Life Only Better

Heathy Snacks

Here's a list of Healthy Snacks that are easy to prepare.

• Cut up fresh fruits & veggies
• Peanut butter with an apple or banana
• Veggies with Hummus or a healthy dip
  • Mix Good Seasons dry dip mix with fat free sour cream or fat free plain yogurt.
• Freeze grapes, cut up bananas, or blueberries (tastes like frozen candy!)
• Spread peanut butter over a whole wheat pita.  Slice your favorite apple over top, sprinkle with cinnamon, and broil for 3-5 minutes.

Here are some healthy alternatives to common snacks.

• Crackers:  Reduced fat triscuits, Ak-Mak whole wheat crackers, Barbara's cracked pepper crackers.  Serve with Hummus or healthy dip described above.
• Chips:  Any baked potato chip or corn chip.  My favorite is Kettle Krisps.  Serve with Salsa.
• Pretzels:  Pennysticks or Vitaspelt brand.  Serve with hummus or salsa.
• Goldfish:  Kashi TLC makes a great cheddar cracker

Some other ideas:

• Cook extra dinner for the following day's snacks
• Air popped pop corn
• Barbara's Puffins Cinnamon Cereal  (yummy snack)
• Hot wasabi green peas or dry roasted green peas
• Almonds
• Bell & Evans Chicken Nuggets:  serve plain or with chicken wing sauce
• Amy's Black Bean Enchilada
• Van's Whole Wheat Blueberry Waffles
• Whole wheat english muffin or pita bread, with marinara & low fat cheese.  Put in the toaster oven & you've got pizza!
• Turkey Roll ups:  take a slice of turkey breast, chop up your favorite fillings like avacado, tomatoes, cucumbers and shredded lettuce, put them in the middle of the turkey slice, and roll it up!
• Lettuce wraps:  dice up chicken, beef, turkey and the fillings of your choice and wrap it up with lettuce.

Happy Snacking!

Nutrition: March is National Nutrition Month

The food you eat has a huge effect on your health and weight loss goals.  In celebration of National Nutrition Month, here are a few simple tips to help you keep your energy levels up and your weight down!

Seven Tips to a Healthier You

1. Eat Breakfast: Running on an empty engine will slow your metabolism.  Put fuel in the tank and you'll start to burn calories right away.

2.   Chew your food:  You'll feel fuller faster. 

3.  Drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces of H2O:  You'll eat less & flush out more of the toxins in your body.

4.  Change your whites to wheats:  Your body will process the wheats slower, which means they won't go directly to body fat.

5.  Eat the recommended 13 servings of fruits & veggies per day:  The more fiber you eat, the more full you'll feel!  Plus...the preventative benefit of the antioxidents.

6.  Per gram, eat more fiber than sugar:  Remember, unused sugar goes straight to body fat!

7.  Eat every three hours: This will keep your metabolism running at an even speed and prevent those afternoon cravings!