looking for tasty and very healthy snack

[journey]

Hubby (vegetarian) wants to lose weight - late night snacking is the issue. Likes to eat those individually wrapped sticks of mozzarella cheese, but wants a healthier replacement to satisfy the craving (salt, crunch, etc) - what can I suggest that's vegan? (he's not crazy about raw fruits or veggies).

I thought of pretzels, soy ice cream (he'll eat the whole container though, you know how cravings are - just putting an amount in a dish doesn't help cause he knows the rest is in the freezer). What do you suggest?

[sugarmouse]

Im a late night muncher aswell.
I always keep raw popadums, and microwave rather than fry.Theyre only 30 cals each and come in different flavours.

[Poison Ivy]

Air popped pocorn?

[ellaminnowpea]

popcorn is awesome, I miss my air popper!

if he likes salty, maybe he'd like carrots with hummus
or sunflower seeds, pepitas, dried cranberries, etc
maybe some vegan cheese slices depending on if you have it where you live

[DiaShel]

My favorite late night snack: cereal. I don't know why.

[Huddy]

My favorite late night snack: cereal. I don't know why.

me too -definately stops the cravings

[vava]

a COUPLE of nuts are really good to stop you feeling hungry but other than that I recommend a half a swede raw and a square of chocolate. If you manage to eat all the raw swede - then you get the chocolate as a prize.

[Aradia]

Fresh popcorn ... sprinkle it with bouillion powder and nutritional yeast.

[Cattmogg]

Have a smoothie, or some fruit? What about some dates?

[Pob]

Cucumber, sugar snap peas, celery, with hummous (maybe lower fat sort) to dip them in. I know it's raw veg, but they're all sweet and tasty.

[karenann33]

I have fruit WITH the soy ice cream or a smoothie. My dh doesn't like fruit so I make him a chocolate smoothie with tofu and soy milk (it's low cal and it satisifies him).

[journey]

These are great ideas everybody, and most are things he already likes. Thanks. Sugarmouse, what's a popadum?

[Aradia]

You've never had a popadum??!! You haven't lived!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popadum

The are served with curries or with chutneys, onion salad etc as a starter ... they are very thin fried crisps ... great for shovelling up big mouthfuls of curry and dahl onto.

Ah, what I woulnd't do for a big stack of warm popadums right now ... I have some actually, now, where are they??

[cedarblue]

for ease of digestion and a very mild sedative effect try something with oats in, flapjack, oatcakes, even porridge/oatmeal. you don't want anything too heavy thats going to be testing your body with digesting it overnight, and possibly disturbing your sleep/dreams - this is when your body and digestive system should be resting not working hard.

[veggiemaya]

i have had problems dealing with late night snacking too. however mine is more that i wake up all throughout the night and feel a need for something sweet, or chocolatey. i will not keep things in my house that i know are totally fattening for fear that i will eat too much. i wind up having a couple spoons of homemade soy ice cream, or a teaspoon or so of almond butter. but a little bit every time i wake up adds up to more than a little bit.
does anyone have any clue how i could get past this? its been happening for years. i say happening because i honestly feel in those moments that it is somewhat out of my control.

[E.F.]

Cedar's right on this one. I would try to see if you can wait until the morning to eat anything. The last thing your body wants to do at 2 AM is digest a big carb cake. The energy exertion here is detrimental during a time in which the body needs and uses its recovery period.

[E.F.]

does anyone have any clue how i could get past this? its been happening for years. i say happening because i honestly feel in those moments that it is somewhat out of my control.

The only reason you can't do it, is because you think you can't do it. Don't do something else to distract you from what you want. Don't read a book or turn on the tv, these distraction will only increase your desire for something fatty, salty, or sugary. Think about it. Face it. Can you really not hold off until morning because you just want one measly scoop of almond butter?

It's a complete mind game, and if you win it, think how much better you'll feel.

[ellaminnowpea]

Veggiemaya, didnt you say before you've had an eating disorder? Because if its the case, its not JUST a mind game.

