For those of us who are just getting into a healthier lifestyle, dieting, or just plain old getting into the trending #CleanEatingChallenge, one of the most trying times of the day is merienda time.
In Filipino culture, we grew up with merienda time being closely associated with sweets. Cookies, chips, and every possible junk food you can think of. So, if you’re getting into the whole healthy eating right now, it might feel like merienda is backing you into a very deprived, soulless, hapless corner. We’ve made a list to disprove this misconception. Without getting too technical, here are accessible, affordable, and easily doable snacks all under 200 calories.
Popperoo popcorn from 7-Eleven
Price: P55
Calorie count: 180
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Dubious, you might think, but the convenience store’s microwaveable popcorn is actually a steal for healthy eaters. For less than a P100, you can enjoy a whole bowl of cheesy or buttery popcorn in just 2 min. You won’t even make that big of a dent in your calorie intake.
Make-your-own banana chips
Price: P100
Calorie count: 180
With a handful of bananas and one lemon from the supermarket, you can easily make your own cleaner version of banana chips. We found this recipe from eHow.com that teaches you how in six easy steps. An ounce only carries 147 calories.
Fitbar available in 7-Eleven and supermarkets
Price: P23.25
Calorie count: 110
They’re good for hikes, treks, road trips, or days you don’t feel like doing food prep. You can grab one from a convenience or grocery store for only P23.25
Baked apple
Calorie count: 103
This one is perfect if you’re feeling a little indulgent. It gives you that apple pie taste minus all the calories and fat, and all you need is peanut butter, cinnamon, an apple, water, light brown sugar, and a couple other spices. You can check out the recipe here.
Boiled egg from eateries and 7-Eleven
Price: P10
Calorie count: 75-80
Soft or hard-boiled, here’s a savory snack option. This one is actually the cheapest in the list. You can buy it for only P10 in any eatery, or even make it at home. They also sell hard-boiled eggs in 7-Eleven.
Photos courtesy of EHow.com, DailyBurn.com, IncredibleEgg.org, EasyHealthyOptions.com, and Popperoo.com
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