Diet Tip #1: Stock Your Fridge

You want to have the basics for fast snacks or speedy mini meals. Here's what to get:

1. Nonfat or 2 percent Greek yogurt. Some studies suggest that a high-calcium diet can aid weight loss in the midsection. And the pros say this stuff is creamier than regular yogurt and more satisfying because of its unbelievably high protein content.

2. Low-calorie cheese. Try Alouette Light or Laughing Cow Light cheese, which Lisa Lillien, creator of hungry-girl.com and author of Hungry Girl: 200 Under 200 (St. Martin's Press), incorporates into mini omelets and faux alfredo sauce. Nonfat feta is also a good choice.

3. High-fiber crackers and cereal. They'll fill you up, tame hunger pangs, and keep your body from crashing-and-burning through sugary calories. Look for GG Bran crackers, or Fiber One, All-Bran, or Trader Joe's High-Fiber cereals.

4. Eggs. At about 100 calories each, with heart- and brain-healthy omega-3s, they're a perfect source of complete protein. Plus, recent research suggests that eating them for breakfast helps people lose weight.

5. Prewashed salad greens and no-fat or low-fat salad dressing. The easier a salad is to make, the more apt you are to eat it. Go for mixes with darker greens and red lettuces, as opposed to the pale and less nutritious iceberg, and look for the Newman's Own Lighten Up line of dressings. (They taste great.)

6. Fresh fruit and vegetables. They satisfy the stress-eater's need for crunch without a ton of calories. Stock your crisper with a bags of baby carrots, pack Tupperware with celery sticks floating in water (to keep them crunchy), or slice cucumbers and splash them with a little light rice vinegar so they won't go flimsy. When you're feeling especially peckish, have a crisp apple, like a Fuji or Gala, unpeeled to maintain the fiber.

7. 100-calorie packs of almond butter. It offers more nutrients than peanut butter and is a good shot of hunger-quelling protein and healthy fat. Most important, it's in a portion-controlled packet to keep you in control. Try a little knead-and-squeeze packet of Justin's Almond Butter (on crackers or apple slices) when you're ravenous.
 

(courtesy of allure.com)