But, when done right, a snack can be a good thing. I nearly always need something to tide me over between lunch and dinner, especially because if I don't, I'll eat way too much of dinner! Here are some things I usually snack on -- give me your favorite snacks in the comments sections!
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1. Fruit salad. Depending on the season, fruit salad is one of my favorite snacks. My favorite fruits to chop up and include are strawberries, grapes, mango, and banana. As summer comes along, we're getting into prime fruit salad season!
2. Celery, Carrots, and Hummus. Hummus is a delicious dip for any raw vegetables, but celery and carrots happen to be my favorite. Hummus is so easy to make yourself. Just put tahini, chickpeas, olive oil, and lemon juice in a food processor and blend it together. (You can find Tahini near the peanut butter in the grocery store.) However, if you don't want to make your own, I've found that Trader Joe's has delicious and inexpensive hummus. Try the edamame variety -- it's to die for.
3. Cottage cheese with diced tomatoes and black pepper. To some, this might sound a little weird. But it's a great snack, full of protein from the cottage cheese, and definitely full of flavor. Measure out half a cup of cottage cheese, top with half a tomato that's been diced, and then sprinkle some black pepper in. It will keep you full for hours!
4. Greek Yogurt with Strawberries. Greek Yogurt used to be expensive, but you can purchase individual servings of the protein-packed, creamy snack for $1 or less now. Get the 2 percent or fat-free kind and top it with strawberry slices for a decadent, yet healthy mid-afternoon snack.
5. Half a bagel with cream cheese and cucumbers. A bagel topped with low-fat cream cheese and slices of cucumber is one of my favorite breakfasts of all time (seriously). Because a bagel itself is a little high-calorie for a snack, cut it in half (and make sure it's whole-wheat!) Alternatively, use one of the mini-bagels in its place.
