Showing posts with label Snacks. Show all posts
Cranberry Cocktail Mealballs
Cranberry Cocktail meatballs
Makes 4
servings ( 4 meatballs each)
-1 lb lean ground beef
-½ cup bread crumbs
-1 egg (or equivalent in egg
substitute)
-2 Tbsp water
-3 Tbsp minced onion - ¾ cup
chili sauce
-1 (8 oz) can jellied cranberry
sauce
-1 ½ tsp lemon juice
-1 Tbsp Splenda® brown sugar
Directions:
1)
Preheat oven
to 350 degrees.
2)
In a large
bowl, mix together the ground beef, egg, water, bread crumbs, and minced onion.
3)
Roll into
small meatballs (about 1"x1").
4)
Bake in
preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, turning once.
5)
In a slow
cooker or large saucepan over low heat, blend the cranberry sauce, chili sauce,
brown sugar and lemon juice.
6)
Add
meatballs, and simmer for 1 hour before serving.
Exchanges:
½ starch, ¼ fruit, 4 meats, ¼ fat
275 calories, 10 g carbohydrates, 33 g protein, 2 g fat
**Recipe from TNT's Get Lean - Get Fit - Get Cooking Cookbook...eBook coming soon!**
10 Healthy On-The-Go-Snacks
If you like to hit all those wonderful Thanksgiving weekend sales it will be important for you to keep up your energy. Here are 10 great healthy On-The-Go snack ideas from Shape magazine. They are perfect for marathon shopping because they are healthy, will keep up your energy and don't need to be refrigerated! The guidelines for a healthy snacks is that it ranges between 150-200 calories and is a combination of the right carbohydrates (for quick energy) and either protein or healthy fats (for staying power).
Top 10 Snacks for On-The-Go:
- Trail Mix: Make your own by combining 2 parts nuts with one part no-sugar-added dried fruit and put a 1/3 cup serving in a plastic baggie. Or try one of the new pre-packaged options that are already portioned out.
- Apple and Peanut Butter: Yes, you can take this with you! Apples do not have to be refrigerated and travel very well. Many companies now sell single-serving packages of peanut butter, which make them very easy to throw in your purse.
- Lean Beef Jerky and Unsweetened Apple Sauce: This makes for a great sweet and salty combination. Individually-wrapped beef jerky and single serving containers of apple sauce make this an easy snack to keep anywhere- even in your purse.
- Tuna Snack Packs: I found these at the grocery store in the aisle with the regular cans of tuna. These snack packs come
complete with a single-serving packet of tuna, some light mayo, relish, and whole wheat crackers. I often take them in the car on road trips for a filling snack.
- Popcorn with Dried Roasted Chickpeas: You can find roasted, dried and seasoned chickpeas in specialty grocery stores or you can make your own- add it to some pre-popped popcorn for a flavor, crunchy snack.
- Almond Butter and Banana Sandwich on Whole Wheat Bread: Don't just think of sandwiches as lunch fare-options such as this can make great snacks as well. I cut my sandwich into fourths before packing it up so that I can just eat the amount I need. This is good for a day of driving too as one sandwich can serve as 2 or 3 snacks.
- Carrot Sticks and a Wedge of Laughing Cow Cheese: If you will be eating your snack in less than 4 hours, this snack works as a portable option as these things can stay unrefrigerated just fine for about that long. If it is going to be longer than that, or you would like to be able to take more fresh options with you, simply get a small cooler with ice packs to keep in your car to keep the food cool.
Snack Bars : Choose ones that contain a combination of carbohydrates and protein, such as Luna bars, Kind bars, and Lara bars. I always keep one of these in my gym bag and purse.
- Dry Whole-Grain Cereal mixed with Sunflower Seeds: This is a great option that you can seal in a plastic baggie and keep in your purse or desk drawer for several weeks. Use 2 parts cereal and 1 part seeds and limit total serving to 1/3 cup.
- Rice Cake with Low-fat Pudding Cup: If you are craving something sweet on the go, this snack is a great option. Choose a pudding cup that doesn't require refrigeration and pair it with a whole grain rice cake for a snack that is a good source of calcium and also provides a little protein and fiber.
What snacks are your favorites?
Fun with Food: Thanksgiving Turkey Veggie Trays
Total Nutrition Technology
We are always looking for creative ways to help make our Holidays fun and HEALTHY! There are a lot of holiday recipes out there but we put together some of our favorite ways to serve vegetables! We love these because they are festive, fun, crowd-pleasing (even the kiddos), inexpensive, quick to make, inexpensive and healthy. Can you tell we love them? Well here are a few for some inspiration!
Which one is your favorite?
Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
Makes 12 bar cookies
Ingredients:
1/2 mashed banana (about 1 large)
1/2 cup natural peanut butter (or non peanut)
1/2 cup honey
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flax seed (or an add’l 1/4c flour)
1/4 cup vanilla protein powder (+2TB of water if dough is too thick)
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins
Prepared 8x8 pan sprayed with cooking spray
Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat two cookie sheets with cooking spray; set aside.
2.In a large bowl, stir together banana, peanut butter, honey, and vanilla.
3.In a small bowl, combine oats, flour, ground flax, protein powder, cinnamon, and baking soda.
4.Stir the oat mixture into the banana mixture until combined. Stir in dried cranberries.
5.Spread into the prepared 8x8 pan and smooth evenly.
6.Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until browned. Cool completely in pan then cut into 12 bars..
7.Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Freeze well for up to 2 months; thaw before serving.
Exchanges: Per square = 1 Starch, 1 Fat, 1 Fruit*
*Exact exchange amount may vary based on serving size and alterations, when in doubt overestimate in an exchange to be safe or contact your TNT Health Educator.
TNT Tips for Smart Snacking
The importance of planning ahead is to set yourself up for
success. Planning can make your life
easier and it helps prevent deviation from the program and gets you results
QUICKER. At first this may appear to be time
consuming and feel awkward but it is important to realize that this is NEW and
will get easier over time. We can assure
you that proper PLANNING is the ONLY way you will successfully achieve and keep
your goals. Just as you would not take a
trip w/o a road map to a destination you have never been to before, the same
applies to this. Planning is your road
map ….
- Pre-measure snacks. For example, if one starch exchange is equivalent to 10 pretzels, count out 10 pretzels and store them in zip-lock snack bags. Then when you need a snack, you can just grab the pre-measured bag and go! This keeps portion sizes in check. This can be done with dried fruits, baked chips, nuts, seeds, and cereals. Some pre-made snacks can even be stored in the car or at work.
- Before leaving the house for the day, pack a pre-measured healthy snack that is easy to consume. This will keep you away from fast food and high calorie convenience foods.
- Don’t shop when you are hungry. It is best to make a list at home and stick to it.
- Try to eat meals and snacks on a regular basis to prevent blood sugar levels from dipping too low.
In order to make this part of your daily/weekly habit you must first put it into practice day in and day out…If you want to achieve a new life style and a new physique then patience is a virtue.
Halloween Vegetable Skeleton
Ingredients
1/2 Head lettuce leaf
1 cup Kraft Lite Ranch Dressing
4 cups assorted cut-up fresh vegetables
red bell & yellow bell paper strips
cucumber slices
snow peas
mushroom slices
celery sticks
carrot sticks
cherry tomatoes
broccoli florets
cauliflower florets
Directions
Line half a small bowl with lettuce for skeleton's hair and then fill with dressing. Place bowl at one end of large tray or baking sheet for the skeleton's head. Arrange vegetables on tray to resemble skeleton's body.
Via Kraft.com
Tag :
Snacks,
A New Way to 'Eat Your Vegetables'
If you love chips like my family does but want to make sure you get the best bang out of your calories then I suggest you look into a new snack called Eat Your Vegetables chips by a great company called Snikiddy Foods. First of all I LOVE the story behind this company.
Snikiddy was founded in 2006 by a mom (Mary Schulman) and her mother. And what does Snikiddy actually mean? Well it is a shorten way to say persnickety which means choosy or picky. And Snikiddy Foods has picked only the healthiest of ingredients for this snack chip. The first ingredient in Eat Your Vegetable chip is navy beans which is followed by other veggies like kale, sweet potatoes, and carrots ~ just to name a few. They are non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan, and don't contain MSG. These chips contain Vitamin A but not much sodium. They are available in 5 flavors: Sea Salt, Sea Salt and Lime, Jalapeno Ranch, Italian Herb and Olive Oil and Sour Cream and Onion. I personally found the Sea Salt and the Sour Cream and Onion to be our favorites. They are full of flavor and even quickly became a favorite of the kids.
13 chips in considered a serving of vegetables and count as 1 starch and 1 fat. The fiber content is pretty darn good considering most chips don't offer any fiber - with these chips you get 3 grams of fiber per serving. Now I am not suggesting we all turn to these chips for our vegetable source...I will always suggest consuming fresh veggies however if you are going to grab a chip for that crunchy craving this is a great option. As always, moderation is the key. Keep mindful of how much you eat and I like to suggest getting some snack-size zip-lock bags and portion out the chips so you are keeping track of portion sizes.
You can find these healthy chips at local retailer such as Target, Walmart, Whole Foods, The Fresh Market and many more stores. You can also order them online at Amazon. Be sure you visit their website so you can sign up for a free coupon too!
