I love snacks. Snacks are those micro mini-delicious foods which keep us satisfied until our next meal.
However, many of us tend to purchase and grab convenient snacks in the fancy packaging. The best snacks are those which have their own natural packaging like the skin of a banana or orange.
Another fabulous rule of thumb is when you are reading the contents of your pre-packaged snack, if you cannot pronounce the ingredients of your snack, don’t purchase it. Walk over to the fresh produce section at the grocery store and buy some fresh fruit.
I know the price of grapes during the winter months is ridiculous but your body will thank you years later for not eating processed food with hydrogenated oil.
Also, don't be embarrassed about packing your own food. Some people feel there is a stigma behind packing your own lunch or snacks. There is no shame.
I remember watching a lecture by the late Dr. Leo Buscaglia. Dr. Leo, as he was called by his students, mentioned a story about his beloved mama.
His loving Italian mother would pack his lunch with a calamari sandwich and fresh, exotic fruit. Dr. Leo, wanting to fit in with the rest of the kids, would always raise a stink and demand that she pack him a cold-cut (processed meat) sandwich and candy like the other kids.
Years later, Dr. Leo realized his mama was packing him the healthiest lunch in town.
Here are some easy snack foods to keep you out of the office’s vending machine. You can wrap most of these in wax paper or purchase mini-baggies to keep the snack portion size under 100 calories.
You can recycle the wax paper and re-use the baggies for other snacks. Or if you are like my husband, you can use the baggies as future doggie pooper-scoopers.
• ½ cup of pumpkin seeds. These nutty flavored beauties contain 92 percent of your daily value of magnesium, a mineral in which many of us are deficient. Also, they are rich in fiber as well as vitamins B and E. One gram of pumpkin seed protein contains as much tryptophan as a full glass of milk.
• 1 Tbsp. peanuts and 2 Tbsp. dried cranberries
• 1 cup of raspberries with 2 Tbsp. plain yogurt and 1 tsp. honey
• Small banana. This natural wonder is loaded with potassium.
• 1 cup baby carrots with 2 Tbsp. hummus
• Sliced tomato with a sprinkle of feta cheese and a dap of olive oil
• 3 cups of air-popped popcorn
• 5 Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Kisses. The dark chocolate has antioxidants to fight aging.
• Small box of raisins has only 130 calories
• Animal crackers. Sixteen crackers has 160 calories of comfort food goodness.
• A pear or apple. Fifty calories of crunchy health.
• One cup of strawberries equals 60 calories of natural sweetness.
References:
Best Snacks - Healthy Low Calorie Snack Foods For Weight Loss. Get Into Shape Stay Fit - Meal Plans & Workout Routines To Burn Fat & Build Muscle. Retrieved January 25, 2012, from
http://www.shapefit.com/best-snacks.html
Healthy School Snacks ~ Center for Science in the Public Interest. Center for Science in the Public Interest. Retrieved January 25, 2012, from http://cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy/healthy_school_snacks.htm
Keller, L. Healthy Snacks Shopping List. Better Homes and Gardens - Home Decorating, Remodeling and Design Ideas, Gardening, Recipes. Retrieved January 25, 2012, from
http://www.bhg.com/health-family/weight-loss/diets/healthy-snacks-shopping-list
Top 28 Best Healthy Snacks | Women's Health Magazine. Women's Health: Health, Fitness, Weight Loss, Healthy Recipes & Beauty. Retrieved January 25, 2012, from
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/100-calorie-snacks
Reviewed January 25, 2012
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith