Developing and maintaining healthy habits for a bountiful life
Snack Well and Live
Well : 20 Healthy, Delicious Snacks
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.
It’s impossible to accomplish anything when your energy level is at rock bottom
because your body doesn’t have the correct fuel. Bottom line, some foods are
better for our bodies than others, and it’s important to pay attention to your
body’s signals. Our bodies are programmed to function as the perfect system,
each organ working to make the whole better. The body is made to prevent
illness and even heal itself when we get sick, but it must have proper
nutrition to do the job.
We’ve all
watched people diet to lose a bunch of weight and end up putting whatever they
lost plus more right back on. That’s because losing weight shouldn’t be the
main goal in the first place. Living a fulfilling life is one of the most
powerful goals we can focus on because it encompasses not only how we look, but
how we feel. Life changes made to reach this goal must be sustainable. We’ll
talk more about sustainable goals later, but for today, let’s start with some
fun, tasty changes that are easy to make and maintain – snacks.
Too often, I
hear people talking about diets that say things like “no snacking between meals.” Don't get me wrong; I understand where they're coming from, but... 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 healthy. Most are old favorites, and you
might find a new twist to liven-up a staple or two, no recipes necessary (in most cases).
Apple slices
and cheese (I like mozzarella and cheddar)
Apple slices
and reduced fat peanut butter
Grilled chicken
strips with light ranch, honey mustard, or red pepper vinaigrette
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, eggs
(just enough to hold it all together). Bake on cookie sheet lined with aluminum
foil) All ingredients to taste.
Gluten-free
wheat crackers and Laughing Cow cheese
Gluten-free
pita chips and tuna (you can use tuna salad with boiled eggs, chopped onions
and light mayo, or just aluminum packed tuna without the extras)
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)
Strawberry
crepes with fresh strawberries, light cream cheese, and yogurt
Graham
crackers and grapes
Banana
pudding bites - Nilla wafers, banana slices, and cool whip
Fruit and
yogurt smoothies (variety is the spice of life, but my fave is frozen strawberries and bananas w/Almond Breeze unsweetened) – If you need to sweeten it, use
Truvia, Sweet Leaf, or Splenda instead of refined sugar. Honey’s also fine.
Chicken
quesadillas with chunky salsa
Snack mix –
(whole grain cereal, pretzels, popcorn, nuts, raisins, cranberries)
Fat-free
yogurt and graham crackers
Fat-free
yogurt and fruit with toasted whole-grain waffles
Hummus and
turkey pita pockets
Baked
cinnamon apples with raisins and real butter (yep, use the real stuff)
Blackberry
crepes with cream cheese (trick here is to buy ready-made crepes)
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
Fruit yogurt
with bran cereal or something like All Fiber (Raisin Bran is good, too, but
higher in refined sugar)
Go forth,
and snack well ;-)
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