Sensible Snacking
A commitment to a healthful lifestyle is a giant first step to a lifestyle disease-free future. But don’t stop there; good intentions alone don’t guarantee victory. The ultimate goal, which is a massive leap, is to plan your meals in advance.
Wait, don’t panic! You can take a baby step that will yield grown up rewards: plan your snacks.These mini-meals can prove disastrous if consumed mindlessly. Set yourself up for success by stocking snacks smartly.
Dark chocolate, in moderation, is a healthful snack!
Granted, a few of the snacks below do need some quick prep, but if you can commit 5 minutes to whip up a component, you’ll be left with tasty rewards. Healthy nibbles, plus versatile ingredients will be on hand to accentuate other dishes. For example, you can use hummus as part of a million meals, and it’s handy to have chocolate ganache in the fridge- which does have a long shelf life- to make a banana and ganache sandwich as a special treat. A tablespoon of ganache melted into hot milk makes for a mighty hot chocolate! No whipped cream needed.
Check out these quick, easy, and HEALTHFUL snacks that appeal to all kinds of cravings: sweet, salty, sour, and umami.
Nosh mindfully, and enjoy the natural goodness of real food.
- 1 oz of Hummus and a dozen carrot & celery sticks
- 1 oz of goat cheese smeared on a half dozen whole grain crackers
- Half of an avocado, drizzled with balsamic vinegar, spooned out of it’s skin
- Organic celery stalks stuffed with 1 oz of peanut butter and sprinkled with raisins- a.k.a. ants on a log
- Chobani vanilla yogurt with a sliced peach, pear, or handful of blueberries, or dried cranberries
- “Trail Mix”- combine 1 oz salted nuts, 1 oz golden raisins, and 1 Tbsp chocolate chips
- A small can of tuna, smashed with 1/2 cup of white beans garnished with a chopped, jarred roasted pepper
- A half cantaloupe and an a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese
- Banana & chocolate on whole wheat toast!
- V-8 ‘buffet’- A glass of V-8 spiked with Tobasco and lime juice, garnished with olives, celery & cucumber spears
- Beans mixed with salsa, rolled in a tortilla
- Hard boiled egg (make a bunch at a time and store in the fridge) smashed with a dollop of sour cream or mayo with a dash of hot sauce and a sliced cornichon.
What do you make for quick, healthy snacks?
