saturday snack / 013

I have found that one of the hardest parts of trying to make healthier choices, when it comes to what you eat, is the in between meals stage: snacks. To make it easier for you, each week I will bring you a new healthy option for snacking.

Kale chips are nothing new, but it's a healthy snack packed full of nutrients that is almost too hard to screw up. I gave these a twist by adding some Cajun seasoning to them to turn up the spice factor. I've had this McCormick Cajun seasoning in my spice cabinet for awhile now and decided it would be the perfect addition to these kale chips.

One of my secrets for making fail proof kale chips is cooking spray. You don't want to ruin your perfectly healthy snack by bogging it down with some olive oil. Cooking spray is a healthier alternative, with significantly less calories and fat, than it's liquid counterpart. By using cooking spray, you are just lightly spraying the kale, instead of drenching it with oil.

 Serving Size 1 • 82 Calories • 5g of fat • 0g saturated fat • 0g cholesterol • 100mg sodium • 450mg potassium • 10g carbs • 2g fiber • 0g sugar • 3g protein •

As an added bonus, this snack will give you 310% of your daily Vitamin A needs, and 201% of your Vitamin C needs. 

Spicy Kale Chips
1 1/2 cups kale
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Thoroughly wash and rinse kale. Make sure it is completely dry, otherwise the oil won't stick to it. Start ripping off bits and pieces of the leaves from the stems. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Spray with cooking oil and generously sprinkle on the Cajun seasoning. Pop in the oven for 8-10 minutes, depending on how crispy you want them.

Enjoy!

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saturday snack / 012

I have found that one of the hardest parts of trying to make healthier choices, when it comes to what you eat, is the in between meals stage: snacks. To make it easier for you, each week I will bring you a new healthy option for snacking.

Strawberries and cream, what could be better? Strawberries and cream topped with peanut butter! However you choose to make the cream of your strawberries and cream, I have a healthier version. Insert Greek yogurt. Higher in protein, and lower in fat and calories than your traditional "cream." I'm proud to say that this version tastes just as good, and comes without all the guilt.

Serving Size 1 • 90 Calories • 5g of fat • 1g saturated fat • 1g cholesterol • 56mg sodium • 142mg potassium • 7g carbs • 1g fiber • 3g sugar • 6g protein •

Strawberries and Cream
3 strawberries
1 tablespoon 0% fat plain Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons Creamy Peanut Butter

Wash the strawberries and let completely dry. Scoop out the Greek yogurt into a bowl, and dip your strawberries in the yogurt making sure to cover all sides of your strawberry. You may need to use a spoon to get the yogurt to cover your strawberry. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and set in the freezer for a couple of hours. Microwave peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl for 20 seconds. Drizzle over your yogurt covered strawberries. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour.

Enjoy! 

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saturday snack / 011

I have found that one of the hardest parts of trying to make healthier choices, when it comes to what you eat, is the in between meals stage: snacks. To make it easier for you, each week I will bring you a new healthy option for snacking.

Let me preface this by saying I'm not a fish person at all. In that I don't like fishing, I think fish are slimy and disgusting, and I hate the taste of it. For some reason, tuna I can deal with (along with shellfish). I think maybe because my mom would make us tuna sandwiches when we were young. I really really wish I could stand the taste of fish, because it is packed full of beneficial omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids that are healthy for your heart! So, whenever I think of it, I make a batch of tuna for tuna sandwiches.

I took this concept, made healthy modifications to the traditional tuna recipe and then sized it down to snack form. Traditionally, tuna is made with mayonnaise, which is filled with saturated fat. Switch it out with plain greek yogurt for not only a lower fat option but also added protein. Add a spoonful of your mixture onto a cracker and you have a healthy snack! I used triscuits and New York style bagel crisps.

Serving Size 1* • 85 Calories • 0g of fat • 0g saturated fat • 31g cholesterol • 290mg sodium • 200mg potassium • 2g carbs • 0g fiber • 1g sugar • 17g protein •
*serving size is for 1/4 of the tuna recipe, and not including crackers. 

Tuna

Servings: 4

2 5oz cans tuna

1 teaspoon 0% fat plain Greek yogurt

1 medium stalk of celery

1 tablespoon chopped red onion

1 tablespoon chopped green onion

Juice from 1/4 of a lemon

Salt, Peper, and garlic salt to taste

Drain tuna cans of water, place in a bowl. Add Greek yogurt and mix with a fork. Chop up celery, red onion, and green onion and add to the mixture. Add in lemon juice and seasonings.

Enjoy!