But for most its just a matter of making the effort to make healthy decisions, even if they're hard. Sooner or later, it'll become a habit.

[veggiemaya]

Veggiemaya, didnt you say before you've had an eating disorder? Because if its the case, its not JUST a mind game.

But for most its just a matter of making the effort to make healthy decisions, even if they're hard. Sooner or later, it'll become a habit.

yes, i have gone through some moments in my life where i have pretty much stopped eating. but in a way i kind of feel like that is a mind game. trying to control my body because i couldnt control the upsetting things that were going on in my life. but what do you mean? do you think that would have something to do with it?
and honestly, i do make very healthy decisions about eating. i just had someone tell me today that i am the most disciplined person they know, with how i eat and exercise. little do they know.. its like i struggle with this whole other side of myself . ugh, it's frustrating..

[ellaminnowpea]

I definitely think that once someone's dealt with an eating disorder, everything about food is different. I think its great that you're disciplined, but like you said, its still a struggle and you are doing your best. Normal eating (IMO) is eating when you feel hungry and stopping when you're full, not for pleasure or not restricting... but there are very few people that do that!

Weird that you say that about discipline though, I've heard that about myself from friends a lot. Somehow everyone thinks I'm so disciplined but it's really just because I enjoy being healthy and feeling energized.

Whats this "other side"?

[veggiemaya]

I definitely think that once someone's dealt with an eating disorder, everything about food is different. I think its great that you're disciplined, but like you said, its still a struggle and you are doing your best. Normal eating (IMO) is eating when you feel hungry and stopping when you're full, not for pleasure or not restricting... but there are very few people that do that!

Weird that you say that about discipline though, I've heard that about myself from friends a lot. Somehow everyone thinks I'm so disciplined but it's really just because I enjoy being healthy and feeling energized.

Whats this "other side"?

well, i guess i should also mention that for most of my life until i was around 19 or 20, i was significantly overweight. it was always a problem for me to stay away from eating sweets. and when i ate junk, i ate junk. i think a lot of it goes very deep..more about things that happened in my life when i was a child. and it was a very unhappy time. when i think back to the person i was when i was heavy, i dont ever want to be that again. and honestly, the less i weigh..the better i feel about myself...as screwed up as i know that is. anyway, so when i say that i have this "other side"..i guess its that i feel like i go back to being that "fat girl"..and i think thats where the feeling that i have no control comes in.
sorry for rambling on and on...

[RubyDuby]

Hubby (vegetarian) wants to lose weight - late night snacking is the issue. Likes to eat those individually wrapped sticks of mozzarella cheese, but wants a healthier replacement to satisfy the craving (salt, crunch, etc) - what can I suggest that's vegan? (he's not crazy about raw fruits or veggies).

I thought of pretzels, soy ice cream (he'll eat the whole container though, you know how cravings are - just putting an amount in a dish doesn't help cause he knows the rest is in the freezer). What do you suggest?

if you can find some kind of a fruit chew sticks, they are similar to the texture and size of cheese sticks.

another idea is veggie jerkey sticks. like slim jim, but veg (duh ).

these arent really healthy ideas, but better than a stick of cheese!

also there are recipes for soy cheese logs, maybe from the uncheese cookbook? I know jambox has made a big log of 'cheese' and 'balogna'.

theres a recipe for cheeseballs here... is that 'consciouscuisine'?

[sugarmouse]

You've never had a popadum??!! You haven't lived!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popadum

The are served with curries or with chutneys, onion salad etc as a starter ... they are very thin fried crisps ... great for shovelling up big mouthfuls of curry and dahl onto.

Ah, what I woulnd't do for a big stack of warm popadums right now ... I have some actually, now, where are they??

Lol yes-but I microwave them so its less cals I sometimes squirt them with low cal spray.They notch about 40cals each

[ellaminnowpea]

no, i understand, veggiemaya. hope you can work through it and learn to see yourself valuable regardless of your weight

[veggiemaya]

no, i understand, veggiemaya. hope you can work through it and learn to see yourself valuable regardless of your weight

thank you, ella! i have days when i have a better outlook than others, but i do continue to try. i appreciate your kind words!

