almonds

Guilt Free Snacks For a Crunch!

December 2, 2015

When people are dieting, one thing I always hear is how much they miss the crunch during meals or snacks. Sometimes there are desires for a snack with a crunchy texture, but the only way people really fulfill that is through potato chips, rice cakes, and crackers…

Firstly, make sure you are going for that snack because you are truly and physically hungry.

Secondly, ask yourself, “Is this going to nourish my body?”

So here are some of my favorite snacks that I keep around for a crunchy texture when I just can’t make it to the next meal.

APPLE AND PEANUT BUTTER

Now, I know what most of you are thinking… “Peanut butter is loaded in calories!!”

Yes. It is considered high in fat and containing some protein. Fat is not always a bad thing as you’ll read later on. This is actually what is going to keep this apple digesting more slowly in your gastrointestinal tract which means you’ll feel satisfied until that next meal.

And of course you ALWAYS want to monitor your portions size of any food healthy or not. Even peanut butter. There are great individually packaged serving sized cups of peanut butter on the shelf ready to purchase. If you feel you can’t control your portions directly from the jar, go for the cups.

SWEET PEPPERS AND HUMMUS

For some reason most people associate hummus with pita bread/chips. Yes, this combination is common in the restaurant industry because carbs are cheap! But at home, why not use the veggies?

The small sweet peppers are my favorite with hummus, but you can also use cucumbers, regular bell peppers, and carrot sticks!

ALMONDS AND WALNUTS

These nuts are the most beneficial nuts you could choose when aiming for the most heart healthy option.

As you can see above, the main reasons nuts keep us satisfied is because of their fat content. When eating something high in fat, you want to make sure that fat is going to benefit you (mono-, poly-) and not work against you (sat-).

Saturated Fat:

Increases your risk of cardiovascular disease
Increases your bad cholesterol (LDL) levels
Mostly come from animal sources (beef, dairy)

Monounsaturated Fat:

Decreases risk of cardiovascular disease
Reduces your bad cholesterol (LDL) levels
Mostly come from plant sources (nuts, olive oil)

Polyunsaturated Fat:

Decreases risk of cardiovascular disease
Improves overall cholesterol levels
Mostly comes from plant sources (nuts, olive oil)

One way I way I use almonds and walnuts in my regular snacks is by making a trail mix.

Check out my TRAIL MIX RECIPE HERE to also learn more about the health benefits of nuts!

CELERY

Celery is an amazing food that is so low calorie. A lot of people believe celery is an empty food without a lot of nutrition, but that is not entirely true!

Celery is only about 10 calories for 1 large stalk. It provides roughage for your colon as well as Vitamin C, A, and Folate!

Paired with peanut butter, cheese, or hummus, celery can make a great snack to keep blood sugars stable as well as ward off hunger until meal time.

I hope this has helped you find a way to add crunch back to those snacks! These are some of my favorites that I keep on hand and hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Please feel free to share by using the social media icons below!

Superfood Sweet Loaf!

August 26, 2015

My superfood sweet loaf is a delicious concoction I came up with when we are really active during our soccer seasons. We look for a little extra carbohydrates during these times and this sweet loaf is a great way to get them! It is very dense, packed with nutrients, high in fiber and 100% whole wheat!

If you’re looking for something new to fuel you before races, boost you during your sports season, or just interested in something yummy to have with a hot cup of tea, this is it!

INGREDIENTS:

¼ cup walnuts, chopped
¼ cup almonds, chopped
4 carrots, grated
1 small apple, grated
¼ cup hemp seeds
¼ cup flax seeds
1 1/3 cup 100% whole wheat flour
¾ cup cane sugar
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ cup raisins
2 large eggs
½ cup safflower oil
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp coconut oil

DIRECTIONS:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-Chop walnuts and almonds (I used a food processor)
-finely grate carrots and apple and set aside (I saved the fiber from juicing). This Breville 800JEXL Juicer is amazing! It is extremely sturdy and is worth every penny.

-In a large bowl whisk flour, sugar, hemp seeds, flax seeds, raisins, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon.
-In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, safflower oil, and vanilla extract

-Fold the wet ingredients along with carrot/apple mixture into the flour mixture. (I actually had to kneed it with my hands)

-Oil pan with 1 Tbsp of coconut oil so the loaf does not stick. (OR you can make individual muffins)

-Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
-Leave on a wire rack to cool.

This is our go to snack or breakfast for spring and summer soccer seasons. If you’re looking for something different, give the superfood sweet loaf a try!

Please share by using the social media icons below!

Enjoy!!

Top 5 Snacks You Might Catch This Dietitian Eating!

August 24, 2015

Everyone always asks, “what are the best snacks to have on hand?” So I thought it would be helpful to put my top 5 snacks together and explain why they are my go-to snacks!

