Quick Treats

Quick Treats

Most of the time I keep homemade treats in the freezer that I can take out when I want something sweet to eat. But sometimes these run out before I bake again and replenish them. And sometimes, I just want something different or something that's a favorite. Here are a few of my favorite store-bought treats that don't "break the bank" on calories and sugar consumption. Most of these treats have been a part of my eating plan since the early days of my journey and continue to be.

Candy

First of all, one bar of this candy is not a serving. Actually, the candy is divided into blocks which makes it easy to decide on YOUR serving.

A full serving is 6 blocks, which I rarely have, and the nutrition info is based on that amount. Usually I have two blocks and sometimes four. The sugar content for two blocks is 6.7 g and 13.3 for four blocks.

Note that this candy does have some fiber and protein and is not totally empty calories.

What is good about this candy, at least for me, is that a small serving of two blocks will satisfy a chocolate craving. It's very dense in flavor.

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Cookies

Ahh...vanilla wafers. They are so good with either coffee or milk. From childhood, these cookies have been among my favorites. Of course, they are needed for banana pudding and other recipes, but they are so good just eaten alone.

 Fortunately, they are low in calories and sugar content. Seven of these cookies count as a serving, with  130 calories and have around 10 g. of sugar. 

Frozen Yogurt

When Oh My Yog yogurt came on the market last year, I was so glad to see a whole milk yogurt in a single serving container with different flavors. 

This yogurt can be eaten straight of the fridge and unfrozen for breakfast, or a few containers can be kept in the freezer for treats.

 I especially love the vanilla flavor frozen. It's a wonderful and refreshing summer treat. I almost like it as much as I do vanilla ice cream. 

The sugar content at 28 g. is a little high, but it has 320 mg of potassium, 7 g, protein, 25 percent of daily calcium, and also has Vitamin D. The vanilla flavor has 190 calories and the strawberry and blueberry both have 170 calories.

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Ice Cream

I love chocolate, and chocolate ice cream was always my favorite...until I discovered Aldean's Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. Aldean's also has a Chocolate Chocolate Chip flavor that I really like, but I probably buy more of the Vanilla Bean. It's that good! 

When I started on my weight loss journey, I did not eat ice cream at all for the first seven months. I love ice cream and my regular serving used to be at least one cereal bowl heaping full. When I began eating ice cream again, I looked for an organic brand, because one of the changes I made early in my weight-loss journey was to buy only organic dairy. 

Not only does the Vanilla Bean ice cream taste wonderful, but just take a look at the nutrition info.  A serving (1/2 cup) is 150 calories with 14 g. sugar. The Chocolate Chocolate Chip has 185 calories for a 1/2 cup serving. 

When I went back to eating ice cream, I measured out a serving. And no more cereal bowls! Even if I add an extra 1/4 cup, and sometimes I do, that's still pretty good at 225 calories and 21 g. sugar.

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Graham Crackers

I love graham crackers. No, they are not just for babies and toddlers. There's just something about that flavor. 

Again, I think these crackers are great with coffee or milk. I'm not much of a milk drinker, but I do like a glass of milk with these cookies/crackers. 

A serving, two cracker sheets, is only 130 calories with 7 g. sugar. What a bargain for a treat!

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