Healthy Snacks |
A list of snacks you can eat Guilt-FREE!
- Vegetables dipped in hummus.
Fresh vegetables are low in calories and have many antioxidants, and many have no fat with plenty of fiber to satiate you. Fiber has also been shown to lower cholesterol. Hummus, made from chick peas, is a great alternative protein without saturated fat.
- Fruit skewered on a stick with a little dark chocolate for dipping.
Fruit has a variety of antioxidants to fight cancer and heart disease. Dark chocolate has a high concentration of flavinols, a type of antioxidant, to fight heart disease.
- Half of a cantaloupe filled with fat free cottage cheese, a dash of cinnamon and some berries.
The cantaloupe and berries have antioxidants, and the fat-free cottage cheese fulfills a serving of dairy without the saturated fat.
- Fat-free yogurt with fruit and a sprinkle of nuts.
Get another serving of dairy without saturated fat as well as antioxidants from fruit and unsaturated fat from the nuts.
- Smoothies with silken tofu and berries plus a dash of grape juice or pomegranate juice.
Tofu is a great alternative protein source without saturated fat. Berries, grape juice and pomegranate juice have a high concentration of antioxidants.
Homemade soup.
Start with a vegetable base. You can buy a frozen vegetable base or containers of vegetable base to load up on antioxidants and fiber. Make sure its low in sodium. Then dump in a bag of frozen or mixed vegetables. Mix in a couple of cups of beans. Make sure to rinse the beans to remove sodium. Season with fresh herbs. "If you want to make it creamy without heart-clogging fat, use low fat soy milk or evaporated skim milk," says Hendel. She calls it, "The most amazing creamy liquid that you can add for creaminess without fat. It's a magical ingredient in the kitchen."
Pureed prunes — sneak them into your brownies.
Pureed fruit will make the chocolate in brownies and cakes taste more chocolaty, plus you've added in something that use less oil or less butter and you've added antioxidants because of the pureed fruit. Also fruit has fiber to lower your cholesterol.
Banana Popsicles
Cut bananas in half, widthwise, and push a Popsicle stick through the cut end of each half. Spread with peanut butter and then roll them in nuts, cereal, or seeds. Wrap in waxed paper and freeze. A single pop contains 16 percent of the recommended daily dietary-fiber intake for an adult. The potassium content of the bananas can help reduce bloating in mom, while the peanut butter and nuts or seeds provide fiber and heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.
Flavored Popcorn
Cover popcorn with tablespoon dry taco-seasoning mix, parmesan cheese, cinnamon and sugar, or nutritional yeast. Popcorn is low in fat and high in fiber. It also contains the amino acid serotonin, which can boost feelings of happiness and calmness.
Pizza
Slice whole-wheat pitas in half. Add tomato sauce, sprinkle lightly with shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese, and top it with chopped vegetables and a little bit of precooked chicken. Heat for a few minutes in the toaster oven or microwave until the cheese is melted. Healthy pizza lets you feel full on few calories and the low-fat dairy products can boost weight-loss.
Healthy Trail Mix
Mix whole-wheat pretzels, wheat Chex, Craisins or raisins, chocolate chips, and nuts (optional) together.
Baked Potato Fries
Spray calorie-free nonstick cooking spray in a roasting pan. Slice the potatoes and add salt and pepper and any seasonings you like. French fries are one of the most beloved foods in America, but a typical serving of French fries can contain about 600 calories. Leave the skins on because they provide all the essential nutrients, like potassium, vitamin C, fiber, and even protein.
Sources yourtotalhealth and cookiemag
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