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Chocolate Chip Banana Oat Bites

You guys, I just discovered oat flour. This changes everything and opens all kinds of new doors, especially because it is way too easy to make. I really love this new to me discovery because I buy oatmeal in bulk at Costco, and if you follow me on Instagram, you know my obsession with oatmeal is a bit over the top. Seriously, throw the oatmeal in your blender, or food processor, and blend until the oats are a powder like consistency, and violá-oat flour you can use in place of white flour for a gluten free, lower calorie alternative.

I'm rambling on about oat flour because I found the most perfect recipe to try it out on. These chocolate chip banana oat bites are my new favorite food obsession. It has kicked my ABC smoothie off the top spot. Not only are these bites delicious, each square is under 200 calories, low in fat, and gluten free. The added bananas give these bites a banana bread like taste and texture without all the added fat and sugar that comes along with grandmas banana bread.

Monique over at Ambitious Kitchen is on point with every recipe she turns out. I have yet to try a recipe from her blog that I was disappointed with. These banana oat bars are no exception. I made a few changes and am reporting back to you.  You shouldn't be surprised that one of the adaptations I made was adding peanut butter.

 • Serving Size: 1  • 122 Calories • 3.2g of fat • 1.3g saturated fat • 1.6g cholesterol • 103mg sodium • 144mg potassium • 22g carbs • 2.3g fiber • 12g sugar • 2.5g protein •

 

Chocolate Chip Banana Oat Bites

(Adapted from Ambitious Kitchen) 

Makes 16 squares

2 1/4 cup oats

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 medium ripe bananas

1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 cup chocolate chips

For the topping:

2 tablespoons chocolate chips

2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Prepare an 8x8 baking dish by spraying with nonstick cooking spray. 
• Prepare oat flour: pour oats into a blender or food processor, and blend until oats resemble a powder. You may need to stop and stir up the oats to ensure all oats have been well blended.
• Combine oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl. 
• In a separate bowl, or blender, mix together bananas, apple sauce, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and honey. Add to oat flour mixture until everything is combined.
• Gently fold in your chocolate chips to the mixture and spread your mixture evenly over your prepared baking dish.
• Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until done. Once done, let cool on a wire rack. 
• In a small dish, following the instructions on your chocolate chip packaging, heat up chocolate chips and drizzle over the top of the bars. Place peanut butter in a separate dish and microwave for 20 seconds, stir and another 10 seconds. Drizzle over the top of your bars. 

After I cut these up, I stored half of them in the freezer and half of them in my fridge. These are good straight out of the fridge, or warmed up with your soy latte as a morning snack. Yes, I eat a snack between breakfast and lunch. Or if you aren't into the whole big breakfast deal like I am, or barely have time to get ready in the morning, these bites of deliciousness would be perfect for you as you're running out the door in the morning.

Enjoy-whenever you decide is best to eat them!

saturday snack / 010

I have found that one of the hardest parts of trying to make healthier choices, when it comes to what you eat, is the in between meals stage: snacks. To make it easier for you, each week I will bring you a new healthy option for snacking.

When I was at the ophthalmologist a couple weeks ago, the doctor and I struck up a conversation about my studies. I love to hear people's reactions when I tell them I'm studying nutrition. 50% of the responses are "You will always have a job in America," and the other 50% go something like this: "What can you do with that." Per usual, I was waiting for one of the typical responses from my doctor,  but he surprised me with what he said. "You obviously know what is good and healthy for you, but is there one thing that is just your weakness." Before he could finish his sentence I blurted out "ice cream." Yes, it is true, I'm a sucker for ice cream. But if I'm going to sacrifice some calories and fat, it better be drop dead delicious. 

This week I bring you a snack that is more healthy for you than ice cream and tastes almost just as delicious. I say almost because I'm pretty picky about my frozen dairy treats, but everyone I talk to loves this snack. I'm probably the last person on Earth to try this out, but none the less here it is: frozen banana ice cream

It's the easiest thing in the world to put together. I think the trick is to start with a ripe banana, cut it up into slices, and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and pop in the freezer. These won't get hard like ice cubes, but leave them in there over night and they should be good. Use them or place them in a frozen baggie for later. Put them in a food processor, or blender, and blend until smooth.

And of course, nothing is safe from my peanut butter. Heat up a teaspoon or so and drizzle over your healthy treat!

