Remember: the first thing to do when your mind says “EAT” is to drink a full glass of water. Then decide whether you really need something.

Spread bean dip, spinach dip, or other low-carb dip or spread on the lunch meat or lettuce and then roll it up

Spread 2 tablespoons purchased hummus on an 8-inch low-carb tortilla. Top with 1/4 of a red sweet pepper, sliced, and four quartered cherry tomatoes. Roll up the tortilla and cut into 1-inch slices for bite-size treats.

For a crunchy, south-of-the-border snack, dip 1/2 of a red sweet pepper, sliced, and 1/2 cup carrot sticks in 1/4 cup purchased guacamole. You’ll cover your daily needs for vitamin A with the carrots, plus you’ll more than meet your daily vitamin C needs thanks to the sweet pepper strips.

Mash 1/4 of a peeled avocado and stir in a dash of garlic salt. Spread onto a slice of toasted light whole grain bread and top with a couple of tomato slices for a snack that is packed with flavor and fiber. Even with the generous amount of avocado, this snack contains only 150 calories.

Tuna salad doesn’t have to be reserved for lunch. Combine 2 ounces of drained water-packed light tuna with 1 teaspoon light mayonnaise and 1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard, and spoon the mixture atop 2 rye crisps for a satisfying snack packed with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

Seeds and Nuts (raw almonds are best)

Fresh Fruit (I like buying frozen and snacking on that as well, even in the winter!)

pickles

Hard boiled egg

Celery with tuna salad

Celery or Cucumber with fat-free black bean dip

Celery with hummus

Cucumber with hummus (though watch portions on hummus)

Frozen Grapes (these are AMAZING)

Sliced Cucumbers Topped With Hummus – Sabra Roasted Red Pepper is our favorite!

Apples

Meal Replacement Bars – Cut into bite sized pieces and keep in a baggie in your car or purse for when you need “just a little something” to get you by.

Grape tomatoes:

Sliced apples, with a few drops of lemon juice, in snack baggies for a quick snack

Progresso Light Homestyle Vegetable and Rice Microwave Soup

Celery with 1 tablespoon reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel). Top with 5 sliced pimiento-stuffed green olives. Makes: 1 serving. Per serving: 62 calories.

Watermelon: Everyone has experienced the stuffed feeling that comes from this colorful fruit. The water invades the space that your stomach leaves open for food, thus making you less likely to pig out. Apples and pears produce a similar result, too.

Berries

Hot peppers: Although they haven’t been directly linked to weight loss, spicy habaneros or jalapeños aid in curbing the desire to gorge since we typically eat less when our food has a fiery flavor. Hot peppers also comprise the compound capsaicin, which speeds up the metabolism.

Ice cold water: Drink eight to ten glasses of ice cold water a day to burn 250 to 500 calories! Your body goes into overdrive trying to heat the water back up to your normal body temperature.