Snacks on the Go

Who doesn�t love to snack?  Summer time is the time to head off on a road trip, to the beach or mountains.  Some people say to avoid snacks, but why?  Snacks are important for kids as they have small stomachs and they need snacks between meals.  Adults love to snack.  So when you are on the go, how to make healthier choices on the run?  One way is to plan ahead and bring snacks with you.   I was at a car wash waiting for my car to get done and saw a mom and her 4-5 year old daughter sitting on a bench.  The daughter said, �I�m hungry�.  I thought for sure the mom would head for the vending machine.  But no, from her purse she pulled out a juice box and a baggie of orange slices, a baggie of whole grain crackers and asked her daughter which one she wanted.  I was pleasantly surprised and very impressed and told the mother how unusual she was to bring healthy snacks with you.  She planned ahead.  CVS actually had a health flier recently that gave some good advice.

1. Focus on Fresh � fresh food is always a healthier choice.  Bring along fruit, orange slices, grapes, an apple, a banana, a box of raisins or other dried fruit.  Nuts, cheese sticks, hard boiled eggs are all healthy options.
2. Prepare � bring snacks along with you as you run errands, go on that road trip, go on an outing.  Stock your car with bottled water and bring healthy snacks or have some healthy granola bars stashed in you car.
3. Smart, healthy snacks � pumpkin seeds, nuts, sunflower seeds, low fat, low sugar granola bars, fresh fruit.  On a car trip we stock up with nuts, whole grain crackers, cheese sticks and bring a small cooler with yogurt and chilled bottled water.

Adult snacks:  Parenting.comhas some good adult snack ideas:

• Yogurt covered raisins
• Popcorn � low fat, or try the new Skinny Pop popcorn from Costco or Walmart, only 100 calories, or Smart Food Popcorn clusters
• Dried fruit
• Fruit Bars from PURE � Apple Cinnamon, Wild Blueberry
• Quaker Granola Bites � added benefit, oatmeal

Kids Snacks:  WebMDsuggests Healthy snacks for Kids on the Go

• Fruit and veggie chunks
• Cheerios
• Dried cereal and nuts, raisins and a few chocolate chips
• Whole grain crackers with peanut butter or almond butter
• Fruit roll-ups cut into bite-sized pieces
• Popcorn in 100 calories portions
• SunChips

Twist and Shout Trail Mix from WebMD

This is a great project for younger kids (aged 2-6). Not only do they feel proud about preparing their own snack, they also get the chance to practice their math skills

1/2 to 1 cup Multi-Grain Cheerios
1/2 to 1 Cup mini pretzels (preferable oat bran)
1/2 cup of raisins
1/2 to 1 cup Goldfish crackers (choose whole grain)
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 to 1 cup of peanuts

• Lay out a snack-sized plastic bag for each child.
• Have each child count out 10 Cheerios and place into a bag
• Next, have each child count out 9 pretzels and place into the bag
• Next, have each child count out 8 raisins and place into the bag
• Next, have each child count out 7 Goldfish crackers and place into the bag
• Next, have each child count out 6 chocolate chips and place into their bag
• Tightly close the plastic bags, and have all children stand up and do the twist. The kids will have fun shaking up the contents of their trail mix. (You might even want to play the song Twist and Shout).
• 1 serving = 10 Cheerios, 9 mini pretzels, 8 raisins, 7 Goldfish, 6 chocolate chips

Per serving: 105 calories, 3 g protein, 14 g carbohydrates, 4.6 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 150 mg sodium, 1 g fiber.

For other recipes, including Chocolate Pudding Sprinkle Cones, go to Healthy Snacks for Kids on the Go

Sources:  7-healthy-grab-and-go-snacks, Healthy Snacks for Kids on the Go, Image Source:
Popcorn

Diet Mistakes You Might be Making

We all know people who are on a diet.  Usually some fad diet that they can�t stay on for a life time.  How often do we hear, �I am off my diet.�   �I am back on my diet.�   What are some diet mistakes that can sabotage your weight loss goals?  WebMD has a great article, 10 Diet Mistakes and How to Avoid Them.

