Healthy Snacking Tips
Here are snack or mini-meal ideas that are wholesome, nutritious, and can be favorable toward balancing blood sugar levels. Whenever possible use organic products such as grains, fruits and vegetables. Stay away from preservatives, white flours, refined sugars, food colorings and artificial flavors. Take advantage of local produce when possible.
Remember, children eat and drink what they get used to. We can educate our children on the benefits of good nutrition.
Fruit & Vegetable Snacks
- Strawberries dipped in "Quark" or "Fromage Blanc" cheese.
- Cottage cheese and fruit.
- "Smoothie" made in blender with skim milk, protein powder, and fresh or frozen fruit.
- Celery with (light) cream cheese or peanut butter.
- Whole fruits with any cheese on the side. Try apples and cheddar.
- Sliced tomatoes topped with grated cheese (low-fat or non-fat mozzarella, muenster, etc) and a little fresh basil, put under broiler until cheese melts.
- Fresh, raw vegetables with a dip that contains protein (cottage-cheese, or humus, or tofu-based).
- Peanut butter (or other nut butter) on apple slices, or on whole grain toast or bread.
- Whole grain pancakes spread with a little all-fruit jelly, perhaps with milk or cottage cheese on the side for more protein.
Whole Grain Snacks
- Whole grain crackers with cheese (try adding mustard or a little fruit on the side).
- Steel-cut oats (cooked) with ground cinnamon and cloves, milk and a small amount of honey (about 1/2 teaspoon).
- Whole grain toast (or bread), spread with cottage cheese and sprinkled with cinnamon. Put under broiler until cottage cheese is bubbly.
- "Krab" salad (look in meat department) on whole-grain crackers.
- Nature's Path Heritage cereal and skim milk (there are many other good whole-grain cereals).
- Whole grain bagel (try "Natural Ovens" brand) with "light" cream cheese.
- Rolled oats ("old fashioned" oatmeal) with milk. Watch the sweeteners! Balance with some (veggie) sausage (see pancakes, above) or add nuts and/or other protein (try raisins and nuts, no other sweeteners).
- Tuna salad on whole grain crackers
- If using rice, use brown rice or wild rice. Serve with a protein food.
- Poached egg on whole grain toast.
Mini Meals
- Egg salad sandwich on whole grain bread, add lettuce if desired. Or, egg salad on celery ribs.
- Burrito made on a whole wheat shell, with beans and cheese.
- Blue corn tortilla chips and humus dip.
- Sandwiches made with meat and/or cheese, whole grain bread, lettuce and/or tomato (also try adding sprouts or avocado).
- Green salad with chunk of cheese, sunflower seeds, and pieces of meat, chicken or fish (try the Blanchard & Blanchard "Spa" dressings).
- Scramble an egg (or 2, with only 1 yolk) into sauteed vegetables such as onion, green and/or red pepper, tomato, mushrooms, green onion, green beans and then serve with salsa. (Olive oil to sauté).
- Whole grain pasta with meat (try ground turkey), tomato sauce and parmesan cheese.
- Try some of the Health Valley brand soups. Add some kind of protein food on side (nuts, eggs, meat, poultry, fish, cheese), especially if there are no beans in the soup. Their chili is good, also.
- Lentil pilaf or lentil soup.
- Salmon cakes with lemon juice. Mix canned or leftover cooked, flaked salmon with chopped celery, onion, egg, whole grain cracker or bread crumbs (or rolled oats), little bit of milk, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Form into patties and fry in olive oil or bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned. Lemon on side. Top with cheese if desired.
- Hard-boiled egg.
- String cheese.
- Cooked peeled and deveined shrimp with cocktail sauce.
- Deviled eggs.
Other Tips for Healthy Snacks
In general, experiment with spices and seasonings and whole-faced combinations that taste good instead of relying on lots of sugars, fats, salt, MSG, etc. to make food taste good.
Vegetables, whole fruits (not juice, jellied, canned) and whole grains are the best source of carbohydrates. You may balance them with some protein and use fats sparingly, as needed for flavor.
Avoid:- All refined sweeteners
- Pop or sweetened beverages
- White flour products (white bread, crackers, etc)
- White rice
Exercise has also been demonstrated to greatly help energy, health and balance blood sugar levels. Ask your doctor to recommend what is safe and appropriate for you.