Category Archives: Healthy Snack

hummus

Healthy Hummus with Tomatoes and Cucumber

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Make your own hummus as a healthy snack, side dish, or appetizer!

Prep Time: 15 minutes           Servings: 4

Ingredients:

  • 1 can (14 oz) garbanzo beans (drain them in colander and rinse under running water)
  • ½ cup tahini
  • 1 garlic clove (finely chopped)
  • 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
  • 6 tablespoons lemon juice
  • ½  teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tomatoes (diced)
  • 1 large or 2 medium cucumbers (diced)
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

*Serve with pita bread, flat bread, or vegetable sticks (carrots, broccoli, celery, pepper, etc)

Directions:

  1. Using a food processor, combine: garbanzo beans, tahini, garlic, vinegar, 4 tablespoons lemon juice, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Mix until ingredients form a smooth mixture (I actually like to leave my hummus a little thick and chunky so you can mix it less if you like this too!)
  2. In large bowl gently toss tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, 1 tablespoon olive oil and remaining lemon juice (you can add more pepper, herbs, or other spices to this if you wish)
  3. Serve hummus on small plates with tomato and cucumber salad on top
  4. Add pita bread, flat bread or vegetable slices
  5. Enjoy!
OpenFaceSandwich[1]

Open Faced Hummus and Turkey Sandwich

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Use your thanksgiving leftovers in a creative, healthy, delicious way!

Servings: 4, Preparation: 10-15 minutes

Ingredients:

  1. ½ cup hummus
  2. 1 avocado sliced
  3. 4 slices multigrain bread toasted
  4. 1 large tomato, cut into 8 slices
  5. 4 romaine lettuce leaves
  6. 8 strips of sliced turkey
  7. Pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Toast multigrain bread
  2. Add 2 tablespoons of hummus to each slice of bread
  3. Layer 1 lettuce leave on top of hummus on each slice of bread
  4. Top each lettuce leave with 2 slices of turkey
  5. Top the turkey with 2 slices of avocado and tomato, and a pinch of pepper to taste
  6. Enjoy!
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Do you struggle to keep your energy level up during the day?

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Help keep your energy levels up by eating breakfast and then eating small, frequent meals every 3 hours. Aim to have some protein and carbohydrates at each snack and meal and drink plenty of water throughout the day.

Try one of these ideas for a high protein, energy packed small meal:

  • 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese on a slice of whole wheat toast or mixed into 1/2 cup high fiber cereal
  • 1/4 cup tuna salad made with light mayo on whole wheat bread/whole wheat pita and a piece of fruit, or add tuna to a green leafy salad with your favorite veggies and balsamic vinaigrette
  • 1/2 cup egg salad made with light mayo with whole grain crackers and carrot and celery sticks
  • 4 oz sliced turkey and low fat cheese rolled up in a whole wheat tortilla with mustard, lettuce, onion, and tomato and a piece of fruit on the side
  • PB&J on whole wheat bread: Nuts are a great way to get added protein- add a piece of fruit or greek yogurt to complete this delicious meal
  • Choose a whole wheat bagel or multi-grain English muffin with 2 tablespoons peanut butter or  light cream cheese and smoked salmon
  • Oatmeal made with low fat milk and a tablespoon of peanut butter mixed in (or try sliced almonds) with fresh berries or sliced banana

Having a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack helps you stay focused and energized, not to mention it helps prevent overeating when you get home from work.Try these delicious snacks to keep energy up all day:

  • Greek yogurt with 1/3c trail mix (dried fruit and nuts)
  • 1/2c almonds with a string cheese and fruit
  • Peanut butter spread on an apple and a yogurt
  • Hummus with vegetable sticks/whole grain crackers and a string cheese
  • High fiber cereal (such as raisin bran, shredded wheat or grape nuts) with low fat milk and fruit
  • Low fat cottage cheese with sliced fruit
  • Try a fruit smoothie made with 1 cup fruit (try strawberries, banana, blueberries, or mango) 1 Tablespoon peanut butter, 3 Tablespoons Greek yogurt, skim or low fat milk, and 1 cup ice, blend and enjoy!

I hope these suggestions have been helpful, please let me know if I can help you further or if you have other questions. Good luck!

cucumber onion salad

Delicious Cucumber Salad

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Servings: 4 and ½ cups   Prep Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium size cucumbers (about 2 cups)
  • 1 red onion (about 1 cup)
  • 4 oz non-fat Greek yogurt
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon dill weed (fresh if you have it!)
  • 1 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

  1. Slice cucumbers to desired thickness (1/4 inch or less is suggested)
  2. Slice red onion thinly
  3. Combine onion, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, sugar, pepper and dill weed in a bowl
  4. Add cucumbers and stir gently to coat them
  5. Once all ingredients are combined cover bowl and place in refrigerator to chill until ready to serve!

