How we Americans love to snack! We graze all day, eating frequently. In fact, a recent study showed that as much as 25% of our daily calorie intake comes from snacking (including sugar-laden sodas). But snacks can be healthy, if you incorporate fruits and vegetables, and keep calories to 150/200 calories.
To avoid reaching for junk food in between meals, why not sit down with your family and brainstorm a list of healthy snacks that each person likes to eat? To get the ball rolling, here are some great snacks that you can make ahead of time and keep in your pantry or freezer. Enjoy them in lunch boxes or after-school!
“GORP” (Good Old Raisins and Peanuts)
This nutritious, homemade trail-mix consists of raisins, peanuts, cereal, pretzels and chocolate chips. Just don’t eat the whole bowl at once!
To keep it at 190 calories, buy the low-salt or no-salt versions of these ingredients, and limit your serving to 1/2 cup. It’s fun to put half-cup servings in small baggies, so you can limit your portions.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1 cup unsalted peanuts
- 1 cup tiny unsalted pretzels
- 1 and 1/2 cup whole wheat cereal
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup your favorite dried fruit (apricot, cranberry, etc.)
Directions
Mix all ingredients together. Store in an airtight container, or measure out 1/2 cup servings in baggies.
Waldorf Fruit Salad
This classic salad is a another tasty, easy snack idea.
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 cup celery, thinly sliced
- 1 cup red seedless grapes, sliced
- 2 -3 medium apples, washed, cored and chopped
- 1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Lettuce, washed and torn into pieces
Directions
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the yogurt and lemon juice. Next, mix in the apple, celery, grapes and walnuts. Serve on a bed of fresh lettuce.
Serves 6. Approx. 200 calories per serving. (If your sweet tooth is not happy, add a very small amount of honey.)
Healthy Drinks
Snacking goes hand-in-hand with a pick-me-up drink. But drinking soda on a daily basis has some health drawbacks. Instead, try mixing a dash of 100% fruit juice with either tap water or club soda (if you like bubbles).
You can try this drink with orange, grape or pineapple juice—or whatever other flavor you’d like!
As a bonus, this drink is low calories and is free of chemicals. Hooray!
Instructions
Put about 1/4 or 1/3 cup of fruit juice in a glass, then top off with water or club soda.
Robin is a certified professional chef and 2011 graduate of the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts. Prior to 
that, she enjoyed a career as mom, director of adult education for her town and director of religious education for her church. She can make puff pastry, classic French food, Italian peasant food, ice cream and really good PB&J. A devout believer in lifelong learning, she loves to try new foods, recipes and techniques, and invite her friends and family to come over for a bite.