[Mahk]

Lol yes-but I microwave them so its less cals I sometimes squirt them with low cal spray.They notch about 40cals each

I've never seen them except in Indian restaurants. Are you putting dough in the microwave or an already crunchy disk? I don't understand.

[RubyDuby]

theyre super thin and crunchy before cooking.
just not yet crispy.

i have some in the fridge. must try this microwaving.

sugarmouse- do they come out crispy from the microwave? how long do u cook them in there?

[ellaminnowpea]

Ruby (since you live in US!) where do you get them? What brand are they? Sound interesting...

[missbettie]

they look like tosatada shells...hmmm

[RubyDuby]

i got them at an indian grocery store/ restaurant... that day we did the photo diary.

[ellaminnowpea]

Oh awesome. Wheres that thread? I missed it!

[RubyDuby]

here tis

its in the digital photography forum.
i'm pretty sure its subscribed members only til the first bc of bandwidth.

very sad that the whole project kind of fell flat cuz of that and other issues.

[ellaminnowpea]

thanks Ruby!

[ShadowTears]

Well maybe you could try these caramel apple bars.
They are really good but quite small.
I get them at a health food store..
Plus they have a lot of vitamins in them.
Just a suggestion though.

ingredients:

Organic Brown Rice Syrup; Organic Evaporated Cane Juice; Brown Rice Flakes; Brown Rice Flour; Sorghum Flour; Dried Apple*; Sunflower Seed Butter (Roasted Sunflower Kernels, Evaporated Cane Juice, Salt); Fig Paste; Date Paste; Vegetable Glycerin; Expeller-Pressed Vegetable Oil (Safflower Oil and/or Sunflower Oil); Organic Beet Fiber; Ground Flaxseed; Natural Caramel Flavor; Xanthan Gum; Baking Soda; Salt; Cinnamon
NO TRANS FAT, NO ARTIFICIAL ANYTHING, VEGAN, KOSHER PAREVE, VITAMIN FORTIFIED, GLUTEN FREE, CASEIN FREE

vitamins and minerals:

Calcium; Magnesium, Niacin (Vitamin B3); Riboflavin (Vitamin B2); Vitamin B6; Thiamin (Vitamin B1); Folate; Iron

*Sulfite-Free

[daricsmami]

i have had problems dealing with late night snacking too. however mine is more that i wake up all throughout the night and feel a need for something sweet, or chocolatey. i will not keep things in my house that i know are totally fattening for fear that i will eat too much. i wind up having a couple spoons of homemade soy ice cream, or a teaspoon or so of almond butter. but a little bit every time i wake up adds up to more than a little bit.
does anyone have any clue how i could get past this? its been happening for years. i say happening because i honestly feel in those moments that it is somewhat out of my control.

I have the same problem. It started when I was pregnant with my son 5 years ago. I would have contractions in the wee hours and I would wake up. Out of boredom, I would eat something and watch TV. Now, it almost feels like I'm sleepwalking when I do it. Half the time, I can barely remember raiding the fridge, and the only evidence is that I can still taste what I ate in my mouth or I'll see a plate or soda bottle on the side of my bed. I watched a show about people that are midnight eaters. It's a very hard habit to break, and in some instances, requires therapy. Oh, and the things I eat are things I wouldn't eat during the day, i.e, soda, chips, candy. It's a very weird experience.