1. Crash diets � Many of us want to lose weight but not slow and steady, we want to lose it now.  So crash diets sound appealing.  When you lose weight that fast you not only lose water and fat but also muscle tissue.   Eating under 1200 calories a day can slow your metabolism and slow your chances of losing weight.  Go off this crash diet and the weight comes back as you haven�t changed your lifestyle and eating habits. 
2.  Skipping Breakfast � seems like an easy way to cut back on calories.  I was doing a diet recall on a friend who said they never ate breakfast.  Yet, when they got to work they went to the snack machine and got a donut, a candy bar or other high calorie �snack�.  Skipping the most important meal of the day lead to hunger mid-morning and snacking on unhealthy, high calorie foods.  Or, the person overeats at lunch because they are starving and then they pack even more calories.  Choose a breakfast high in protein and high in fiber to fill you up and stave off the hunger pains.
3. Snacks � who doesn�t love snacks?  Many people eat normally at meals but then nibble all day on snacks.  If you are counting calories, the snacks count too.  Use Apps on your Smartphone like LoseIt! to track your meals and snacks.  Or choose healthy snacks like fruit, vegetables.   Or, find those 100 calorie snack packs.
4. Avoiding snacks � snacking can be a good thing as those who eat 3 smaller meals a day plus snacks have a better chance of controlling their hunger.  Focusing on protein-rich snacks can rev up your metabolism.  A handful of nuts are a good protein snack.
5. Low fat � cutting back on high fat foods is a good choice.  Limiting fried foods like cutting back on French fries, fried chips, fried chicken will cut back on calories.  But carefully choose low fat products as many are loaded with sugar.  I tried a low fat mayonnaise in and egg salad only to have the egg salad taste sweet like I had added sugar.  Looking at the label, they had taken out fat but added sugar and added calories.  Better to have a smaller portion of a regular fat food than all that added sugar.
6. Calories in your Beverages � cutting back on beverages high in added sugar is always a good idea.  In the South sugared iced tea is popular but loaded with calories.  Most restaurants offer unsweetened tea.  If you are trying to cut back, fill up the glass with mostly unsweetened and top off with some sweetened or just add one pack of sugar to your unsweetened tea.  Sugared soft drinks, many sports drinks are loaded with sugar and a good way to cut some calories.  Drink water instead.
7. Water � fill up on water.  Drink some water when you get up, before meals, any time you feel thirsty.  Dehydration slows you metabolism so keep hydrated.
8. Avoiding Dairy is Not a Good Idea � many fad diets cut back on dairy and thus cut back on the important nutrients dairy provides like calcium and vitamin D.  Not to mention the protein in dairy is a very high quality protein.  WebMD notes:  Some research suggests the body burns more fat when it gets enough calcium and produces more fat when it�s calcium-deprived.  So choose low-fat dairy, low fat yogurt, 1% or fat free milk, low fat cheeses.
9. Avoid the Drive-Through � Fast foods are loaded with calories.  Sure you could order the salad or other healthier choices but going to a fast food place just offers a lot of temptation for the milk shake, fries or other unhealthy options.  WebMD notes:  People who ate fast food more than twice a week gained 10 more pounds than those who had it less than once a week.    
10. Unrealistic Goals � Many people want to lose a lot of weight and lose it fast.  But the most successful are those who chose realistic goals like 1-2 pounds a week, focus on an eating pattern they can maintain for life and adding in exercise so they don�t have to cut back on food so much. 

Sources:  10 Diet Mistakes and How to Avoid Them,  Image Source: Stop Dieting

Healthy Kids Snacks

Who doesn�t love to snack?  Many people think snacks are bad for your health but they don�t have to be.  And for kids snacks are needed as they have small stomachs and really need to fortify themselves between meals.  A website called Zesterdailyhas some good ideas for kids� snack that are not only healthy but ones they can help make.  

      1.   GORP �doesn�t sound appetizing but what kid wouldn�t want to make some GORP?  It seems to stand for �Good Old Raisins and Peanuts�.   Or you can say it is kids� trail mix.   Easy to make and easy to take along on a car trip or hiking.

      a.       Basic recipe:

            �   � cups roasted, lightly salted peanuts or whole almonds (or nuts you like best)

             �   � cup raisins

             �   � cup dried cranberries or chopped dried apricots (or dried fruit your kid likes best)

              �   � cup Corn Chex, Rice Chex, Wheat Chex

              �   � cup toast green pumpkin seeds (also called pepitas)

2.  Hummus and veggies  

            a.       Hummus + cut up carrots (carrot chips work great), celery, zucchini, cucumbers

      3.   Make your own Parfait � a fancy parfait glass makes it extra special.  A great after school snack.

                a.       Layer yogurt, fruit (their favorite), granola    

       4.  Granola bars � a do it yourself granola bar.  Great to pack in a lunch, take to after school sports practice, pack for a picnic.  Kids will love to help mash the mixture into the pan.  Good idea to cover the mixture with wax paper and then let them mash it flat.  Let your kids help choose the ingredients they prefer.  Allergic to nuts?  Then choose sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds.

       �         � cup lightly roasted nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans or a combination).  To toast, put
            on baking sheet, in a 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes. 

      �         � cup dried fruit � one or a combination of raisins, currants, dried cranberries, chopped
                  dates,  prunes, dried apricots, or/or dried peaches)

       �         � cup quick-cooking oats

      �         �  cup crispy rice cereal

      �         2 T.  unsweetened coconut (optional)

      �         � cup almond or peanut butter

      �         � cup honey

      �         � tsp vanilla extract

      �         See the mixing directions at:  Granola - Energy Bars

       5.    Fruit Kabobs � what  fun way to get kids to enjoy fruit.  Let them choose the fruit they want to put on their kabob stick, and then let them help prepare the fruit.  They can peel and slice the bananas, wash the grapes, wash and cut up strawberry halves, cut up peaches, apple slices and other fruit. 

Kids that help prepare a snack will be more likely to eat the snack. 

Sources:  GORP,  Healthy on-the-go snacks kids can help make, Image source:  Fruit Kabobs for Kids