7 Easy Ways to Lighten Up Your Snacks

Updated May 30, 2013
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Enjoy summertime goodies with these calorie-saving tips!
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Kick it up

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Enjoy summertime goodies with these calorie-saving tips!

Swap that handful of tortilla chips and guacamole for baked pita chips and salsa. The tomatoes in the salsa pack vitamins A and C for relatively few calories, and the pita chips have more protein and half the saturated fat of tortilla chips.

Summer Savings: 130 calories

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Skip the whip

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Like a cool afternoon pick-me-up drink? Skip the whipped cream on top of your tall, blended iced-coffee drink and you’ll save big. Keep that sweetness on top with a light sprinkle of vanilla or chocolate powder.

Summer Savings: 90 calories

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Green up your smoothie

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Even though smoothies have a lot of good-for-you ingredients, they’re often packed with tons of calories. Try blending in zero-calorie green tea rather than the usual low-fat milk. (Bonus: You’ll get a little caffeine jolt.)

Summer Savings: 105 calories

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Pick fruit pops

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If you want a cold treat, choose all-fruit frozen pops instead of the sugar-added variety. The 100 percent ones (try coconut, mango, or pomegranate) will taste yummier, anyway, because they won’t have any of that sticky-sweet aftertaste.

Summer Savings: 85 calories

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Substitute your sweet

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Peach pie à la mode is synonymous with summer, but fresh peaches with a scoop of fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt will save you beaucoup calories, without losing any of the tasty nostalgia.

Summer Savings: 238 calories

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Turn up the heat

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Dust some cayenne powder on high-cal sides like potato salad, and you’ll eat less. According to recent research, the spice boosts flavor and actually curbs your appetite—a win-win.

Summer Savings: 179 calories

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Try this cheat

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Instead of serving pigs in a blanket, wrap thinly sliced prosciutto around bite-size pieces of cantaloupe and secure with a toothpick. You’ll cut carbs, have a leaner cut, and hit nearly all your daily vitamin A and C needs. Plus, it’s a delicious warm-weather snack!

Summer Savings: 194 calories

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