RD FIT LIFE

Guilt Free Snacks For a Crunch!

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

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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.

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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:

Polyunsaturated Fat:

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

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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!

Making Your Own Healthy Trail Mix at Home!

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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!

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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!

Apple Chips Recipe!

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If there is one food we love having at home, its apple chips!  We throw them in our trail mix, take them on the beach or road trips, or have them at home for a quick snack.   They are so simple and easy to make as long as you have a dehydrator.  So I’ll walk you through the steps!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 12 oz of 100% lemon juice
  • 1 bag of granny smith apples

TOOLS:

  • Dehydrator
  • Apple corer
  • Slicer

DIRECTIONS:

First wash your apples well.  You’ll want to core them one at a time to make sure you’re only using what will fit in the dehydrator.  Once you remove the core of your first apple, you’ll want to slice it.  Grab a bowl, and fill it with 8 oz of water and 8 oz of lemon juice.

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This is your Apple Corer, Mandoline Slicer(over a bowl of your lemon juice solution), and first rack of your Dehydrator.  When you core your apple, it should be a straight hole all the way through the apple.  Don’t worry if there are seeds left inside.  They will come out during the slicing.

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Corers make life SO much easier when making apple chips!

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I set my slicer on the thickest slice setting.  If you want extremely thin chips with extra crunch, you may want thinner slices.  The reason for the lemon juice is to keep the apple slices from oxidizing and turning brown.  Once you’ve dunked all of the slices into the lemon/water solution, let them sit for about 30 seconds, then begin moving them into the dehydrator.

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You’ll want to lay them on your dehydrator spaced out fairly well.  If you slightly overlap other pieces of apple, its okay.  They will shrink in size as they dehydrate.  Once all of your racks are full of apple slices, set your dehydrator to run for 8 hours at 135 degrees Fahrenheit.  This time and temperature work for the thicker apple slices.  If you are choosing to make thinner apple slices, you may not need to run your dehydrator for 8 hours.  Check on them about 6 hours into your dehydration process.

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And 8 hours later, there you have them!  Nice crunchy all natural apple chips!  Chop them up and put them in salad or add them to your trail mix!  Enjoy!