HEALTHY SNACKS
A snack is an amount of food eaten between meals, typically something small and easy to take on the go. Everyone is guilty of snacking, from the potato chips snuck in while making dinner to the entire row of Oreos consumed post-dinner – we all do it. Snacking often has a negative connotation – health nuts say you shouldn’t snack at all, while vending machines basically force bags of Lay’s barbecue chips into your hungry hands. However, when snacking is done right, it’s not such a bad thing.
- Kale Chips
Believe it or not, kale chips can be a great alternative to Doritos. They can be made at home with recipes that take no longer than 30 minutes. Kale is low in calories, rich in vitamins K, A and C and high in iron and calcium. Kale chips can be made as spicy as one wants, or as mild, and each recipe is simple and easy to follow. For one, cheesy kale chips only require seven ingredients, and of them you may already have four: olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder. To get the cheesy flavor of Doritos, just add nutritional yeast.
- Apple and peanut butter
Everybody needs a specific amount of protein in his or her diet daily. If preparing chicken or beans with dinner is too much of a struggle to accommodate in your busy schedule, try an apple with peanut butter. Though this snack is high in fat, calories and energy, the protein will keep you full until your next meal. While apples may not serve as a calorie dense food, one tablespoon of peanut butter is about 100 calories, and it’s easy to use over one spoonful for one apple.
- Popcorn
When those salt cravings hit, it’s easy to grab a bag of chips and plop down on the couch – but there’s a better way to satisfy them. A large container of popcorn kernels at the store cost around $5, and lasts a long time. To make this at home, all you need is a pot with a top, kernels, olive oil and salt and butter for taste. The snack itself takes about five minutes to make, and just ¼ cup of kernels can supply you with the content you can find in two small bags of chips, with half the calories.
- Sweet potato nachos
Let’s be honest, nachos are incredible. They’re a filling snack that you can also turn into a meal if it’s needed. However, they may not be the best for your body. Sweet potato nachos may take longer to prepare than regular nachos, but if you’re free for just under an hour on the day the nacho cravings hit, sweet potato nachos will give you the flavor without the guilt. The only things you need to complete the recipe are an oven, sweet potatoes sliced into ¼ inch rounds, olive oil and the nachos toppings you desire.
