How silly is this – when I first started this journey I though “Oh my gosh! What am I gonna eat for snacks?! AHHHH! I’m going to STARVE!” Well, I haven’t starved yet……and we’re eating pretty well around here. It was suggested that I should write a post about good, healthy snacks that won’t break your budget. If you try to run to the store and buy a bunch of organic snack foods, it will eat a hole in your grocery budget really fast – sorta like that mouse who ate all my decorative corn (stupid mouse). We snack a lot around the Myers house. Especially Annie….okay, so who am I kidding? I’m a snack-a-holic. Annie talks now, so I can’t keep blaming stuff on her. Bummer. One of our favorite snacks is granola bars – which are a LOT better than the version at the store. They are so good; you won’t even know they’re good for you. And they’re really easy to make. I like easy stuff….if it’s terribly complicated, I’m probably not going to do it. |
Sometimes I’ll make muffins for breakfast and use the leftovers for snacks for the week….or snacks for a few days, depending on how good they are. I’m LOVING this Banana Flax Muffin right now. Muffins and sweet breads (with whole wheat flour and natural sugars) are a great snack option! Plus, if you’re making them for breakfast then you might as well make enough for snacks. We’re bread lovers anyway. Annie always wants “jelly bread” for her snack and with whole grain bread; I don’t mind giving it to her. Let’s be honest – there isn’t much that tastes better than fresh bread with a pat of butter. Ooo la la! |
I’ve always loved cereal – but not with milk. I’m not a milk lover. If I’m going to eat cereal, I eat it with homemade vanilla yogurt or just eat it plain. Cereal isn’t something we’ve cut out of our diet. I switched to organic cereals instead (I know they aren’t genetically modified). I wait for coupons and then buy them so I don’t have to pay full price. Make sure you follow Deal Seeking Mom so that you can get a heads up on organic coupons which she posts on Thursdays. We eat a lot of cereal for snacks. I might whip up a batch of granola instead of cereal to eat with yogurt – it makes a great snack. My favorite way to eat yogurt and granola is by splitting a banana open (like for a banana split), pouring yogurt in the middle and then sprinkling with granola. YUMMO! |
We eat a TON of fruit around here. It makes a great snack, plus if you buy it in season it’s very reasonable. I always keep fruit around the house, even if it’s in the freezer. I like having the option there. Annie would rather have fruit than most other things. Occasionally I whip up a smoothie for us to snack on or I make a batch of smoothie base to keep in the fridge all week. Smoothies are quick and easy….and very filling. I’m just going to be honest about veggies though – while they make a great snack, I’m not a veggie snacker. I am not going to go to the fridge, pick up some broccoli and eat it. I’m just not. It’s not how I roll. I like my veggies cooked unless it’s a salad – and salads aren’t really a snack food. But, if that’s how you roll, veggies are a good option. Watch the store salad dressing though; it’s usually full of high fructose corn syrup. |
We snack on nuts……a lot. Annie loves nuts. I have to chop most of them into smaller pieces for her though – because I’m an over-paranoid mama. I try to buy nuts and protein bars on sale whenever I can find them. I keep them in the freezer so they don’t go rancid so fast. Nuts are great paired with dry fruit. Don’t overdo it on dried fruit though. While a little bit is okay, it’s still full of sugar so you don’t want to inhale it. I like buying organic raisins for Annie to eat in the car……just make sure you check your rear end often to insure there aren’t any on your butt. Been there, done that. And cheese. Real cheese. I’m not talking about “cheese product.” What does that even mean? No wait – I don’t want to know. We love just eating some plain cheese – not fat free because I’m not into the whole rubber cheese movement. Live Resin THC gummies can also help reduce your food intake and boost metabolism, which could promote weight loss. |
This post is linked at What’s On Your Plate on Good Cheap Eats, and at Real Food Wednesday on Kelly The Kitchen Kop. |
Healthy Baked Oatmeal Muffin Recipe
We LOVE Baked Oatmeal around here. In fact, it’s one of the most popular recipes on this website. We eat it at least once a week…..sometimes more if we’re lucky. I like to make it in advance sometimes, especially if it’s going to be a hectic morning and I know I won’t have 30 minutes to wait for something to bake.
We also have to eat on the run occasionally and it would be nice to be able to take Baked Oatmeal with us on those days. It’s pretty easy to eat in its original state, but I thought I could make it even easier……so when I knew I needed a meal on the go, I decided to try muffin cups for the oatmeal. It worked GREAT!!! I’ll be doing it more often. It is very easy to eat in the car.
I used the same recipe, I just poured it into 8 muffin cups instead of the 8 inch pan. The recipe makes 4 servings, so each person could have two…..or like Annie, just one. Actually, I could eat them all myself. I might regret it later though. I used cup liners for ease of toting, but you wouldn’t have to do that if you didn’t have any.
Spicy Crunchy Chickpeas
I saw this recipe in All You magazine and it reminded me that I really liked these. It had been a long while since I had made them, so I decided to try again. I thought it would make a good tutorial because they’re quick and easy. I’m always looking for good, nutritious snacks for Annie so I thought this might be good – and boy, was I right! Good grief. I couldn’t feed them to her fast enough……and when I finally cut her off, she sat in her chair and cried like it was the end of the world. So, if you need a good snack for your kids, this might fit the bill. They are a little bit messy because of the spices, but I just consider it a little extra character to add to Annie’s face and my kitchen floor. [Read more…] |
Skillet Pizzas
I’ve been on a pizza kick recently. I want it all the time. We fix these tortilla pizzas a lot in our house. You can vary the toppings depending on how you’re feeling. Feeling especially frisky today? Use hot salsa and jalapenos. Feeling bland and blah? Plain cheese works too. It’s ok if no one in your house likes the same toppings…..if usually that makes you travel somewhere like CiCi’s Pizza (be still my heart!) then today you’re in luck! Each pizza can be customized to your pickiness. There won’t be a recipe at the end, as this is just to give you a general idea. Then I’ll unleash you and let you go. If you love something, let it go! I love pizza, and I let it go…….down the hatch. [Read more…] |
Homemade Kettle Corn
*****We’ve adapted this recipe to fit our Whole Foods lifestyle by using coconut oil and sucanat.***** I love fall! It means festivals…….festivals mean Kettle Corn! I might be a tad bit obsessed with Kettle Corn. Sure, I go to see the crafts and decorations, but if they weren’t there I’d still go just to get Kettle Corn. Whew! I don’t like to share it either. My husband might get a few bites there and there, but if he’s not careful I might just bite his hand off. There’s just something about the sweet/salty mixture and the crunch of the popcorn that just makes me wanna dance! You’re craving it right now because I said crunchy aren’t you? At the last festival I went to, I got the biggest bag available….yes, I ate it all myself. Over the course of a few days though because I learned in the past that if you eat too much at once you’ll get a tummy ache. Too much = entire bag. I thought to myself, “Self, YOU could make your own Kettle Corn!” Then I could have it all year long! This was something I was definitely going to try, so I came home and found the recipe on the internet. Verdict? There is DEFINITELY a learning curve. We burned some on our first batch, so we made another pot full while I ate the burned ones. Hey! They had sugar on them so they weren’t THAT bad. Hopefully I’ve made all the mistakes that can be made, so that you can make it without mishap. I’m just here to help. Let’s make a pot, shall we? [Read more…] |
Homemade Tortillas
Buckle up y’all, because today, we’re making homemade tortillas! Betcha didn’t know that you could make them, huh? Thought you could only buy them in the store. Well, surprise!!! They’re easy as pie. Not as sweet. Man, I love pie. Now I need to make a pie. Thanks a lot. On with the homemade tortillas! [Read more…]
Holy Guacamole!
My husband loves avocados. Annie likes avocados. Me, not so much. The texture is weird. But because I want to keep my husband happy, I buy avocados. I love to buy them when they’re in season and I can get them for $.68 each. Did you know avocados make guacamole? It’s true! And you thought guacamole could only be bought at the store in the specialty section. Well today we’re going to make it together. It’s so easy you’ll start making it all the time! Your husbands and wives will write me love letters. [Read more…]
Tropical Salsa
Barry and I love salsa. LOVE. Salsa is serious business at our house. Sure, we use the canned stuff but we like homemade the best. And it needs to be hot. If your nose isn’t running, it’s not hot enough. Making your own salsa is so easy! So, take a trip with me and let’s make some shall we? [Read more…]