ALMONDS- Almonds are a heart healthy snack that is easily transported, doesn’t need refrigeration, and doesn’t go stale for quite some time. You can always find these in my purse for a “just in case”. I also incorporate them into things like my own homemade TRAIL MIX! The heart healthy fats and 7.5 g protein per 1/4 cup tend to keep you satisfied until your next meal.
HARD-BOILED EGG- These are another portable snack I can keep in the fridge at work for those ravenous moments between meals. A large hard-boiled egg is low in fat (1.5 g sat fat) and contains plenty of protein (6.3 g). It is hand held which makes it easy to grab and go. If you are monitoring your cholesterol intake, just remove the yolk and have the whites alone.
APPLE AND PEANUT BUTTER- Granny Smith Apples with peanut butter are a great snack! A medium apple (with the skin on) provides you with plenty of fiber (4.7 g) and about 97 calories. It is a carbohydrate based food so pairing it with a fat/protein source such as peanut butter helps slow the digestion which prevents blood sugar spikes. Peanut butter is still high calorie, so you need to monitor intake. A serving is considered 2 Tbsp which will provide 189 calories, 7.7 g protein and 16 g fat (2.5 g sat fat).
COTTAGE CHEESE- I always keep reduced fat 2% cottage cheese on hand because it is fast and easy. For 1/2 cup, cottage cheese contains 12 g protein, 2.6 g fat and 125 mg calcium for 92 calories. So its pretty lean and very satisfying as a snack. If having fruit, this is a great protein to add to it to help prevent blood sugar spikes and slow digestion of the fruit.
PROTEIN SHAKE- Protein shakes are a great post workout snack to help with muscle recovery. They are super quick and easy to make. All you do is add 1 scoop of whey protein powder and 8 oz of your milk of choice (cow, almond, soy, etc.). Shake it well in a blender bottle and done!

These are just a few of my favorite snacks I keep on hand for those times when my hunger can’t wait until meal time. The snacks above will help keep you satisfied much longer than crackers, popcorn, cookies or cereal. And they definitely won’t break your diet!

If you know of anyone that could benefit from these snacks, please share using the social media icons below!

Enjoy!

Making Your Own Healthy Trail Mix at Home!

August 14, 2015

This is a great trail mix to keep on you at all times! It is loaded in vitamins and minerals, contains plenty of protein, and wonderful heart healthy fats!

My dad has been doing an amazing job losing weight by living a healthier lifestyle. So one thing we wanted to do for him was include something healthy in his birthday gift since we are so proud of all the success he has had. And this was the perfect healthy snack! He is always on the go and extremely busy at work, so I knew prepackaging his trail mix would be a great idea.

These containers are BPA-free 1 cup containers which help to monitor portion size as well as make your snack portable.

So to get started making your trail mix, here is what you’ll need!

INGREDIENTS:

Almonds, unsalted
Walnuts, unsalted (halved)
Edamame
Cherries, dried
Banana chips
Apple chips (home made)
Peanuts, unsalted

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all ingredients thoroughly! And done!

So now lets talk about the health benefits of each food.

ALMONDS: Almonds are a great source of vitamin E and assist in lowering cholesterol. They also may be helpful in lowering your risk for colon cancer! Heart healthy fats can also be found in almonds which help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. They are also used as a common protein source containing about 7.5 g protein, 207 calories, 18 g fat (1.4 g being saturated fat), 97 mg of magnesium, 96 mg calcium, 9.2 mg vitamin E for the serving size of 1/4 cup.

WALNUTS: Walnuts are loaded in antioxidants that help fight against free radicals that damage our cells. As listed above with the almonds, walnuts also fall into the category of lowering cholesterol and promoting heart health. Walnuts in a 1/4 cup serving will provide: 193 calories, 7.5 g protein, 18.5 g fat (1.1 g being saturated fat), 19 mg calcium and 163 mg potassium.

EDAMAME: Edamame is a young soy bean that has not hardened yet. Since most soy is genetically modified in the US, I suggest making sure your soy is organic or Non-GMO Project verified. Edamame provides lots of great nutrients like vitamin E, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B-6, pantothenic acid, choline, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper and manganese. And for 1/2 cup you get about 65 calories and 6 g protein. It also adds a nice crunch to your trail mix!

CHERRIES: Dried cherries can add that sweet taste to your trail mix. They are a good source of vitamin C and A as well as copper! For 1/2 cup serving, you can expect about 133 calories and 0.5 g protein.

BANANAS: Bananas can be a double edged sword. They contain a lot of great nutrients, but are also very starchy. In one small banana you can expect about 90 calories, 1 g protein, 23 g carbohydrate, 362 mg potassium and 8.8 mg vitamin C. This is why I use just a few banana chips within my trail mix.

APPLES: Granny smith apples are an excellent way to get fiber in the diet (keeping the skin on)! These apples whole have been shown to help improve gut bacteria. And not to mention, “a high intake of white fruits and vegetables was found to be associated with a 52% lower risk of developing stroke, compared to a low intake,” says a study from the Journal of the American Heart Association. This would include apples and pears! Another reason to add more apples to the diet!

PEANUTS: Peanuts are another nut that provide good heart healthy fats that can help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. They do have more saturated fat (2.3 g per 1/4 cup) than the nuts listed above, but are still considered an excellent food to provide protein (9.4 g per 1/4 cup), 34 mg calcium, 1.2 mg zinc, 4.4 mg niacin and 3 mg vitamin E. For the 207 calories per 1/4 cup, one does stay satisfied having these for a snack.

Now you know why I choose what I choose for my trail mixes. If you know of anyone that struggles with healthy snacks, please share by using the social media icons below! Thanks!