Nutritional tip

Low-Cal Treats Under 50 Calories Each!

By Garry Messick
eDiets Contributor

Fruit Bars -- These are healthy alternatives to popsicles. Various companies put out bars made of fruit juice and/or fruit pulp without added sugar, which you can find in your grocer's freezer. They're usually about 30 to 50 calories each.

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Cinnamon Sugar Popcorn -- Make 4 cups of popcorn and put it in a bowl. Add 3 packets of Splenda or Equal, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of light brown sugar and 1 melted tablespoon of your favorite brand of zero-calorie butter substitute. Mix it all up and you have four servings of one delicious snack. Be a mensch and share it with your buddies. Each serving has about 50 calories.

Root Beer Float -- Fill a tumbler about 3/4 of the way with diet root beer, then drop in a 1/4 cup of light vanilla ice cream. It tastes darn close to the "real thing," and it comes in at right about 50 calories.

Eight Large Strawberries -- If unadulterated strawberries aren't sweet enough for you, cut it back to five and cover them with two teaspoons of confectioner's sugar. Either way, you're looking at only around 45 to 49 calories. Strawberries are berry, berry good to you!

Jelly Toast -- It's not just for breakfast anymore! Toast a slice of bread (preferably whole-grain) and coat with that zero-cal butter substitute we talked about earlier. Spread a teaspoon of your favorite jam or jelly on it. Bada-bing, bada-boom: 50 quick calories.

Gelatin Drink -- Get a box of sugar-free gelatin, whatever flavor you please. Prepare the mix as directed, but instead of refrigerating to solidify it, simply drink it. It's surprisingly filling, and only about 10 to 40 calories, depending on the brand.

A Medium-Sized Peach -- We're talking about38 calories, plus some fiber and vitamins. And here's a great little variation to just eating it straight: Cut the peach in half and grill it. You'll caramelize the natural sugars, and it tastes dee-lish.

Five Maraschino Cherries -- Give the sundaes to the kids (sob!), and keep the maraschinos for you. They're savory-sweet and five of them add up to just 50 calories.

Pudding -- Get a sugar-free, fat-free pudding mix, and make it with skim milk. You can add a little Splenda if you want it sweeter. There are virtually no calories.

Two Large Marshmallows -- If you want to scorch them with a lighter and pretend you're camping, go right ahead. Or eat just one -- coated in chocolate syrup. Either way, you're only sucking in a measly 46 calories.

Watermelon -- One cup of watermelon pieces equals 50 calories, not counting the seeds. (Come on, are you really that hungry?)

A Medium-Sized Tomato -- Slice it up, sprinkle lightly with your favorite seasoning. Refreshing and delicious -- and just 35 calories.