[veggiemaya]

I have the same problem. It started when I was pregnant with my son 5 years ago. I would have contractions in the wee hours and I would wake up. Out of boredom, I would eat something and watch TV. Now, it almost feels like I'm sleepwalking when I do it. Half the time, I can barely remember raiding the fridge, and the only evidence is that I can still taste what I ate in my mouth or I'll see a plate or soda bottle on the side of my bed. I watched a show about people that are midnight eaters. It's a very hard habit to break, and in some instances, requires therapy. Oh, and the things I eat are things I wouldn't eat during the day, i.e, soda, chips, candy. It's a very weird experience.

its so crazy, right?? its funny because people will think and say that i am sooo disciplined, and I am..during the day. But it is almost as if I would ruin it all during the night if I had the means. Luckily I live alone so I can only keep healthier things in the house to snack on if I choose to. It really is such a rough habit to change.
You mentioned that you saw that some people actually needed therapy to stop. I have often wondered if there is some sort of odd emotional tie to it, although I don't know that that would explain you having the habit. I know there is a good deal of "stuff" that I haven't ever come to terms with from way back when...it would be interesting to find if that has anything at all to do with it. Almost like a need for "comfort".
Who knows...maybe I am just a chubby girl at heart!

[StarClusters]

I used (and still do sometimes) be a chronic midnight muncher. The thing with me, is that my digestive systems seems to be about 4 to 8 hours behind the rest of my body. I can’t touch a thing in the morning, and my appetite only starts to wake up from about mid/late afternoon onwards, hence the mid night snaking.

I try not to eat anything after about 8pm now. If I do, I usually only have raw fruit and veggies, and things that digest quickly. But I know only to well that urge your husband gets for eating late at night, particularly for substantial, stodgy, salty, fattening things.

I have found if I ‘force’ myself to eat breakfast, even something small, that I don’t get so many midnight munchies, and it kind of kicks my appetite into gear.

But sometimes I do give in, and want something more substantial than veggies late at night though lol. So, some of the things I like are -

Coleslaw, made with soya yogurt rather than egg free mayonnaise. (I use the thicker yogurt at the bottom of the tub). I have that with wholemeal pitas, and sometimes smoked tofu or falafels, and rocket or watercress.

For something sweet, I’ll microwave some frozen berries, and have that with soya yogurt, and occasionally agave syrup if I'm being indulgent.

Hemp rice and soy miso on pitas.

Beans on toast.

Miso soup with beansprouts, spring onions, carrots, peas, peppers, greens and ginger.

They are not all that stodgy and filling, but they digest quickly, so it's my compromise for late night snacking.

Though, as I think a few people mentioned here, it’s not a good idea to eat food so late at night, it tough on the digestive system. But sometimes, its got to be done lol. Hope some of those suggestions help.

[daricsmami]

its so crazy, right?? its funny because people will think and say that i am sooo disciplined, and I am..during the day. But it is almost as if I would ruin it all during the night if I had the means. Luckily I live alone so I can only keep healthier things in the house to snack on if I choose to. It really is such a rough habit to change.
You mentioned that you saw that some people actually needed therapy to stop. I have often wondered if there is some sort of odd emotional tie to it, although I don't know that that would explain you having the habit. I know there is a good deal of "stuff" that I haven't ever come to terms with from way back when...it would be interesting to find if that has anything at all to do with it. Almost like a need for "comfort".
Who knows...maybe I am just a chubby girl at heart!

Oh, I probably do have some food issues I need to work through. I think mine is part habit, part stress (it mostly happens when I'm stressed out), and part wanting to eat alone. I used to binge in middle school and early high school.

[herbwormwood]

If you wake up at night feeling physically hungry it could be your blood sugar is low at that time when you wake up and it is your body sending your brain a signal that it needs food NOW!
If you are female this can be related to your body needing more calories in the second half of your menstrual cycle.
It will also happen if you are restricting food intake during the day.
Technically most people are actually fasting during the night which is why breakfast has its name.
You could try eating more nutritionally dense foods such as baked beans, lentils, tofu etc for your last meal of the day, and keep healthy snacks handy in the kitchen for if you do wake up.
Most fruits are good for this situation, also try "Innocent" or ready made smoothies, toast, cereal, and nuts. Sometimes a warm non alcoholic drink will be enough.

[bryzee86]

I used (and still do sometimes) be a chronic midnight muncher. The thing with me, is that my digestive systems seems to be about 4 to 8 hours behind the rest of my body. I can’t touch a thing in the morning, and my appetite only starts to wake up from about mid/late afternoon onwards, hence the mid night snaking.

