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Guide to Healthy Snacking
Monday, August 21, 2006

By Brandi M. Seals

Great snacks that are good for you can be hard to come up with if you are used to handing out Handi-Snacks, chips, and soda. So whether you like sweet or savory foods, there are healthful snacks out there that will please everyone.

If sweets are what you crave, look to nature for your answer. Fresh fruit is naturally sweet and can be eaten on the go. It can also be used in a number of different ways so your palate does not become bored.

Make smoothies. Blend together frozen fruit and a splash of 100% fruit juice, like orange juice, to make a smoothie treat. Either drink on the spot or freeze in molds to make your own popsicles. Do not forget to insert the sticks before they freeze. And don't worry, popsicle sticks are easy to find. They can be purchased at any craft store.

If you are looking to increase your dairy intake, why not pick up one of those large cartons of low-fat vanilla yogurt? You can make your own flavor for each day of the week. Create kiwi yogurt, strawberry yogurt or raspberry yogurt. Just scoop out some yogurt and add fresh fruit.

If you have food dehydrator save tons of money and make your own apple chips, banana chips or even fruit rollups. Fruit chips are easy, just slice up fresh fruit and place it in the dehydrator. Each fruit has a different drying time. Consult your manual for drying times for any fruit, including the more unusual items like papaya, pineapple, and mangos. For fruit rollups, first make sure your food dehydrator comes with a solid plastic ring. If it does puree your desired fruit and spread it on or spread out a nice layer of fruit yogurt and turn on the dehydrator.

For a cool summer treat, take grapes off the vine and freeze them. Cool down in the summer heat as they defrost in your mouth then gobble down the yummy goodness.

If savory foods are more your speed, stock up on pretzels. They are low in fat, but can be high in sodium. Try to get unsalted pretzels. Nuts like almonds and peanuts also make for a great snack. Just be sure not to eat too much, they can have a high fat content. Also avoid salted or coated nuts. They can be high in calories.

Try popping some popcorn. Popcorn is great. It is light and very filling. Put remember to get plain popcorn. If you want to add a little flavor, you can sprinkle on a little salt. It will still be much less then what comes in the pre-flavored popcorn packs.

If you absolutely cannot live without French fries, try making your own. They are easy to make and much more healthy then those that you get at a fast food restaurant. Simply peel and slice your potatoes into wedges. Sprinkle with a little extra virgin olive oil and season with dried herbs, salt and pepper. Use whatever suits your fancy. I like garlic powder and Italian seasoning on my homemade fries. Instead of frying up the spuds, bake them. Place the seasoned potato wedges on a baking sheet and cook for twenty minutes in a 400 degree oven. Remove potato wedges; flip them and then bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes until tender.

Instead of eating processed chicken nuggets, make your own at home. Using 3 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts or tenderloins cut the chicken into chunks. Bring together ½ cup of bread crumbs and 1 tsp of each seasoning of your choice, and a ¼ cup parmesan cheese. Coat the chicken with the mix. Then place the chicken chunks on a cookie sheet covered with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Remove the chicken, flip them over and bake an additional 10 minutes.

For an easy snack later on, use more chicken than you plan on eating. Instead of cooking the extra chicken, freeze the breaded chicken in a single layer on a cookie sheet, then move to a freezer safe bag for easy storage. When ready to eat, cook up the chicken chunks any time.

Healthy snack are just as easy or easier to make then their high calorie, high fat counterparts. Now that you have several healthy snack ideas, I hope you will try them out and start eating healthier.

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