Healthy Snack Ideas

Cravings happen even to the healthiest of us. Often, when a craving hits
in the afternoon or the evening after dinner, we get the urge to snack.
Snacking can be a bad habit to get into, because the snacks we choose
are often junky, not nutritious, and high in calories, sugar, or fat.

The trick to snacking without piling on the pounds is to find healthy
alternatives to the regular snacks you might normally reach for.
Usually, when we get a craving it is for either something sweet
(chocolate!), savory (potato chips!), creamy (ice cream!), or crunchy
(crisps!). Obviously, my examples are foods you shouldn’t eat all the time if
you want to be trim and healthy. But that doesn’t mean you have to fight
your cravings for the rest of your life. Instead, you just need to substitute.

Next time you get a craving for something sweet, why not try:

• fresh, whole fruit
  
• apples and almond butter
  
• dried fruit
  
• green smoothies
  
• banana “ice cream” (peel a banana, freeze, blend in a food
  
• processor with nuts, berries or raisins ,and serve)
  
• dates stuffed with almond butter or other nut butter
  
• organic dark chocolate chips or carob chips
  

For your savory cravings, try these healthy alternatives:

• olives
  
• pickles and pickled vegetables, such as carrot, daikon, beets, 
  
• tabouli, hummus
  
• steamed vegetables with tamari/shoyu or umeboshi vinegar
  
• freshly made salsa or guacamole
  
• Sauerkraut (will also knock your sweet craving right out!)
  
• salted edamame

Recipe
1 medium zucchini
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 225. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set
aside. Using either a mandolin or a knife, thinly slice the zucchini.
The thinner the slices, the better they'll crisp up in the oven
.
Once sliced, place the zucchini on sheets of paper towels and sprinkle
the tops of each lightly with salt. Use no more than ¼ teaspoon total for al
l of the slices and allow the slices to sit for about 10 minutes. This will help draw 
out the liquid so they'll cook faster and help them become crisper.

Your creamy cravings can be met by eating:

• smoothies
  
• avocados
  
• rice pudding
  
• dips and spreads, like hummus and puréed soups
  
• puddings made with silken tofu, avocado, or mashed banana
  
• mashed sweet potatoes
  
• coconut milk
  

Spicy Guacamole

2 avocados, halved, pitted
½ red onion, diced
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Juice from 1 lime
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
Sea salt


In a large bowl mash avocado with a fork, and combine with red onion,
garlic powder, cayenne, lime juice, and sea salt.


                                                 The Key is Whole, not processed foods.
                       Health concerns?  Questions?  Weightloss?  Ask me, I would love to help