Until next time...
~Angela Wilkinson
Founder - Total Nutrition Technology
Tag :
Snacks,
3 Gluten-Free Fall Treats
Via Amy Valpone Fox New Online Contributor
Kids will love these gluten-free, seasonal treats.
Crunchy Apple Sandwich
Skip the bread and get fancy with your gluten-free alternatives! Enjoy the fruits of fall by slicing apples thinly to create a sweet and salty sandwich that isn't full of empty calories. This treat is no trick—your little ones will love to bite into such a chocolate-filled, fun snack.
Recipe:
Cut an apple into 4 slices, top 2 apple slices with almond butter, granola and dark chocolate chips. Sandwich the other 2 apple slices on top of each prepared slice.
Baked Banana Chips
You can buy these pre-made at the store, but what’s better than the smell of homemade treats filling your kitchen? This recipe is easy enough for even your youngest child to have a hand in. By making these banana chips yourself, you’re sure to get the perfect amount of flavor in every bite. Beware -- they’re addicting!
Skip the bread and get fancy with your gluten-free alternatives! Enjoy the fruits of fall by slicing apples thinly to create a sweet and salty sandwich that isn't full of empty calories. This treat is no trick—your little ones will love to bite into such a chocolate-filled, fun snack.
Recipe:
Cut an apple into 4 slices, top 2 apple slices with almond butter, granola and dark chocolate chips. Sandwich the other 2 apple slices on top of each prepared slice.
Baked Banana Chips
You can buy these pre-made at the store, but what’s better than the smell of homemade treats filling your kitchen? This recipe is easy enough for even your youngest child to have a hand in. By making these banana chips yourself, you’re sure to get the perfect amount of flavor in every bite. Beware -- they’re addicting!
Recipe:
1 large thinly sliced banana, 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients; mix well to combine. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, lay banana slices flat on the parchment paper and bake for 45 minutes.
Avocado Chocolate Pudding
I know what you’re thinking—avocado? In pudding?! But trust me—this is a chocolaty treat you don’t want to miss. Not only does the whipped avocado provide a gluten and dairy-free creaminess that can’t be beat, it’s chock-full of healthy vitamins that might just “trick” your children into thinking they are eating an unhealthy dessert.
1 large thinly sliced banana, 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients; mix well to combine. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, lay banana slices flat on the parchment paper and bake for 45 minutes.
Avocado Chocolate Pudding
I know what you’re thinking—avocado? In pudding?! But trust me—this is a chocolaty treat you don’t want to miss. Not only does the whipped avocado provide a gluten and dairy-free creaminess that can’t be beat, it’s chock-full of healthy vitamins that might just “trick” your children into thinking they are eating an unhealthy dessert.
Recipe:
1 large ripe avocado, 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 cup coconut milk, 1/4 teaspoon powdered sugar. Combine all ingredients in a blender; process until smooth and creamy. Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
1 large ripe avocado, 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 cup coconut milk, 1/4 teaspoon powdered sugar. Combine all ingredients in a blender; process until smooth and creamy. Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Amie Valpone is a celebrity chef based in New York City and editor-in-chief of TheHealthyApple.com
. Specializing in simple, gluten-free recipes, Amie has been featured in numerous magazines and on well-known websites, as well as TV.
. Specializing in simple, gluten-free recipes, Amie has been featured in numerous magazines and on well-known websites, as well as TV. Tag :
Snacks,
20 High Energy Snacks for On The Go
Total Nutrition Technology
Healthy snacks, especially on the go, are an essential part of a healthy eating plan. Selecting the right snacks can not only keep your blood sugar stable but can help prevent you from overeating later in the day. So instead of grabbing that muffin at the coffee shop between meetings or the bag of chips you picked up from the vending machine we have a better idea. Keep choices nutritionally balanced picking snacks between 100-200 calories with a combination of healthy carbs, healthy fat and protein. These smart snack choices will satisfy your hunger and more importantly keep you feeling full longer. Your body will thank you and give you the energy you need to finish out your day strong and with a clear mind.
We've put together 20 of our favorite Super
Healthy High Energy Snacks…give them a try next time you get those mid-day
munchies!
