GLAMMY SNACKING

One battle that seems to rage on for most of us is that of eating a healthy diet.  Whether it’s a plan we’ve put together for ourselves or we’re following a structured diet from a physician or commercial venture, snacking is usually inconvenient and often, unfulfilling.  I tend to be a “grazer” myself which means I’ll eat a little bit 4 or 5 times throughout the day rather than sitting down to the 3 squares we all grew up with.  There are even some schools of thought that this grazing is better for you but then in eating well as in other area of life, there are always positives to go with the negatives!

Because I happen to be a grazer, many of my “meals” are just glorified snacks!  Most of them are low calorie or low fat/reduced fat as well as having some nutritional value.  In this week’s Glam and Healthy section, I’m going to share with you 50 of my favorite Healthy Snacks.  Well, most are healthy but you’ll see that I’ve thrown in a few of my not as healthy favorites as well.

In the effort to eat a healthy diet and maintain a healthy lifestyle, I say “Play To Your Strengths” or simply put, choose things you like and enjoy to fill those “snack crazy moments”.  It will be easier to stick with your commitment to be healthy and still fulfill our “A girl’s gotta have a little fun” quota!!! 

P.S.  If you drink a glass of water (load it with freshly squeezed lemon juice to jumpstart your metabolism) prior to the snack, you’ll reap double benefit….hydrate, hydrate, hydrate (especially this time of year) and, you’ll feel full and satisfied faster.  Lots of times when we think we’re hungry, a glass of water (flavor it if you like, I do) will go a long way toward taking care of that snack fix we need!

My Top 50 Favorite Snacks!

Handful or small (vending size) bag of Stouffer’s animal crackers
A cup of air popped popcorn mixed with 15 honey roasted peanuts
A cup of good grapes, any variety
½ c or single serving of lite fruit cocktail
½ c or single serving of sugar free jello with lite or fat free cool whip
½ c chocolate (especially dark) covered raisins
½ med. Gala apple with 2 TBLS peanut butter
½ c. orange juice or apple juice (try it frozen for a little change of pace, eat as a slushy)
½ c. or single serving sugar free pudding
1 slice whole wheat toast with sugar free fruit spread
Single serving of low fat or no fat yogurt with fresh fruit (try some tropical additions for the summer months)
4 Nabisco Ginger Snaps (one of my very favorites)
Single serving of unsweetened applesauce
Sugar free fudgesicle
6 reduced fat Ritz crackers with a TBLS of peanut butter
Pretend S’more:  ½ reduced fat graham cracker w/jumbo marshmallow and drizzle with choc. sauce.  Micro wave a few seconds if you really want that “campfire” effect!
1 c mix of pistachios, almonds, walnuts and white raisins
2 dozen thin pretzel sticks with Dijon mustard for dipping
6 to 8 reduced fat vanilla wafers
Med gala apple
1/3 c. tabouli
Med banana
2 squares really good quality chocolate (bonus points if it’s dark chocolate)
15 Hot Tamales
Raw veggie stix with low fat or no fat dressing for dipping
1 cup baked pita chips
1 small serving frozen yogurt in a cup
1 avocado slice w/ 4 to 6 reduced fat crackers
¼ c. hummus with ½ small red pepper for dipping
Baby carrots with good salsa for dipping
4 mini Reece’s’ peanut butter cups
2 celery stalks with 1 ½ tsp. peanut butter for each
1 cup of frozen grapes (don’t laugh, they’re perfect for the hot summer days)
1 cup frozen whole/unsweetened strawberries (same applies as with the grapes)
1 Breyers all natural pure fruit
¾ c. fresh raspberries or blueberries
1 c. fresh tropical fruit salsa w/ ¼ fresh jalapeno added
1 full reduced fat graham cracker with or without 1 ½ tsp. peanut butter
4 sticks of Twizzlers red licorice
4 Nabisco Ginger Snaps (so very light and crispy)
1 cup cucumber slices w/ salsa or low fat ranch for dipping
1 cup grape or cherry tomato’s
¼ sliced cantaloupe
½ whole wheat English muffin w/ 1 TBLS peanut butter
½ c roasted (diced) chicken or turkey
½ c reduced fat cheezits
2 small squares cheddar cheese w/ 4 ritz crackers (reduced fat on all if you’d like)
1 c steamed edemame sprinkled with kosher salt
15 pretzel chips (low fat ranch or honey mustard for dipping)
15 baked pita chips (low fat ranch or salsa for dipping)
Ocean Spray white cran-peach mixed into a bottle of water slushy from being in the freezer (another favorite)
Barely steamed asparagus (still crisp) then chilled with creamy Dijon mustard for dipping (also a favorite)
2 Nutter Butter cookies
Small can of refrigerated mandarin oranges

It seems I’ve gotten a little carried away and given you a few more than my top 50 but no problem, they’re all good!  I’d love it if you could add to the list, and send me your favorite snacks that could be considered healthy or at least quasi healthy!  I don’t think there can ever be too many choices!