Healthy Snack Ideas

Healthy snacks can help you to maintain a productive energy level, stick to your diet and keep your metabolism on an even keel. There is a myth that says between meal snacking is not good for you. Actually, eating good, healthy snacks in small quantities can be very good for you. Let’s take a look at the good things healthy snacks can do for you.

Having a good variety of healthy snack options available at home, at work and on the go helps to keep you from getting too hungry. When you go too many hours between meals your blood sugar drops and your metabolism begins to slow down. At your next opportunity to eat you may then feel the urge to over-eat because you are so hungry.

Giving your body a steady quantity of high-quality fuel helps to keep your blood sugar on a much more even keel, and it can keep you from over-eating.

You should always choose snacks that will support your healthy living goals. Make it a habit to factor snack
supplies in to your grocery shopping trips. When you are calculating your daily calories if you are on a weight
management routine, always remember to include a healthy snack and you will never be hungry and more likely to stick with your diet.

If you have a safe place to keep your snacks at work, be sure to keep a good supply on hand so that you will not be tempted to make unhealthy choices when you get hungry in the mid-afternoon. When we travel it’s not always easy to find healthy snack options. Roadside convenience stores are filled with chips and candies and sugary sodas, but you do not have to be at the mercy of these stores. Take the time to plan ahead and pack some convenient snacks in your travel bags. A great side benefit to this practice is that you can save money by not purchasing those expensive, unhealthy snacks.

Here are a few simple, healthy snack ideas that you can keep on hand:

• Cut-up vegetables (fat-free dressing for dip)
• Fresh fruit
• 1 oz. low-fat cheeze with whole/multi grain crackers
• Handful of mixed nuts
• Low-fat or fat-free yogurt sprinkled with Flax seed or fresh fruit

Eating healthy snacks in between your regular meals can be a good way to keep you on track with your weight loss or weight maintenance plan. They can rescue you from the temptation to satisfy those mid-afternoon munchies with sugary, salty or fattening snacks that you will surely regret later.

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This is a great, snack for a summer evening when you want something sweet, but not something heavy and rich. You can substitute blueberries or even sliced banana.

½ cup ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ tablespoon plain low-fat yogurt
2 cups fresh raspberries or
sliced strawberries
toasted wheat germ or chopped nuts, optional

Place ricotta cheese, yogurt, sugar, & vanilla in a blender container and whirl until smooth. Set out four small clear-plastic cups. In each cup, place 2 tablespoons berries; add ¼ of the ricotta mixture, then another 2 tablespoons berries. Garnish with toasted wheat germ or chopped nuts, if desired. Makes 4 parfaits.

Jillian Michaels from ‘The Biggest Loser’ is one of my favorite fitness trainers. I am on her email list because she shares lots of great resources for losing weight in a healthy way, eating right, and winning at the ‘inner game’ of weight loss. This recipe was in yesterday’s email, so I’m sharing this with you. If you want more recipes like this and tips for how healthy snacking can be an important part of your weigh loss plan check her out.

A Healthy Snack to Go
Looking for a healthy snack you can take with you on the go? Look no further — I’ve got a savory treat for you: Cumin-Roasted Almonds! You can eat them as your scheduled snack, keep them at your desk or in your car to stave off grazing emergencies, or include them as your fat serving (depending on what kind of oxidizer you are; if you’re a slow oxidizer, go easy on these!).

Cumin-Roasted Almonds

2 cups whole blanched almonds
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 300°F.

2. Place almonds on a baking sheet; toss with oil, cumin, salt, and pepper. Bake until lightly toasted, about 25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

Variation: Use curry powder and cayenne pepper in place of cumin and black pepper.

To make ahead: The almonds will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Makes 32 servings.
Courtesy of: Jillian Michaels.com

1 (11 oz.) package no-bake cheesecake mix
1½ cups milk
1/3 cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped
6 ice cream cones
1/3 cup fudge sauce

Prepare cheesecake filling according to package directions using milk; stir in crumbs. Chill 15 minutes. Scoop mixture into ice cream cups. Freeze until firm, about 3 hours.

To serve, dip cheesecake mixture in fudge sauce; roll in peanuts.

We eat a LOT of popcorn in our house, and this recipe is a favorite.

1/2 c (8 tbsp) honey
1/2 c Butter
6 c POPPED popcorn
1 c Shelled peanuts

Heat honey and butter in a saucepan until blended. Cool. Pour over popcorn
which has been mixed with peanuts, stirring as you pour. When well-coated,
spread in a pan in a single layer. Bake at 350 for 5 - 10 minutes or until
crisp, stirring several times. The difference between crisp (not brown) and
burnt can be a matter of minutes.

1 cup raisins
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup unsweetened apple juice concentrate
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups rolled oats
2 bananas, sliced
½ cup nut-like cereal or chopped nuts
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup peanut butter

Heat raisins and apple juice concentrate in a saucepan until raisins are soft, about 3 minutes. Pour raisins and juice into a blender and puree. Mash bananas in a bowl and add puree and remaining ingredients. Mix well and let stand 5 minutes for oats to absorb moisture. Press into a greased 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Cool and cut into squares. Makes 4 dozen squares.