You know what else is good if you’re into cake type snacks? Hostess makes these little 100-calorie packs of their chocolate cupcakes. They’re much smaller, of course, but I think they taste almost as good and – if memory serves – you can have the whole pack for 1 point. Not too shabby!

In general I try to stay away from 100-calorie packs because I still suffer from major portion control issues (the Weight Watchers individually-wrapped chocolate chip cookies are utterly irresistible to me…I can’t stop ’til I’ve eaten the entire box), but I never had a problem with the Hostess cupcakes for some reason. They seem to hit the spot.

That soup sounds great…and I go ga ga for any kind of Mexican food, so I bet I’d love the salsa as much as you do! I’ll definitely look out for them both next time I’m at Trader Joes. I LOVE that place. (And, to answer your question, NOBODY eats half a package of soup). haha

Thanks for the new additions to my Trader Joes shopping list!

This week a tried something new from Trader Joes. It’s the instant miso soup packets. Just add hot water kind of thing. As far as miso soup goes, it’s pretty darn good. And one package is 2 points and makes 2 cups of soup. They say a serving is half a package. Who eats a half package of instant soup?! NO ONE!

And speaking of Trader Joes, I practically BATHE in their pico de gallo salsa. I put it on everything. Scrambled eggs, baked potatoes, turkey burgers and instead of salad dressing in my salads. Love the stuff. If they ever stop making it, I just might die!

I will be on the hunt now too for the 100 calorie packs of dry roasted almonds. Thanks again for all the tips!

Thanks so much for checking out my blog. It’s great to hear from you!

I must insist you try the muffin tops! I try to eat “clean,” too; my favorite go-to snacks truly are apples, oranges, raw nuts, egg whites, bananas, etc. But these are the other kinds of snacks that help keep me on plan and and not feeling deprived or as if I’m on a “diet.”

I love chocolate and I’ve always had a thing for muffins and cakes – I can’t tell you how many times a week I used to stop at Dunkin’ Donuts for one of their gigantic chocolate chip muffins (shudder) for breakfast. So the Vitatop products are a great way for me to get that taste of what I love in a healthier way. Same goes for Fiber One bars!

Oh, and the muffin tops definitely don’t make me crave other not-so-point-friendly cake items. I wouldn’t worry too much about that. If anything, they help me squash the cravings!

Feel free to keep checking back; I post often! If you’re on Twitter, you can follow me for blog updates @jenniferlnelson

Jen

I too eat many of the items you listed but a few I don’t and appreciate the ideas. Especially the muffin tops. I keep seeing people talk about them but worry they’ll just make me want more cake type stuff. And I try to eat “clean” food – not so much processed stuff but I do rely on my Fiber One bar every day and the WW oatmeal in cups. I may just have to break down and try a muffin top! Thank you again.

Kelly

They are all yummy.

Really? I’ve seen other brands, too, that are essentially the same thing. It’s basically just a flattened pretzel! …And yet, such an awesome snack. ;-D

I really came on here to whine that I could not find Pretzel Crisps at my store. I guess I’ll have to venture out to Walmart and look!

I know, I hear you. Some of their products can be a little pricier. And while I truly am one of the most frugal people you’ll ever meet, I think it’s worth the additional costs for snacks that I REALLY enjoy and that will help me stay on program. I can find almost all of these items on sale, and sometimes even scrounge up a coupon, so that helps too.

You can order the VitaMuffins on-line, if you’re interested. I linked the photo straight to their website. In fact, I believe you get them cheaper that way!

I already eat about 1/3 of these, but I am going to take your word and try the others. The ice cream, nuts and pretzel thins look SO yummy. I wish I could find the Vitamuffins here!

Okay, the end.