- Fresh banana, apple or pear with 1 tbsp of peanut butter
- Low-Fat greek yogurt with ¼ cup granola
- Low-fat popcorn with dry roasted chick peas
- Red peppers & hummus
- Almonds & walnuts
- Rice cake with 1 tbsp almond butter
- Handful of cherries
- Hard boiled egg
- Edamame beans
- Water…sometimes thirst masks itself as hunger
- Sunflower seeds
- Cottage cheese
- Roasted veggie crisps & low fat cheese stick
- Whole grain crackers with Laughing Cow Cheese
- Chia bread
- Raisins
- Protein bar
- Tuna snack pack
- Celery with peanut butter
- Carrot sticks with Laughing Cow Cheese
Tag :
Snacks,
Chocolate Nut Butter Protein Balls
1 cup Rice Krispies
1/2 cup Quick Oats
1/4 cup Flax Meal
1 cup Chocolate Protein Powder
1/2 cup Honey or Agave
1/3 cup Nut Butter (Peanut butter used in picture)
2 Tbsp Water
Pour all ingredients into a larger bowl. Mix thoroughly. (Time to get messy! Use your hand...it works best). Roll into 18* protein balls placing on cookie sheet covered with Splat Mat or wax paper. Chill for 30 minutes. Store in refrigerator in air tight container for 1 week...but they won't last that long!
* I used a cookie scoop to help portion out the protein balls. They ended up about 1.5" in diameter:)
Don't forget to enter our TNT Infuser Water Bottle Giveaway!
For More Recipes Like This...
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Tag :
Snacks,
Cool & Healthy Watermelon Pops
Ingredients:
1/2 baby watermelon chopped into cubes
10 mint leaves
1/2 a lime
honey
water
1. Place watermelon in blender.
2. Add juice from half a lime.
3. Add 10 or so mint leaves.
4. Pour in honey to taste. We used about 1/4 cup. Maybe less. It all depends on the ripeness of the watermelon and how sweet you like your pops.
(secret ingredient: add a pinch of salt to give the watermelon a little kick.)
5. Blend.
6. Add water as necessary.
7. Blend again.
8. Taste. Add more honey or salt if needed.
9. Pour into popsicle mold and freeze.
Enjoy!
Tag :
Snacks,
Healthy Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
Source: www.godairyfree.org
Yield: 24 muffin cup cookies or about 3 to 4 dozen snack cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
•2-1/2 cups rolled oats, divided (certified gluten-free, if needed)
•2/3 cup coconut sugar (can sub brown sugar)
•2 tablespoons flax seeds
•3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•1/2 teaspoon baking powder
•1/4 teaspoon baking soda
•1/4 teaspoon salt
•1/4 cup grapeseed, rice bran, canola or melted coconut oil*
•1/4 cup So Delicious Dairy Free Plain Coconut Milk Yogurt
•2 tablespoons maple syrup
•1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
•2/3 cup dried cranberries
•2/3 chopped pecans or 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (see post above for other add-in options)
Instructions:
1.Preheat your oven to 350ºF and either grease or line 24 muffin cups (not necessary if using silicone muffin cups) or line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2.Place 1 cup of the oats, sugar (if using coconut sugar), and flax seeds in a spice grinder or food processor and whiz until powdered. Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl.
3.Stir in the cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, until well combined.
4.Add the oil, yogurt, maple, and vanilla, and whisk to combine.
5.Fold in the remaining 1-1/2 cups whole oats, cranberries, and pecans. It will be a chunky mixture.
6.For (my favorite) muffin cup cookies, press 2 tablespoons of the dough into each cup using damp hands. For little cookies, drop by the tablespoonful onto your baking sheet – they won’t spread much.
7.Bake the muffin cup cookies for 15 to 20 minutes. Bake the little cookies for about 12 minutes.
8.Let them cool in the cups or on the baking sheet for 10 to 15 minutes (they will firm up and be easier to handle), before removing them to a plate or cooling rack.
Notes:
Coconut Oil Conundrum: If using coconut oil, be sure that your yogurt is brought to room temperature. Cold ingredients will result in solid bits of coconut oil!
Asparagus Rollups
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Low Fat Ham or Turkey from deli, sliced thin - 1/2 lb.
Low-fat cream cheese - 1/4 cup
16 asparagus spears
Take two slices of ham or turkey and place them on a baking sheet. Spread with cream cheese and then place an asparagus spear on top and roll it up tightly. Repeat for each asparagus spear, then bake them for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
**Each roll-up has a mere 30 calories, a delicious appetizer that sneaks in some veggies, too.
Chip Dip - So Healthy So Good
Dr. Oz's Healthy 7 Layer Dip
Ingredients:
4 cups shredded lettuce
3 medium ripe avocados mashed and mixed with 2 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 cup Greek yogurt mixed with 1 package low-sodium taco seasoning mix
1 can black beans
3 medium diced tomatoes
2 cans sliced olives
8 oz 2% cheddar cheese
Directions
Starting with the lettuce on the bottom of a bowl, add each layer on top of the next, ending with sprinkling the cheese on top. Alternate one celery stick with each whole grain chip to cut your calories in half.