Healthy snacks & drinks for gaming?

[Kzach]

So I recently developed a personal diet and exercise program which I really don't want to be tempted away from. Although my program includes snacks, my snack is a piece of fruit or some yoghurt. Not exactly table-food. I really, really, really want to avoid chips and soda at the table and the only way I'm going to do that is by having a desirable alternative.

The problem is in the word 'desirable'. I mean, I know I could just rock up with some fruit salad or celery and low-cal dip or something, but... meh. With Doritos, Smith's, Cheezels, Twisties, Pepsi, Coke, Agrum and other miscellaneous mouth-waterers staring me in the face, it'll be tough competition.

So I'd really like to find a tasty alternative. Maybe even something other people would like so that I could convince them to get it instead of the other things. Any ideas?

 

[S'mon]

Carrot chips are good for chewing on. Add some low-cal dip if you want a nicer taste. Pre-cut bits of celery work well too. Sultanas & raisins are sugary but not too high calory. Nuts are good for you but have plenty of calories, good for normal people but if you're blimp-like & on a low-cal diet you should probably stick to the carrots.

 

[S'mon]

If you have low willpower, want something that seems sweet but actually 0-calorie, then sugar free chewing gum is a possibility. For the love of God though, please don't stick it under the game table when you're done chewing! Put it in a tissue & then to the dustbin.

 

[Dykstrav]

I don't know if this will help you or not, but it works for me.

Whenever I'm on a diet, I don't try to make entire categories of food off-limits--eventually my willpower breaks and I gorge on what I'm trying to avoid. Rather than trying to avoid eating something, I'll make it conditional. For whatever reason, rules help me stick to something.

Want a piece of chocolate? I make myself jog for three minutes longer than I normally do or do thirty extra pushups. An awesome cheese sauce for my otherwise healthy fish-and-vegetable supper? No other dairy for that entire day and the next one too.

Soda pop used to be my big vice, but I just set the rule for myself that I wouldn't drink it with a meal and I would drink only water when thirsty. I treat it like a dessert... And now, I don't really crave it any more. I might have one can a week when I need a pick-me-up or a quick energy boost, but it just doesn't taste as good as it used to. The sugar almost burns going down.

Maybe you could tie it to specific in-game accomplishments? Like you can have a treat if you land a crit or lose an in-party bid on a magic item?

From personal experience... I highly recommend that you don't try to go cold turkey--make your "vice foods" a rare treat, and set some sort of condition for yourself to "earn" it. Most people that try to go cold turkey eventually break and gorge all at once.

 

[Bedrockgames]

I think part of it is developing a taste for healthy foods. I actually don't care much for chips and snacks (I just find them too dry, bready and artificial tasting). But this wasn't always the case. Once I started eating vegetables regularly my palate changed.

One thing you can do to make vegetables more appetizing is variety. Sometimes at my games I put out a platter of vegetables with some olive oil (which you can season to taste) and whole wheat crackers or a little cheese (I usually go with low fat mozzarella, but there are plenty of alternatives). Of course if you just eat the cheese and crackers it won't do you much good. You really want to eat mostly the veggies.

Some suggestions:

-Artichoke Hearts (you can get these in a jar, but check salt content if a concern): I think these taste incredible.
-Peppers: There are endless varieties of peppers, some hot, some sweet, you can also get them pickled.
-Olives
-Tomatoes
-Celery: I happen to love celery for the texture.
-Fennel: This tastes a little like licorice and is great cold or cooked. Just slice it up and serve

 

[Ahnehnois]

I've made a habit of drinking sodas during sessions, but high-quality sodas, of the sort one finds in specialty of health food markets. They still have sugar, but there are typically some healthier components: real fruit, real spices, etc. I find it easy to drink them in moderation because they taste a lot better and because they're more expensive. I find the same true with chips (i.e. tastier and more expensive enables smaller portion eating) but I typically eat a meal r ight before a game session and don't snack while playing.

My group's drink of choice has been Reed's Spiced Apple Brew, but we've also done Virgil's colas and root beers, Fentiman's herbal sodas, Trader Joe's fruit-based sodas, Izze sparkling juices, and probably a few others. One 20 oz bottle of perfectly chilled Spiced Apple Brew has more flavor in it than any two-liter bottle at the supermarket, and it has some health value. As a general sentiment, I think if you look around, you might be able to find stuff that fits your needs and tastes good.

 

[nedjer]

Five fruit a day is so often read as the same five fruit every day

 

[NewJeffCT]

Almonds can be pretty tasty and are also healthy. Carrots/baby carrots and something healthy to dip them in...

I only drink water at the table, so I can't help you with drinks.

 

[Kzach]

Carrot chips are good for chewing on. Add some low-cal dip if you want a nicer taste. Pre-cut bits of celery work well too. Sultanas & raisins are sugary but not too high calory. Nuts are good for you but have plenty of calories, good for normal people but if you're blimp-like & on a low-cal diet you should probably stick to the carrots.

Umm... as I said, this is the obvious alternative and one that I could've thought of myself and am specifically trying to avoid. Hence why I'm asking for suggestions. You know... for things that I couldn't come up with after a millisecond of thought on the matter.

 

[Bedrockgames]

Umm... as I said, this is the obvious alternative and one that I could've thought of myself and am specifically trying to avoid. Hence why I'm asking for suggestions. You know... for things that I couldn't come up with after a millisecond of thought on the matter.

If you are looking for something that is still snacky, lays baked potato chips are pretty good. I don't know where they stand in terms of salt content, but they are lower fat than regular chips. I've also seen lots of stuff in the healthfood aisle that uses healthier oils, bakes or incoporates more nutritious ingredients into their products. Can think of a specific brand.I think Beanitos Bean Chips are on the healthy side.

Another excellent alternative is Hummus (maybe someone has mentioned this already). This is quite healthy (provided you aren't eating too much, and if you can eat it with a mix of veggies and pita bread (real fresh middle eastern pita bread-which you can get pretty easily these days) is wonderful tasting and has a great chewy texture.