In the past, eating between meals was discouraged when a person is trying to drop a few pounds. However, snacking isn’t necessarily a bad thing at all. In fact, eating a couple of snacks during the day can prevent us from getting too hungry and overeating at meal time, and helps manage our metabolism & blood sugar levels.
Mindless snacking and not having a game plan, on the other hand, are what can get us into trouble. A few pieces of candy from your child’s Easter basket, a bag of pretzels out of the office vending machine, or all of those chips that you eat while preparing dinner can really really add up.
That’s why it is always a great idea to have a few healthy go-to snacks on hand at all times- preferably ones that are fewer than 200 calories per serving.
Here are ten options that will satisfy your appetite whether you’re craving something salty or sweet.
1. Apple slices sprinkled with cinnamon (or HOMEMADE BAKED APPLE CHIPS)
2. Sliced cucumber, carrots, bell peppers, and/or cherry tomatoes dipped in hummus
3. Shelled edamame
4. Raw almonds
5. Air-popped popcorn drizzled in coconut oil and some sea salt
6. Hard-boiled egg
8. Celery sticks smeared with almond butter
10. Kale chips
Many health food stores and even chain grocery stores carry pre-made kale chips, but I always prefer to make my own. They’re so satisfying when I am craving a salty crunchy snack. Using nutritional yeast gives them a cheesy flavor and a boost of vitamin B12. Here’s my recipe for KALE CHIPS. If you have a favorite healthy, easy snack please share in the comments section below!
“Cheesy” Kale Chips
Ingredients
1 bunch of curly kale (washed, dried, and torn off the stem)
1/2 Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup of nutritional yeast
Sea salt and ground pepper (optional)
Directions: Preheat your oven to about 375 degrees. Add the kale to a large mixing bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Toss with your hands to coat. Spread onto a cookie sheet and sprinkle with the nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper (to taste). Bake for about 15 minutes and turn halfway through. Be sure to really watch the kale while it is cooking. If it turns too brown, it will taste bitter. Remove them from the oven if they start to brown too much.
The possibilities are endless as far as the toppings you can use on your chips. Other options include lemon juice, honey, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, cumin, chili powder, Parmesan cheese, or even taco seasoning.
Make sure that you check your teeth after eating these though. No one wants to be caught with green pieces of kale between their teeth!
