Saturday, 5 September 2009

Here are 5 of my favorite Easy and Quick Healthy Snacks



There's nothing like real world experience to teach you a thing or two.

To all of you parents who have written to me in the past saying "Isabel, with all the responsibilities I have in one day with the kids, work and the house, I just don't have time to eat healthy." I GET IT!

Wow!...who knew a little 8 lb baby could take up so much time...I mean the whole day.

Since eating healthy is an absolute must for me (I just wouldn't have it any other way), I really had to come up with some quick and easy snacks that I could grab at any time, especially if my little munchkin didn't let me get to make breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Even if you don't have kids and are just busy, busy, busy all day....here are a few of the healthy snacks I enjoy (most of which can be grabbed with one hand while holding a newborn in the other).

1. Nut Butter and Honey on Ezekiel Bread (or any sprouted grain bread) - Although this would taste better toasted, I can make do with the colder version. I put 1-2 tbsps of natural peanut butter or almond butter on 1 slice of Sprouted Grain or Spelt bread with ½ tsp of raw honey. I make 2-3 of these at a time and leave them in the fridge for easy grabbing.

2. Deviled Eggs - These do take a bit of prep time so I have to wait for my husband to come home in the evening to make them. I hard boil 6 eggs. Once cooled, I cut them in half and place all of the cooked yolks in a separate bowl. I add Dijon mustard and olive oil to the yolks and mash them up so they become creamy. I put the creamy mixture back into the center of the egg whites and sprinkle Celtic Sea Salt and Fresh Pepper on top. I keep these in the refrigerator for an easy protein snack.

3. Turkey and Roast Beef Rollup - These are simply just deli turkey breast and roast beef wrapped up in a rollup (I only buy the turkey and roast beef that is fresh and natural, not any of the cold cut supermarket brands with added nitrites and nitrates). I add some mustard to each rollup and keep them all in a container in the fridge. Again, another quick protein snack. These are also great with baby carrots.

4. Frozen Grapes - If you're searching for something sweet, grapes in the freezer are a great way to curb a sweet tooth. I keep a bunch of these in the freezer and snack on them along with some raw nuts. Just a handful of grapes with some walnuts really keeps me full and satisfied until I can get to my next meal. It's also a great "sweet" pick me up (for all those sleep deprived parents and even non-parents out there).

5. Bag of Trail Mix - I absolutely do not go anywhere without my bag of trail mix. Right now I have almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts, dried apricots and raisins all in a bag with a touch of Celtic Sea Salt added. Yesterday I took my little guy to the pediatrician and we were there for what seemed to be hours! Thank goodness for my trail mix, otherwise I probably would have cried more than the baby did.