Skinny Snacks to Eat on Your Sofa

By Lisa Lillien, REDBOOK

Snacks. If you're craving...Creamy

Go for low-fat yogurt with fruit and a sprinkle of crunchy cereal.

Avoid the calorie catastrophe that is a full bag of chips. Portion-controlled single-serving options are the way to go--like 100-calorie bags of Popchips. Need something that'll last a little longer? Try 94% fat-free microwave popcorn, like Orville Redenbacher's SmartPop. You can have a big bowl--5 cups--for around 100 calories and 2 grams of fat. Now, what's on TV?

This candy apple treat is amazingly satisfying: Cut up 1 apple (preferably a Fuji--it's the perfect blend of sweet and tart) and put the slices in a bowl. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp fat-free or light caramel dip, and sprinkle with 1½ tsp crushed dry-roasted peanuts, 1 tsp mini semisweet chocolate chips, and 1 tsp shredded sweetened coconut. This combo has 210 calories, which is perfectly reasonable for dessert.

Most snack bars have one thing in common: lots of sugar and calories. But you can find some smart choices. A few of my faves are Quaker Chewy 90 Calorie Peanut Butter Granola Bar, Fiber One 90 Calorie Chocolate Bar, and Honey Nut Special K Cereal Bar. And jerky is a great pick if you want savory. It's packed with filling protein and is surprisingly low in fat.

Sugar snap peas, baby carrots, red pepper strips, and celery are a great way to keep your chompers busy, especially when paired with low-cal hummus. Nasoya Super Hummus is fantastic: It has half the fat and twice as much protein as many brands. Or add a packet of ranch-dressing mix to fat-free Greek yogurt. And if you've never tried jicama, you're missing out! Just peel and cut into sticks--try it with salsa.

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