One of the
toughest challenges for most of us is finding the best way to eat healthy – not
just for weight loss, but for feeling our best and living productive lives. If
you’re like me, a good snack can be a handy partner while you’re writing and
editing.
Too often, I
hear people talking about diets that say things like “no snacking between meals.”
What? What world do these people live
in? In our busy lives, snacks are essential. Really. So, here’s a list of
snacks to help get anybody over the hump, satisfy cravings for sweet, salty,
and savory, and the best part, they’re mostly healthy. Most are old favorites,
and you might find a new twist to liven-up a staple or two. Only two recipes in
the list, I think ;-)
*Note:
Avoiding gluten? Choose gluten-free dairy, crepes, and tortillas, and of course
choose alternatives to wheat flour products. Safest way is to read the labels
and check-out
this article. Almond milk is a good alternative to dairy, but get the
unsweetened kind
1. Apple
slices and *cheese (I like mozzarella and cheddar)
2. Apple
slices and peanut butter (there’s a reduced fat PB, but check to see what’s
used to replace the fat. Sometimes you come out better without the other
additives)
3. Grilled
chicken strips with *ranch, honey mustard, or red pepper vinaigrette
4. Turkey
and spinach meatballs – Ok, so a bit of a recipe here, but easy peasy. Here
goes: Ground turkey, Bad Byron’s Butt Rub (I know. It’s a southern thang. You
can use salt and pepper to taste instead, but believe me, Butt Rub is worth
trying ;-), chopped onions, minced garlic, frozen spinach, and eggs [just
enough to hold it all together]. Dust with oil of choice. Line cookie sheet
with aluminum foil, spray with Pam or add small amount of oil of choice, and Broil
on heavy-duty cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil) All ingredients to taste.
5. Gluten-free
wheat crackers and Laughing Cow cheese
6. Gluten-free
pita chips and tuna (you can use tuna salad with boiled eggs, chopped onions
and mayo, or just aluminum packed tuna without the extras)
7. Salmon
and light cream cheese spread with chopped purple onions and flat bread (Pink
salmon also comes in aluminum packs you don’t have to drain) Smoked paprika
adds a nice zing!
8. Strawberry
*crepes with fresh strawberries, light cream cheese, and yogurt. Worldmarket
has some delicious pre-made crepes, but if you don’t have one of those locally,
some grocery stores have them in the frozen section near desserts.
9. *Graham
crackers and grapes. Yogurt or Cool whip go well with this one, too.
10.Banana
pudding bites - Nilla wafers, banana slices, vanilla pudding, and cool whip (chop
bananas and mix last 3 ingredients together to avoid making a mess)
11.Fruit and
yogurt smoothies (variety is the spice of life) – If you need to sweeten it, try
raw unrefined sugar. You can also use Truvia, Sweet Leaf, or Splenda instead of
refined sugar. Honey’s also fine, but you might not need any sweeter at all.
12.Chicken
quesadillas with chunky salsa – I like the soft corn tortillas you get near
dairy. Add grilled (or fajita) chicken, cheese and chunky salsa. Wrap it in a
paper towel and nuke it.
13.Make your
own Snack mix – (*whole grain cereal, pretzels, popcorn, nuts, raisins,
cranberries)
14.Fruit
Jello and *graham crackers
15.Fat-free
yogurt and fruit with toasted *whole-grain waffles
16.Hummus
and turkey pita pockets – good cold or hot (my fave hummus is roasted garlic)
It’s easy to find gluten-free pita pockets right next to the gluten-filled kind
J
17.Baked
cinnamon apples with raisins and real butter (yep, use the real stuff – tastes much
better)
18.Blackberry
crepes with cream cheese (trick here is to buy ready-made crepes)
19.Oatmeal/squash
bread (okay. Second recipe, but it’s easy too)
1 cup each oats & butternut squash
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cups skim milk
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons honey
½ cup applesauce
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cups skim milk
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons honey
½ cup applesauce
20.Fruit
yogurt with *bran cereal or something like Kashi, All Fiber (Raisin Bran is
good, too, but higher in refined sugar)
Go forth,
and snack well ;-)
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