Skinny Foods

Presenting…11 delicious, diet-friendly foods that offer phenomenal calorie bargains. If you’re looking for creative ways to enhance your weight loss efforts, give these tasty bites a try!

1. Air-Popped Popcorn: One cup of “naked” air-popped popcorn (without any added butter or oil) has only 30 calories! If you don’t own an air popper, you can make plain popcorn right in your microwave. Add 4 tablespoons popcorn kernels to a brown paper lunch bag, fold over the edge of the bag twice to close it, and microwave the bag on high for 1.5 to 2 minutes. (Microwave times will vary; it will take a few trial runs to figure out the perfect amount of time required to pop the kernels without burning them.) To kick up the flavor, sprinkle your popcorn with Parmesan cheese, spices (chili powder and cumin, yum!), or even hot sauce.

2. Water Chestnuts: Sliced water chestnuts have a super satisfying crunch—a texture a lot of dieters crave after giving up potato chips and other snack foods. You can munch your way through a whole can for just 50 calories. They also make a crisp, refreshing addition to low-fat chicken or tuna salad. Bonus: Water chestnuts are a non-starchy veggie, which means you can eat them in unlimited quantities while following my plan!

3. Salsa: With less than 20 calories per ¼ cup, salsa is a dieter’s best friend. Bottled or fresh, salsa makes a terrific, low-cal dip for crunchy veggies like baby carrots and celery sticks. It’s also the perfect diet-friendly condiment for sandwiches, burgers, and baked potatoes—use it as a flavorful replacement for mayo, sour cream, butter, and other fattening toppers.

4. Grape Tomatoes: One cup of grape tomatoes clocks in at only 30 calories. These bite-sized nibbles are sweet, colorful, and ideal for snacking since you can pop ‘em in your mouth one at a time. And, if you’re following my weight loss plan, they count as an unlimited food…so munch to your heart’s content!

5. Plain Nonfat Greek Yogurt: A 6-ounce container of plain nonfat Greek yogurt has around 100 calories and 15 to 18 filling grams of protein (that’s more than double the protein content of traditional nonfat yogurt). Jazz up plain yogurt with chopped fruit, vanilla extract, or a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.

6. Grapefruit: One of the few seasonal winter fruits, grapefruit are refreshing, hydrating, and sweet. One large grapefruit is only 120 calories and, since you eat the flesh one segment at a time, it automatically helps you pace your eating.

7. Atomic Fireballs: Yes, ironic to see a nutritionist touting a nutrient-less sugar bomb, but these fiery treats win my award for best calorie value in candy! One extra-large fireball has just 40 calories and will last for a looooong time (it’s rock-hard, so you can’t just chomp through it like you can with other hard candies). Plus, their intense heat totally curbs your urge to snack on other foods.

8. Naturally-Flavored Seltzer: Naturally-flavored seltzer is simply carbonated water with a shot of fruit flavor—it doesn’t contain sugar, artificial sweeteners, food dyes, or anything else! It’s completely calorie-free, fizzes like soda, and comes in fun flavors like lime, orange, pomegranate…even vanilla and white chocolate. For sweetness and pizzazz, float a few fruit slices or frozen fruit cubes made with 100% juice in your glass.

9. Egg Whites: Egg whites are pure, high-quality protein and just 17 calories apiece, which makes them the ideal ingredient for a low-cal breakfast with high fill power. Scramble 4 to 5 whites with any sautéed veggies (I like a combo of spinach, tomatoes, and onions) and top with a dollop of salsa (another skinny food from this list!).

10. Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins: Sandwich thins and flats are one of the best new food products for dieters! That’s because you get TWO halves for the same calorie count as ONE slice of bread (100 calories). Use these versatile, whole grain buns to build turkey or chicken sandwiches, or lightly spread them with nut butter or reduced-fat cream cheese for a smart bagel substitute.

11. Vegetable Soup: Studies have shown that just by starting a meal with a fiber-rich bowl of broth-based vegetable soup, you can reduce your total calorie intake by 20 percent. The soup takes the edge off your hunger and fills you up quickly, so you end up eating less of your main entrée. That’s exactly why I encourage dieters following my plan to start dinner with a bowl of Joy’s Skinny Veggie Soup (find the recipe at joybauer.com).