I spent years thinking healthy snacks meant celery sticks and disappointment. The office vending machine was a wheel of temptations and the “health” alternatives I brought from home — rice cakes, raw almonds, plain yogurt — tasted like punishment. I would eat them for three days, then break down and buy a bag of chips.

The problem was not my willpower. The problem was that I was eating sad food. Here are snacks I actually look forward to, all under 200 calories and made from real ingredients.

” alt=”Healthy snack board with fruit, nuts, and yogurt”>

Savory

Roasted chickpeas. Drain a can, pat dry, toss with olive oil, salt, and smoked paprika. Spread on a baking sheet, roast at 400°F for 25-30 minutes until crunchy. They taste like corn nuts but are actually beans. I make a batch Sunday night and they last all week in a jar on the counter. Crunchy, salty, satisfying.

Cucumber rounds with cream cheese and everything bagel seasoning. Slice cucumber into thick coins, spread a thin layer of cream cheese, sprinkle everything seasoning. It tastes like a bagel but the cucumber base means you can eat a whole plate for under 150 calories. This is my 3pm desk snack.

Edamame with flaky salt. Frozen edamame in the pod, microwaved for 2 minutes, sprinkled with coarse salt. Pop the beans out with your teeth. The act of shelling them slows you down so you cannot mindlessly inhale a bowl in 30 seconds. The protein and fiber actually fill you up.

Sweet

Frozen grapes. Wash, dry, freeze on a baking sheet, transfer to a bag. They come out like mini sorbet bites — cold, sweet, and chewy. A bowl of frozen grapes satisfies the same itch as a bowl of candy but is literally just fruit.

Apple slices with warmed peanut butter. Microwave a tablespoon of peanut butter for 15 seconds and it turns into a warm sauce. Dip apple slices. The warm-cold contrast makes it feel like dessert. Use natural peanut butter — the kind that separates — because the standard kind is loaded with sugar and hydrogenated oil.

Banana “ice cream.” Freeze banana chunks, blend in a food processor until smooth and creamy. It takes about three minutes and the texture is shockingly like soft serve. Add a spoon of cocoa powder or a drop of vanilla. A whole banana makes a bowl of ice cream for about 100 calories.

I have not bought chips in months. Not because I have superhuman discipline — because roasted chickpeas are actually good.