So, you’re on a diet (or just trying to eat healthier) and you want some good stuff to eat – but you can’t think of anything beyond the obvious boring vegetables, lean chicken breast, and fruit. Today we’ve got a few great ideas for diet friendly foods that will tantalize your taste buds without breaking the caloric bank.

Diet Friendly Foods Idea #1 – Tasty Wrap

One whole wheat tortilla (100 calories)
1/4 of an avacado, mashed (70 cal)
2 tbsp salsa (mild, medium or hot, 20 cal)

Mash the avacado and spread in the center of the tortilla. Add salsa, roll it up and enjoy cold, or warm it under the broiler for a few minutes to give the tortilla a nice crisp edge. Great snack for less than 200 calories.

If you want to include some protein, add 3 oz. chicken breast, cooked and cubed (150 cal); or 1/2 cup of pinto beans (120 cal), or 3 oz. of cooked shrimp (90 cal).

Diet Friendly Foods Idea #2 – Tangy Salad

For a snack or a light meal with crunch and tang, try a flavorful salad like the one below:

1 cup baby spinach leaves, raw (10 cal)
1/2 cup sliced cucumber, raw with peel (10 cal)
1/4 cup diced green bell peppers, raw (10 cal)
1 medium tomato, sliced or diced, raw (35 cal)
(or 7 cherry tomatoes, 35 cal)
1/4 cup diced red onion, raw (60 cal)
3 radishes, sliced, raw (5 cal)

(*Substitute any of the above for your favorite veggies!)

Dressing:

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (120 cal) and 1 tbsp red wine vinegar (3 cal) – drizzle over salad, toss.

To add a bit of sweetness to the salad, you could add:

1/2 cup strawberries (25 cal) or 1/2 cup raspberries (35 cal)

There are endless variations for this salad, and all of them are delicious, filling, and low in calories.

Diet Friendly Foods Idea #3 – Portable Low-Cal Snacks

One of the hardest things about being on a diet is eating on the go! The snack ideas below are easy to take with you, and still low in calories:

Celery sticks (approximately 1 calorie per “stick” of celery, 4″ long section)
Apple, with skin (medium, 95 cal)
Banana (medium, 100 cal)
10 black (ripe) olives (40 cal)
10 green olives (40 cal)
Hard-boiled egg (80 cal)
Almonds, raw, 1 ounce (165 cal)
Raisins, 1 ounce (85 cal)

There are literally hundreds of diet friendly foods out there – get creative in finding ways to spice up your meals and snacks, and you will never be bored on a diet again!