Dipped Pretzels
These slim sticks satisfy the wickedest cocoa craving without seeming portion-controlled or low-cal. Using pretzels with less than 100 milligrams of sodium per pack will help keep bloat at bay.
Microwave ½ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips until just melted, about 1 ½ to 2 ½ minutes. Stir well. Dip the ends (about ½ inch) of 70 low-sodium mini pretzel sticks into chocolate until coated, then place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cool at room temperature for 1 hour (or 20 minutes in the refrigerator).
Makes 7 servings. Per serving (10 pretzels): 100 cal, 5 g fat (3 sat), 15 g carbs, 96 mg sodium, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein
Craving something spicy? Try...
Chili-Spiced Tortilla Chips
Store-bought chips are fried in fat and loaded with sodium. Make these tongue-tingling triangles that get their flavor from chili powder, which contains a metabolism-boosting compound called capsaicin.
Cut 10 six-inch corn tortillas into sixths. Arrange on a baking sheet, then spritz with canola-oil spray and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon cumin, and ¼ teaspoon sea salt. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Makes 7 servings. Per serving (about 8 chips): 100 cal, 2 g fat (0 g sat), 20 g carbs, 105 mg sodium, 1 g fiber, 1 g protein
Craving something sweet and salty? Try...
Caramel Corn
This sweet whole-grain snack tastes as sinful as any you can buy, but it has 75 percent less sugar—and 100 percent less guilt.
Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a large stockpot over low heat. Whisk in 2 tablespoons brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 tablespoon water. When blended, add 7 cups air-popped popcorn and 1 ounce lightly salted peanuts (about 35 nuts). Toss until mixture is evenly distributed, then let cool.
Makes 7 servings. Per serving (1 cup): 100 cal, 6 g fat (3 g sat), 11 g carbs, 85 mg sodium, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein
(Article courtesy of Yahoo Health)