Nutrition Information:

50 calories, 0 grams fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 0 grams cholesterol, 10 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber, 7 grams sugar, 4 gram protein, 15 mg sodium

  • Hint: To spice this recipe up, try a flavored Greek yogurt (such as raspberry or lime)!
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Zucchini Fritters

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Prep Time: 15 minutes   Bake Time: 18 minutes

Servings: 12

Ingredients:

6 oz low fat Greek Yogurt

2 tsp lime juice

1 tsp lime zest

1 ¼ tsp salt

1 ½ lbs zucchini shredded

2/3 cup sliced scallions

½ cup cilantro, chopped

1 egg yolk (beaten)

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

½ tsp pepper

¼ cup canola or olive oil

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 200 F
  2. In small bowl mix yogurt, lime juice, lime zest and ¼ tsp salt until smooth in texture
  3. Combine zucchini, scallions, cilantro, egg, flour, 1 tsp salt and the pepper into a bowl (tip: squeeze zucchini out to remove extra moisture
  4. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil over medium high heat in a large sauté pan, add zucchini mixture in ¼ cup portions.
    1. Flatten fritters with spatula until they are about 3 inches in diameter
    2. Cook for 3 minutes or until brown, flip and cook for 3 minutes
    3. Place fritters onto baking sheet or tray and place in oven to keep warm
    4. Repeat cooking method until all fritters are cooked, serve with lime yogurt and enjoy!

Nutrition Information for 1 Fritter: 79 Calories, 5 g Fat, 1 g Saturated Fat, 3 g Protein, 6 g carbohydrates, 1 g Fiber, 254 mg Sodium, 18 mg Cholesterol

*Tip: to lower sodium content use half the amount of salt in the recipe!

www. infinitelifefitness.com

The Importance of Snacking

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Many people confuse snacks with treats but they are very different!

  • Snacks should be eaten regularly to help you get in your daily nutrition
  • Treats are part of a healthy, well balanced diet but should be consumed less frequently than snacks- eaten in moderation

Ideally you should start each day with breakfast, then have a snack, eat lunch, have a snack, eat dinner, and have a snack.

Benefits of snacking

There are many nutrition and health related benefits associated with snacking. Snacking benefits adults as well as children.  Some great benefits of snacking include:

  • Eat more to weight less:Eating small, frequent meals will help you eat less throughout the day which helps promote a healthy weight
  • Eat every 2-3 hours: Eating every few hours helps keep blood sugar stable which helps you avoid extreme hunger and helps you stay in control so you can make healthy choices and avoid sugar cravings from getting too hungry
  • Increase energy: If you are eating every 2-3 hours you are also keeping your blood sugar levels stable.  Stable blood sugar means your energy level will stay steady. If you don’t eat your energy level falls and you get tired, snacking helps keep you energized
  • Increase nutrition: Snacking is a great opportunity to get more essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrition into your diet! Since you are eating more often you can include a greater variety of healthy foods into your diet
  • Improved concentration: Snacking between meals improves concentration, focus, and performance at work and at school.

What is a healthy snack?

A healthy snack should ideally consist of a carbohydrate, protein, and healthy fat. Don’t be afraid of eating fat! Fat is what helps us feel full and satisfied after eating so we are less likely to overeat. You do want to choose healthy fats such as those found in olive oil, fish, nuts, and low fat dairy products. Choose a snack that is about 100 to 200 calories (depending on your specific needs) and aim to eat it between bigger meals.

What are some examples of healthy snacks?

  • Low fat cottage cheese (protein and fat source) with cubed melon (carbohydrate source)
  • Peanut butter (protein and fat source) on whole wheat crackers (carbohydrate source) or a sliced apple (carbohydrate source)
  • Low fat Greek yogurt (protein and fat source) with high fiber cereal (carbohydrate source) sprinkled in
  • Mixed berries (carbohydrate source) with sliced almonds (protein and fat source)

The bottom line:

  • Snacking improves overall nutrition status, energy levels and concentration, and helps you eat less!
  • The ideal snack should be about 150 calories (depending on your individual needs) and composed of a carbohydrate, protein, and healthy fat!