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These guilt-free goodies may be hard to find. But if you crave chocolate candy, muffins, peanut butter, potato chips, and more, these low-cal swaps are worth seeking out. And lucky you -- HG is here to tell you how to get 'em...
Better'n Peanut Butter (also sold as Peanut Wonder)
(2 tbsp: 100 calories, 2.5g fat, 190mg sodium, 13g carbs, 0g fiber, 2g sugars, 4g protein)
While "reduced fat" peanut butters exist, those still have around 12 grams of fat and the same amount of calories as the regular stuff (no nutritional bargains there). Better'n Peanut Butter has 85% less fat and 40% fewer calories than regular peanut butter. It's a little sweeter and creamier than regular PB and works GREAT in dessert recipes (low-fat FUDGE, mousse, milkshakes and more!). You can snatch this stuff up at Trader Joe's locations, where they often stock the low-sodium version (just 95mg per serving). No TJ's in your town? You can buy it online here (just enter Peanut Wonder into the search bar!).
LesserEvil Krinkle Sticks
(1 cup: 110 calories, 2.5g fat, 230 - 280mg sodium, 20g carbs, 2g fiber, 0 - 2g sugars, 2g protein)
Here's an INSANE guilt-free swap that french fry lovers will flip for. They're crispy and shaped like actual fries, they come in 4 awesome flavors (including Old School Bar-B-Que and Cajun Kaboom!), and they have 75% LESS fat than potato chips. You may already be familiar with LesserEvil's gourmet popcorn line, but these potato-y treats are even better -- but a little more difficult to locate. We buy ours online here (check out the customizable 4-packs -- you can choose from all their flavors of Krinkle Sticks AND Kettle Corns!). HG Tip! Dip these in ketchup to get the full french fry experience.
Vitalicious VitaTops - Deep Chocolate, Double Chocolate Dream, Fudgy Peanut Butter Chip
(1 Top: 100 calories, 1.5g fat, 220mg sodium, 24g carbs, 6g fiber, 10 - 12g sugars, 3 - 5g protein)
The ultimate chocolate fix, these low-calorie, low-fat, and high-fiber muffin tops are also packed with vitamins and minerals. And they taste like bad-for-you pastries (and we mean that in a good way). They're on the rise in popularity, so you can sometimes find these muffin snacks in supermarkets. But the best place to get 'em is online. VitaBrownies are also available -- they too have just 100 calories -- and they ROCK! (BTW, VitaTops also come in non-chocolate flavors like BlueBran, CranBran and MultiBran -- we love those, too, but the chocolate ones need to be singled out because of how special they are!)
Vivi's Original Sauce Classic Carnival Mustard
(1 tbsp = 15 calories, 0g fat, 230mg sodium, 4g carbs, 1g sugars, 0g protein)
A lovely schoolteacher named Vivian is the woman behind this super sauce. And the secret recipe was created by her grandmother (also named Vivian) a loooong time ago. But even better than the cute story of all those Vivians is the way this so-called carnival mustard tastes. Chunky and zesty, it's like a cross between salsa, mustard, and sweet dipping sauce. It also comes in garlic and chipotle flavors (great, too). Spread some on sandwiches, chicken, and fish, and use as a dipping sauce for nearly anything (you won't BELIEVE what it does to boring old celery!). Our jars of this stuff wind up empty super-fast, so we recommend ordering in bulk.
Chocolite Candy
(1 piece: 30 calories, 2g fat, 40mg sodium, 8g carbs, 6g fiber, 0g sugars, 1g protein)
If you're looking for a way to enjoy a caramel, nut, and nougat-packed chocolate candy for just 30 calories per piece (um, who isn't?), you are in MAJOR luck. These chewy treats really are an awesome swap for high-calorie chocolates, like the ones you find at Godiva, See's, etc.! Don't be duped by other sugar-free chocolates on supermarket shelves that have as many calories and as much fat as the originals. Added bonus: Each piece also has 6 grams of filling fiber! Choose from decadent Almond Fudge, Crispy Caramel, Pecan Cluster, and Peanut Chews. This one little link will connect you tons of places to find 'em. Go on, click it!
HG Heads-Up! These candies do contain sugar alcohols -- 1 gram of the stuff per piece. While sugar alcohols (like xylitol and maltitol) are common in many sugar-free products like gum and hard candy, we just wanted to point this out in case you are sensitive to it.
Gnu Bars
(1 bar: 130 - 140 calories, 3g fat, 30 - 55mg sodium, 30 - 32g carbs, 12g fiber, 8 - 9g sugars, 3 - 4g protein)
There's no doubt that the bar world is overcrowded. But these MUST be singled out for their taste and super-awesome nutritional stats. These Gnu (pronounced new) bars pack in practically half a day's worth of fiber, are naturally sweetened without any funky ingredients, and are pretty big for their mere 130 - 140 calories. Get your fruit-n-nuts fix with Banana Walnut or kick a chocolate craving with Chocolate Brownie. There's also the awesome Cinnamon Raisin (tastes just like a chewy oatmeal cookie!) and Orange Cranberry. Find them all online here.
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