Confession time. I've been struggling with lunch and snack ideas lately. I've noticed after I eat a healthy lunch that I don't feel full (or maybe just not satisfied) so I look for something else to snack on. This usually means that I open up my favorite tortilla chips from Costco (Late July multigrain) and eat a few too many of them or I eat some nut butter mixed with chocolate chips (yummy, but not a great choice). I've noticed that my stomach hasn't felt very good when I've done this and it's time to make some changes.
I made a list this morning of healthy snacks which have low or no cholesterol. I looked a little bit online for some ideas and was happy to see that most of what I've been eating were suggested ideas (except maybe the tortilla chips and chocolate chips...I have a love for "chips" that I need to get over).
Maybe I should think of dried apples as apple "chips"... That might work. :)
Here are 8 of my favorite snack ideas:
1. Popcorn. I air-popped some popcorn (with a little smart balance spread mixed with butter) for my boys to put in their lunch this morning. I'm going to use my whirleypop to make some popcorn with just a little oil and salt for me.
2. Sliced apples with almond butter. I'm going to try these chocolate peanut butter apples with coconut and almonds some day when I'm feeling indulgent.
3. Natural peanut butter in celery sticks.
4. Veggies with hummus. (I buy the single serving size Sabra hummus at Costco and love to eat it with sweet peppers, cucumbers, and carrots.)
5. Edamame. I love it plain (after cooking it according to the package directions). And I made these crispy roasted edamame last night. Yummy!
6. Dried fruit. I love making dried apples. And I LOVE dried mangos from Costco/Sam's Club.
7. Almonds. I love nuts, maybe too much. I especially love raw almonds.
8. Homemade salsa (my favorite and seriously so easy!) with baked tortilla chips. I love both of these things and eat them all the time. So yummy.
For me, it's easy to get stuck in a rut when trying to eat healthy. If you have any favorites that I haven't thought of, please share. Have a good day!