Making Healthy Eating/snacks Easy and Convenient

On grocery day, I always wash and divide everything up into single serve baggies. I even divide up things like boxes of Wheat Thins, Chex Mix, and (my personal fave) shredded wheat cereal - I eat it dry! Stuff that doesn't need to be refrigerated goes in a big bowl on the kitchen table, the rest go on one of the fridge shelves right in front. I do things like: carrot/celery sticks, sliced green pepper, sliced cucumber, fresh whole snap peas/green beans, fruit (if canned, divide up, if not leave whole, unless it's a melon of some kind- go ahead and cut that into bit sized pieces right away!), granola bars, whole grain crackers (I keep the cheese already squared in the fridge), or those cheese/cracker combos. The possibilities are endless, the key is to make them convenient and available so you go to them instead of the bag of potato chips! :-) Good luck!

Fresh fruits and vegetables are great, healthy, handy on-the-go snacks. Also nuts are a great source of protein and the good type of fat that the body needs.

I do all my fruit/veggie prep on Sundays and portion everything out into single-serve baggies. That way, it is totally grab and go.

This article has some good ideas for snacks, I think...

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/t030800.asp

Best wishes,
J.

I give my daughter a lot of crackers. She loves these 12 grain one's from Trader Joes, and I love them because they are iron bombs (10% of your daily allowance).

She usually gets fruit, but in the afternoon, I do let her have a few cookies (butter cookies). She eats so well at meals, I figure she deserves a cookie treat.

I've been putting a small, cup size bowl out with nuts, and always keep the fruit bowl out. If I buy grapes and leave it in the fridge they will go to waste so I usually wash them and put it out in small batches and they get eaten. I usually use frozen veggies or buy fresh broccoli in a big bag and freeze it.

Hi L.,

I like Sam's for a lot of reason's, they are getting better about healthy things. For the quick easy part I like the mixed nuts, we keep one on the counter and everyone is able to grab a handful or just a few here and there. I also like the roasted red pepper hummus! Soo yummy, and good for you too! The pita chips are great, but it is tasty on veggies as well, so I keep cut up carrot sticks and celery in a tupperware filled with water. Keeps them fresh and the carrots are soo cruchy! My 2 y.o. son is not a fan of sandwiches, so he eats the ham and cheese rolled up by itself or we use cookie cutters and put them on crackers and he helps me with that. Coincidentally my hubby enjoys the cut outs when he takes them to work too! Ants on a log are a hit too. Celery, Peanut butter and raisins! I hope that helps or gives you a few ideas of your own! Good luck!

My current favorite is making my own "trail mix". Right now, it's just almonds, walnuts, and dried cranberries.

Beware of so-called 'healthy' or 'low-fat' foods that actually contain a ton of bad things like high-fructose corn syrup or high sodium. If you really want to get back in shape and just be all-over healthier, don't buy junk food. If it isn't around, you won't eat it. Right now is a perfect time to have LOTS of great fresh fruit around- strawberries, cherries, peaches, nectarines,etc. In the fall and winter, apples and pears... we also make a killer sort of trail mix- getting the nuts in bulk and making your own mix is great because you can put exactly what you and your hubby like into it. We use tamari almonds, pistachios, little chocolate coated sunflower seeds ( you can get them at Trader Joe's-yum!) and dried cranberries. The nuts are great for you ( all the right kind of fats and protiens) and it is JUST sweet enough to feel like a treat. I also eat natural or greek-style yogurt a lot ( Fage is a good brand). I've been taking fresh veggies to work with my lunch every day and I just got my fiancee to start eating them with his sandwich at lunch instead of chips. We still get ice cream or treats, but I try to make it something we will only have one or two times and that keeps it from just being around and makes it easier to just eat the healthier stuff. Good Luck!

Great post and great ideas!! Thanks!

Hi L.,
I have found that if I make a nice, huge green salad with dinner on Sunday, I can separate the leftovers into gladware (they stack nice and the food stays fresh), then each day I dice up the dinner's leftovers & toss it into a salad. So, say a leftover bit chicken breast wouldn't be enough for a meal, but it's great in a nice green salad. Tacos make a salad fab, you get the idea. It makes eating a decent lunch a whole lot easier.

As for snacks, we do string cheese, cut up cucumbers or carrots, grapes, kiwis, bananas, berries, whatever is in season. It takes some initial work on your part. I usually do this in the evening after grocery shopping (after a break) so it's ready to go. It's extra work but if I don't do it, who will?

Hope that helps.
D.
ps. Trader Joe's is a huge help for nutrient-dense snacks like the crackers another mom mentioned, we love those, also their hummus selection is excellent.

A great inexpenive and nutrient dense meal can start with a bag of dried beans! The are loaded with protein and fiber and are quite simple to prepare. I make them regularly. For example, you can make black beans and rice, or a lentil or split pea soup in no time and virtually fat free. Plain yogurt is great...the flavored yogurt is not so great with the sugar conent. Also, beware of the "snack" crackers. They can contain many calories...look at serving size! In addition, the beans freeze very well and you can add any pasta to your soups. Another idea for healthy eating is to go the oven fried route, and tae advantage of your oven broiler...you can cut up some veggies...sprinkle with olive oil and salt and your done! Great for dinner or lunch. Hope this helps...I can go on and on as I enjoy to cook.

Hi L.!

I have some great recipes that are around $2 per serving and can be made in 30 minutes or less. Please let me know if you are interested.

S.