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Wheat bread- 2 points a slice. Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup- 5 points a can. Eggs- 2 points an egg.

Ah, the joys of dieting.

I'm back from Minnesota and am adjusting to dieting again! A friend asked me today how the weight loss was going and I said, "It's going, just without me at the moment!" I'm honestly looking forward to heading to the Y tomorrow and getting back in the routine of things. I've been missing my Zumba and pilates! I want to try out the spinning/cycling classes but am a bit intimidated by all the machines. Have you tried it? What did you think about it?

I met with a nutritionist at Flex + Fit, and basically, she told me that I needed to eat more during the day. Hey, I'll take any excuse to do that ;)

I have tried researching some snacks that will not only taste good but will also fill me up longer. Since I'm on Weight Watchers, I don't want to spend so many points on a particular meal; I've been told that I need to graze (eat smaller meals throughout the day) but it's hard! All I want to snack on are the Chips Ahoy! cookies beckoning me from the dark corner of the pantry. While there's such a convenience factor in those prepackaged snacks, I'm finding that they not only cost more than if I were to make them myself, but they also cost me more points and leave me feeling unsatisfied.

So I went out on a search to find snacks that leave all the others behind -- the quest for delicious but nutritious snacks.

Becca's favorite tasty snacks (that just happen to be good for you too!):

1. Cored and sliced apples with peanut butter, chopped pecans, oats, and chocolate chips- Can you say YUM? Instead of the standard apples and peanut butter, mix it up! Pick out your favorite apple and grab a healthy peanut butter (challenging, but I love Smart Balance's Chunky Peanut Butter -- it's all-natural, naturally sweetened, protein rich, and doesn't have all those hydrogenated oils!). Add pecans (which are heart healthy), oats (which are filling) and chocolate chips (which satisfy that insatiable sweet tooth)! Just be mindful of the quantity of the peanut butter and the chocolate chips and you're well on your way to happy dieting!

2. Homemade trail mix, made with a high fiber cereal, dried fruit, peanuts, pecans and dark chocolate chips- I'm a huge fan of trail mix and, unfortunately, most of the ones out there are pretty costly with Weight Watchers! When you make your own trail mix, you're able to monitor what goes in it so you can add more of the good stuff (fruit, fiber rich cereal, etc.) and leave out the bad guys (excessive candies and chocolates). I like this trail mix because of the nuts, fiber, and little taste of sweetness. :)

3. One cup of Greek Yogurt with sliced mango and a sprinkle of Grapenuts- I'm always trying to add some yogurt into my day and this is a perfect way to do it! The sweetness of the mango and Grapenuts offsets the tanginess of the yogurt. This would be a perfect way to begin your morning without breaking the diet!

4. Graham crackers with light cream cheese and sliced red grapes- Finally! A healthy snack that stars one of my favorite crackers -- graham crackers. What a simple and delicious snack for on-the-go moments! Light cream cheese is a Weight Watchers staple (it goes with everything and hardly costs me any points!) and grapes are just refreshing. So pair them together with a sweet graham cracker and you got yourself a "two thumbs up" kind of snack.

5. Mango smoothie- I am always in search for a great, new smoothie and here's my latest favorite. It can't get much simpler than this: all you need is a mango, mango yogurt, and a splash of orange juice. Just be careful of sugar content in the mango yogurt; if it's too much, just use the nonfat Greek Yogurt and bump up the mango!

(I got all of these recipes from this site - there are a lot more snacks on the website so check it out!)

I've been trying to figure out what to do with hummus lately. If you haven't given hummus a chance, do it! Hummus has some great perks: rich in protein, contains little to no cholesterol and protects the heart from many diseases. Not to mention, it's delish. Since mayo is a big no-no in Weight Watchers, I've had to find something to replace it. Guess what I replaced it with? C'mon, guess! That's right, hummus. Sound weird? I thought it did too until I tried it and believe me when I say, I wouldn't go back to mayo. I can have so much more on my sandwich without sacrificing as many points as I would have to using mayo.

Here's how it breaks down:

1 tsp. of mayo = 1 pt. (who puts 1 tsp. of mayo on a sandwich?)
2 tbs. of mayo = 6 pts. (WOWZA!)

and here's hummus to save the day:

1 tsp. of hummus = 0 pts.
2 tbs. of hummus = 1 pt. (I know! I know!)

I only have 31 points to spend during the day... do you think I'm going to spend 6 whole points on mayo? I don't think so! Why would you ever consider going back??

Hummus also brings a cool flavor to the sandwich, which I dig. I also like hummus with Trader Joe's Whole Wheat Tandoori Naan (Indian style flatbread); I'm drooling just thinking about it. It's good stuff and no home should be without it. I paired it with hummus one day and danced around my kitchen, it was THAT good. I will see what else goes with hummus, but these two ideas are a sure staple in my book. Please try it and let me know what you think!

My mom has been getting kind of frustrated with me lately; I keep trying out new dishes and desserts from Weight Watchers and what I find on Pinterest, and in the process, I dirty up her kitchen.

I hope this helps y'all out -- be sure to let me know what you think! I would love to know what snacks fill you up without sacrificing your hard-earned weight loss!

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