Banana Ice cream + Peanut Butter topping

Serving Size 1 • 137 Calories • 3g of fat • 1g saturated fat • 0g cholesterol • 25mg sodium • 454mg potassium • 28g carbs • 3g fiber • 15g sugar • 2g protein •

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saturday snack / 009

I have found that one of the hardest parts of trying to make healthier choices, when it comes to what you eat, is the in between meals stage: snacks. To make it easier for you, each week I will bring you a new healthy option for snacking.

I can't take credit for being the ingenious person who decided peanut butter sandwiched in between two graham crackers was a delicious idea. I got the idea from my time spent volunteering at a children's diabetes camp. I volunteered as a dietetic intern and one of the first tasks we were given was to make hundreds of these PB + graham cracker sandwiches to give to the campers when their blood sugar would drop. 

Below are a couple different ways I've put my own spin on the original recipe.Each is one sheet of a honey graham cracker split in half and topped with a little less than a tablespoon of peanut butter.

Graham Cracker + Peanut Butter

Serving Size 1 • 160 Calories • 9g of fat • 2g saturated fat • 0g cholesterol • 165mg sodium • 125mg potassium • 18g carbs • 2g fiber • 6g sugar • 5g protein • 

Graham Cracker + Peanut Butter + Honey and Cinnamon

Serving Size 1 • 168 Calories • 9g of fat • 2g saturated fat • 0g cholesterol • 165mg sodium • 126mg potassium • 20g carbs • 2g fiber • 8g sugar • 5g protein •

Graham Cracker + Nutella

Serving Size 1 • 165 Calories • 7g of fat • 2g saturated fat • 0g cholesterol • 103mg sodium • 30mg potassium • 25g carbs • 2g fiber • 15g sugar • 3g protein •

The Nutella version isn't the healthiest, but is fun when I'm craving something sweet. These can get quite messy, as you can see from the pictures, so I usually make them and refrigerate them for an hour or so before eating.

Enjoy!

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saturday snack / 008

I have found that one of the hardest parts of trying to make healthier choices, when it comes to what you eat, is the in between meals stage: snacks. To make it easier for you, each week I will bring you a new healthy option for snacking.

 

Smoothie bowls are an alternative to sipping a smoothie. Make your favorite smoothie recipe, pour your smoothie mix into a bowl, and top with granola and fresh fruit. There are many different variations for smoothie bowls; the combinations are endless. Pour more of your smoothie into the bowl and call it lunch. For a snack portion, pour out 1 cup of your smoothie before adding toppings. 

For this smoothie bowl, I used my Little Green Smoothie Recipe, since I had leftovers. The recipe calls for two servings, I halved one of the servings for this bowl, added a scoop of granola, half a banana, and a few strawberries. 

Serving Size 1 • 237 Calories • 3g of fat • 0g saturated fat • 1g cholesterol • 33mg sodium • 896mg potassium • 61g carbs • 9g fiber • 35g sugar • 6g protein •

Smoothie Bowl 

1/2 serving of The little Green Smoothie

1/2 banana

2 strawberries

1 tablespoon of granola

A smoothie bowl may be better for someone who eats 5-6 small meals a day versus someone who eats 3 meals a day plus a few snacks lower in calories. Although, when portioned out right, this smoothie bowl will only set you back 237 calories.

Enjoy!

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Easy tzatziki

When I was on my roasted vegetables kick, I was dreaming up the different ways I could use them. Insert whole wheat tortilla, whole wheat cous cous, black beans, roasted veggies and then a sauce. Of course this burrito thing had a Mediterranean feel to it, so tzatziki sauce it was. It was amazing to me how quick and easy this sauce was to put together. Greek yogurt was made for this type of thing. Seriously, tzatziki yogurt is a Greek condiment.

Serving Size 1 Tablespoon • 8 Calories • 0g of fat • 0g saturated fat • 1g cholesterol • 16mg sodium • 28mg potassium • 1g carbs • 0g fiber • 0g sugar • 2g protein •

Easy Taziki
Serves 16 (1 tablespoon servings)
1 cup 0% fat plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cucumber, diced

1 tablespoon dill, chopped

Juice from 1/2 lemon

Zest from 1/2 lemon

1 teaspoon salt

dash of pepper

Peel and dice up half of a cucumber. Place in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Let sit for 15-20 minutes to let the water drain out of the cucumber. Mix cucumber with yogurt, dill, lemon juice, and zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let chill for an hour to let the flavors settle. If you don't have that time, it will be fine to eat it right after you make it too!

Enjoy!

saturday snack / 007

I have found that one of the hardest parts of trying to make healthier choices, when it comes to what you eat, is the in between meals stage: snacks. To make it easier for you, each week I will bring you a new healthy option for snacking.