I try not to eat anything after about 8pm now. If I do, I usually only have raw fruit and veggies, and things that digest quickly. But I know only to well that urge your husband gets for eating late at night, particularly for substantial, stodgy, salty, fattening things.

I have found if I ‘force’ myself to eat breakfast, even something small, that I don’t get so many midnight munchies, and it kind of kicks my appetite into gear.

But sometimes I do give in, and want something more substantial than veggies late at night though lol. So, some of the things I like are -

Coleslaw, made with soya yogurt rather than egg free mayonnaise. (I use the thicker yogurt at the bottom of the tub). I have that with wholemeal pitas, and sometimes smoked tofu or falafels, and rocket or watercress.

For something sweet, I’ll microwave some frozen berries, and have that with soya yogurt, and occasionally agave syrup if I'm being indulgent.

Hemp rice and soy miso on pitas.

Beans on toast.

Miso soup with beansprouts, spring onions, carrots, peas, peppers, greens and ginger.

They are not all that stodgy and filling, but they digest quickly, so it's my compromise for late night snacking.

Though, as I think a few people mentioned here, it’s not a good idea to eat food so late at night, it tough on the digestive system. But sometimes, its got to be done lol. Hope some of those suggestions help.

blimey, you're healthy!

[wildcatstrike]

I reckon cereal is the way to go.. or flapjack, or crunchy toast!

Although he sounds like he needs to work on his greed to be honest, you know, like when you say he can't just have a small bowl of ice cream if he knows the rest's in the freezer. That's not good, man. Or what about crunchy crackers and houmous?

[Windfall]

I'm off school for a while and this has changed my eating routine dramatically!
I need some easy healthy snacks to get me through the day!

anyone?

[Cherry]

Hmm. How healthy do you mean?! Sandwiches? Carrot sticks and hummous? Cous cous salad?

[beanstew]

I like to snack on dried fruit and nuts. Dried apricots are one of my favourites. Salted pistachios are super yummy but maybe getting away from healthy with all that salt and the fact that they're impossible to stop eating.

I have peanut butter on oat cakes for my midmorning snack most days at work.

[harpy]

Someone on here, can't remember who, mentioned having a dried cherry and a brazil nut together and I'm afraid I've succumbed to that habit The only cherries I've found are sweetened so it might be better to substitute some kind of additive-free dried fruit, sultanas maybe?

If you have fresh or dried fruit as a snack I find it's a good idea to have a couple of nuts or seeds at the same time because it's much more satisfying.

[mariana]

Someone on here, can't remember who, mentioned having a dried cherry and a brazil nut together and I'm afraid I've succumbed to that habit The only cherries I've found are sweetened so it might be better to substitute some kind of additive-free dried fruit, sultanas maybe?

If you have fresh or dried fruit as a snack I find it's a good idea to have a couple of nuts or seeds at the same time because it's much more satisfying.

Ooh, that sounds tasty! I like almonds and dried cranberries...I eat them together all the time! The cranberries I buy are sweetened with pineapple juice but also have vegetable oil added so some might not like that.

I think carrots and hummus are a yummy, healthy combo, too. I used to eat that pretty much every day!

[JC]

I like goodies organix. It's for children, but who cares! They make healthy crisps and these little bags of cookies sweetened with grape juice instead of sugar, but i've only ever found them in morrisons. Or ryvita goodness bars, sweetened with fruit sugars and not honey. Umm what else... smoothies? Flavoured rice cakes??

[Korn]

Check out the Vegan Snacks poll...

[shabam]

Hey everyone,
I've been vegan for over a year now and have never felt better!
I really want something during the day to munch on... be it a salad or snack,
that is really healthy and tasty, something I can eat whenever really and not worry about eating too much... Anyone have something like this?

[missbettie]

i like baking kale in the oven and it comes out all crispy and tasty! if you toss it in a little olive oil, vinegar and spices....yum!!!