-to. Super cheap, only 20 calories (5 g of sugar). One or two usually satisfies my sweet tooth."
Some quotes have been edited for length and/or clarity.