Toast, especially when made with 100% whole wheat bread, can be a filling snack. Top it off with 1/2 of an avocado instead of butter to eliminate cholesterol, trans fat and half of the saturated fat that comes along with butter. Also, avocados are high in healthy fats such as MUFA's (monounsaturated fatty acids). Research has shown that MUFA's may be beneficial for lowering total and LDL cholesterol levels and helping with blood sugar control.

 Serving Size: 1 piece of whole wheat toast, 1/2 avocado • 261 Calories • 17g of fat • 2g saturated fat • 0g cholesterol • 187mg sodium • 487mg potassium • 26g carbs • 10g fiber • 5g sugar • 6g protein •

To spice up this snack add some hot sauce + red pepper flakes!  

Enjoy!


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Happy St. Patty's Day!

There are a couple things I'm particularly excited about today: 1. It's St. Patrick's Day 2. My new Wacom tablet T got me for my birthday! I decided to combine the two in today's post by making my favorite green smoothie, in honor of the "green" holiday, and adding the title to my picture using my new toy.

 Some people might be turned off at the thought of a green smoothie (you know who you are), but by adding dark green leafy vegetables, you are only benefiting your self by giving your body beneficial nutrients it needs to function properly (in a yummy smoothie no less). And, the sweetness of the fruit overpowers any taste you might get from the vegetable.

Did you know that cruciferous vegetables (such as kale) can actually lower your risk of certain cancers? The beneficial phytochemicals in these vegetables have been shown to combat the growth of cancer cells.

Ok, how much more proof do you need to run to your kitchen and make this smoothie right now? 

Serving Size 1 • 293 Calories • 3g of fat • 0g saturated fat • 2g cholesterol • 54mg sodium • 1265mg potassium • 83g carbs • 12g fiber • 50g sugar • 10g protein •

 This is definitely not diabetic friendly, due to the high carbohydrate and sugar content from the fruits.  Don't be discouraged by these numbers because although fruits naturally contain sugar and carbohydrates, they are also packed full of beneficial nutrients that outweight these ugly numbers. This smoothie contains 220% of your daily requirements for Vitamin A, 380% of Vitamin C and half of the recommended daily amount of fiber. Not to mention it's low in fat, cholesterol and sodium!

The little green smoothie
Serves 2
2 cups kale
1/2 cup water
1 banana
1/3 cup 0% fat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup frozen pineapple
1/4 cup frozen peaches
1/4 cup frozen mango
1/4 cup frozen strawberries
1 Tablespoon ground flax seed

Wash kale, blend together with water. Add in banana and Greek yogurt and blend well. Add in frozen fruit and blend. Lastly, add in ground flax for a boost in fiber + Omega 3!


Enjoy. 

saturday snack / 006

I have found that one of the hardest parts of trying to make healthier choices, when it comes to what you eat, is the in between meals stage: snacks. To make it easier for you, each week I will bring you a new healthy option for snacking.

Hummus was a dip I was reluctant to try for the longest time. I think I tried one that wasn't flavored and wasn't a fan. Then, I discovered some delicious flavors at Trader Joes and everything changed. My favorite so far is the cilantro and jalapeño flavor. There are many different recipes out there to make your own-I just haven't ventured into that line of business yet, but when I do, you will be hearing about it. 

Hummus + vegetable slices are a great way to inch towards your daily 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, because everyone eats 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day-RIGHT?!?! But really, this snack will fulfill your daily requirements of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and 2.5 servings of vegetables!

Serving Size here is 2 Tablespoons of Hummus, 1 cup of carrots, 1 stalk of celery, 1/2 bell pepper
• 172 Calories • 6g of fat • 1g saturated fat • 0g cholesterol • 325mg sodium • 809mg potassium • 23g carbs • 10g fiber • 12g sugar • 5g protein •

To note: the sugar here is naturally found in the vegetables, not the hummus.  

To make this a portable snack for lunches I put my hummus in these containers that have a removable ice pack that snaps into the lid. While I was searching Amazon for these containers, I came across these ones that would work perfectly for this kind of thing! It keeps your hummus and vegetables chilled until it's snackin time!

Enjoy!


Check out other healthy snacking options!  

saturday snack / 005

I have found that one of the hardest parts of trying to make healthier choices, when it comes to what you eat, is the in between meals stage: snacks. To make it easier for you, each week I will bring you a new healthy option for snacking.

