Saturday, January 3, 2009

I resolve to...lose the baby weight!

SNACK ATTACK!
Rather than reach for the closest thing I can find, I am resolving to eat some healthy easy-to-prepare snacks...
-WW mini pizza: Toast one-half of a whole-wheat English muffin. Top with one slice Canadian bacon, a tomato slice and one slice low-fat American cheese. Microwave until the cheese melts.
-Bagel with PB & banana spread: Mash half a banana into 2 teaspoons peanut butter and spread onto a whole-grain bagel. Large bagels contain up to 300 calories, so choose a smaller 2-ounce bagel.

-Chicken Salad: Mix 1/4 cup cold leftover chicken or convenience-type chunk chicken with sliced seedless grapes, 1/2 tablespoon sunflower seeds, 1 tablespoon plain yogurt or fat-free mayonnaise, and a dash of curry powder. Stuff into a hollowed-out green pepper or half of a whole-wheat pita pocket.
-Cinnamon cream cheese bagel: Spread 1 tablespoon part-skim ricotta cheese (of FF cream cheese) over one-half of a small cinnamon-raisin bagel. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired and top with a thinly sliced apple.
-Mozerella Quesedilla: Layer a 6-inch soft corn or flour tortilla with 2 tablespoons shredded low-fat cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese. Microwave until the cheese melts. Slice into bite-sized pie shapes. Dip into some salsa if desired.
-Rice cake & savory spreads: Spread 1 tablespoon ricotta cheese over a brown rice cake. Layer with fresh strawberries or a tablespoon of sugar-free spreadable fruit. Or try using a spread of herbed goat cheese and sliced olives.
-Cajiun baked potato: Top a small baked potato with 2 tablespoons fat-free plain yogurt and sprinkle with Cajun seasoning.

-Bread & spread: Spread 1 tablespoon fruit-flavored low-fat yogurt or 100 percent fruit jam over a slice of whole-grain crisp bread.

Fun snacks for kids:
Ants on a log — Spread peanut butter on celery sticks and top with raisins.
Banana ice — Peel several very ripe bananas, break them into 1-inch pieces, and freeze the pieces in a sealed plastic bag. Just before serving, whirl the pieces in the blender with a small amount of water or juice. Serve right away. Add berries for a different flavor or top with fruit or nuts.
Mini pizzas — Spoon pizza sauce onto half a bagel, English muffin, or mini pita. Top with low-fat mozzarella cheese and your favorite veggies and toast or bake at a low setting until the cheese is melted and the bagel is crispy.
Healthy ice pops — Freeze fresh, unsweetened 100% juice in ice pop molds or ice cube trays.
Low-fat pita and hummus — Warm a pita in the oven on low, then cut it into small triangles. Dip it in a tasty, low-fat hummus. Hummus is available in yummy flavors like garlic and spicy red pepper.
Happy trails mix — Combine 1 cup whole-grain toasted oat cereal with 1/4 cup chopped walnuts and 1/4 cup dried cranberries for a healthy trail mix.

3 comments:

Kim said...

Yum! These recipes look so good. I need healthy snacks! Thanks for posting your ideas. Those books that I talked to you about (and couple more I thought of for you) are:

For Tanner: "The Candy Shop War," by Brandon Mull, and "The Invention of Hugo Cabret," by Brian Selznik.

For you: "Lost in Austen," by Emma Campbell Webster, "Rebecca," by Daphne du Maurier (suspenseful--published in 1938), and "A Long, Fatal Love Chase," by Louisa May Alcott (super suspenseful).

I remember getting up during the night to nurse Molly and reading these books at the same time, and not wanting to go back to bed because they were so great! I hope you enjoy them!

Bridger and Cindy said...

I resolve to lose the baby weight, too! Good luck to you and good luck to me!

Rach said...

Those snacks sound yummy!! I am going to have to try some of those. And, what baby weight are you talking about?? You look fantastic.