Parfaits are one of my go-to snacks. They are an easy and quick way to get a serving of fruit, whole grains (from the granola) and some protein (from the Greek yogurt)! Parfaits are also popular at McDonalds, Starbucks and even in grocery stores. The main problem with these ready-made parfaits, in addition to the preservatives, is the sugar content. You will be consuming a days worth of sugar if you munch down a fruit 'n yogurt parfait from the golden arches! Fruits naturally contain sugars, but these ready made parfaits add sugar to their fruit mixtures. Save yourself the extra added sugar (and money!) and make your own parfaits at home!

This very berry parfait is pretty standard when it comes to parfaits, but there are so many other ingredient combinations to jazz up greek yogurt! Be on the look out for different variations of parfaits in future snacking Saturday posts!

 • Serving Size: 1 parfait • 136 Calories • 2g of fat • 0g saturated fat • 5g cholesterol • 60mg sodium • 87mg potassium • 19g carbs • 2g fiber • 9g sugar • 12g protein • 

Very Berry Parfait
1/2 cup of 0% nonfat Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons of granola (I used Nature's Path Pumpkin Flax granola for the nutrition info)
1/4 cup of chopped strawberries
1/4 cup of blueberries

Layer greek yogurt, granola + fruit. Serve immediately, or portion out each ingredient and place in separate containers and store for later. 

Enjoy!


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ABC smoothie

Is this a shake, a smoothie? I'm not quite sure. I guess I'll settle on smoothie only because it has a banana in it, but it is so delicious and chocolaty I want to call it a shake! Seriously, I am obsessed with this smoothie. I have left overs in my fridge teasing me. 

Almond butter is new to me find that I have been obsessing over ever since I found Justin's maple almond butter. It's giving peanut butter a run for it's money around here! The only thing keeping it from holding top spot is it's price. It's $10-$12 price range for a jar is not college student budget friendly. I managed to find a costco size jar of regular almond butter for about half the cost of a justin's almond butter jar. I thought I hit the jackpot, but it just didn't live up to the deliciousness of Justin's maple almond butter. Waste not want not-I started playing around with different ways to use up my huge jar of almond butter and the ABC (Almond butter Banana and Cocoa powder) smoothie was born. 

Side note: I'm at the bottom of my jar because of these smoothies.

The sweetness of the cocoa powder + cinnamon give your taste buds the sense of sweetness without giving your body all the added processed sugars. This smoothie does contain 12 grams of sugar, but it's not from the cocoa powder like you would expect-it's from the banana and almond milk. Actually, the natural cocoa powder only contains 10 calories per one serving (1 tablespoon) and 0 grams of sugar. The added 0% fat plain greek yogurt adds a boost of protein making this a great after gym snack!

 • Serving Size: 1  • 165 Calories • 6g of fat • 0g saturated fat • 3g cholesterol • 107mg sodium • 234mg potassium • 23g carbs • 4g fiber • 12g sugar • 9g protein •

ABC Shake
Makes 2 smoothies
1 cup almond milk
1/2 cups 0% plain greek yogurt
1 medium banana
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon almond butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Ice (I used about 6-8 ice cubes)

Crush up your ice cubes in your blender. Add in the rest of your ingredients and blend well. If you want a thicker consistency, add more ice cubes. This recipe makes 2 smoothies, so share with someone or save the left overs for yourself in the fridge for the next day.

Enjoy!

saturday snack / 004

I have found that one of the hardest parts of trying to make healthier choices, when it comes to what you eat, is the in between meals stage: snacks. To make it easier for you, each week I will bring you a new healthy option for snacking.

 This week is a quick snack that can be eaten on the go: celery + PB. Have you ever tried to premake these and put them in a plastic snack bag for lunch? If you haven't, spoiler alert it gets pretty messy. I came across these single serve Justins Honey Peanut Butter packet and knew instantly what I was going to use them for. 

Wash and cut up 3 stalks of celery, throw in a snack bag, grab your PB packet and you have a yummy snack for later! 

 • Serving Size: 1 Honey Peanut Butter packet + 3 celery stalks  • 200 Calories • 16g of fat • 3g saturated fat • 0g cholesterol • 161mg sodium • 312mg potassium • 11g carbs • 4g fiber • 5g sugar • 8g protein •

This snack does have a considerable amount of fat, but it's from the peanuts + palm oil used to make the peanut butter. It's a heck of a lot better for you than a serving of ice cream or some potato chips. Research has shown that although nuts natural contain fat, they have no effect on a weight loss regimen- in fact they may be slightly beneficial. Due to the fact that nuts don't get fully digested. So eat up and enjoy your tasty peanut butter!

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